National Kidney Foundation Earns Joint Accreditation with Commendation, Reinforcing Leadership in Healthcare Education

Highest level of recognition affirms NKF's commitment to advancing interprofessional education and improving kidney care

NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) has been awarded Joint Accreditation with Commendation for a full six-year term through July 2032. This is highest level of recognition granted through the Joint Accreditation process for organizations providing continuing education to healthcare professionals.

Joint Accreditation with Commendation is awarded to organizations that not only meet rigorous national accreditation standards but also demonstrate excellence in educational quality, innovation, continuous improvement, and measurable impact on clinical practice and patient care. The distinction recognizes NKF's longstanding commitment to delivering high-quality, evidence-based education that equips healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to improve outcomes for people living with kidney disease.

"This is a proud moment for NKF and our mission," said Marc Hurlbert, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of the National Kidney Foundation. "Healthcare continues to evolve rapidly, and clinicians need trusted, evidence-based education to stay current. This achievement reinforces our role as a national leader in delivering education that supports healthcare professionals and ultimately improves the lives of patients."

The Joint Accreditation for Interprofessional Education organization recognized NKF's Continuing Education (CE) program for meaningful engagement of patients as planners and teachers, ensuring education is informed by lived experience alongside clinical expertise.

NKF was also recognized for advancing research and scholarship in accredited education; using health and practice data to inform educational planning and content; addressing factors beyond clinical care, including social determinants of health, that influence patient outcomes; and collaborating with other organizations to address broader population health priorities. Through its extensive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) portfolio, NKF has translated these approaches into meaningful quality improvement efforts across primary care, home dialysis, transplant, and other areas of kidney care.

"Earning Joint Accreditation with Commendation is an incredible recognition of the work our teams do every day to ensure NKF education goes beyond simply sharing knowledge. We want it to meaningfully improve how care is delivered," said Jessica Joseph, Senior Vice President, Scientific Operations, National Kidney Foundation. "By bringing together the interprofessional team, patients, and partners, and centering our education in evidence and real-world needs, we are helping healthcare teams deliver better, more patient-centered kidney care. This recognition reflects the high standard we set for continuing education and our commitment to improving outcomes for people affected by kidney disease."

NKF's Professional Education Resource Center (PERC) is home to all available CE/CME activities, with a wide variety of formats available to meet each individual learner's educational needs. New courses are added often, and NKF members enjoy unlimited free and discounted CE/CME as a benefit of a Professional Membership.

As a trusted leader in kidney health for more than 75 years, NKF remains committed to providing innovative educational opportunities that support lifelong learning, strengthen multidisciplinary collaboration, and improve the quality of care for people living with kidney disease.

About Kidney Disease

In the United States, CKD remains an under-recognized public health burden that impacts 1 in 7 adults, and 90 percent of those affected are unaware of their condition. Approximately 1 in 3 U.S. adults are at risk for CKD, but less than 20% are assessed with guideline-recommended testing, eGFR and uACR. Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian American, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease. Black or African American people are about four times as likely as White people to develop kidney failure. Hispanic and Native American people experience kidney failure at approximately double the rate of White people.

About the National Kidney Foundation

The National Kidney Foundation is revolutionizing the fight to save lives by eliminating preventable kidney disease, accelerating innovation for the dignity of the patient experience, and dismantling structural inequities in kidney care, dialysis, and transplantation. For more information about NKF, visit www.kidney.org.

SOURCE National Kidney Foundation