[The following is a paid advertisement.]

In Illinois, over 30,000 people suffer from end-stage renal disease (ESRD). This disease imposes a harsh physical, mental, and financial burden on them and their families. That’s why organizations, community groups, health professionals, and businesses from across Illinois founded The Illinois Kidney Care Alliance (IKCA).

Kevin Cmunt, CEO of Gift of Hope— a founding member of IKCA— recently sat down for an interview with Health News Illinois.

“There are tens of thousands of Illinoisans who suffer from end-stage renal disease. It’s really expensive. It’s cost our society and our state, and it’s just a really crummy disease,” Cmunt told HNI.

For dialysis patients fortunate enough to have insurance, ESRD can still be an annual out-of-pocket expense in excess of $7,000. And many patients with advanced kidney disease are low-income.

Read more of Kevin’s interview and learn more about IKCA, kidney care in Illinois, challenges faced by those with ESRD, and next steps for the Alliance here.

The Illinois Kidney Care Alliance is proud to have Kevin Cmunt and Gift of Hope Organ and Tissue Donor Network advocate for those with ESRD. For more information visit our website.