Filtering the Facts of Kidney Health

October 5, 2019
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

Washington Park Fieldhouse
Washington Fieldhouse, South Doctor Martin Luther King Junior Drive, South Side, Chicago, IL, USA

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Program Series:
Health and Wellness

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Tiny but mighty, the kidneys are small, but powerful chemical factories that remove waste, balance your body’s fluids, and keep your blood pressure in check. Despite being as essential to keeping us alive and healthy, kidney health often isn’t discussed with the same urgency as heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. In fact, 30 million people in the U.S. have kidney disease but only 10% know it, according to the National Kidney Foundation. More than half of the 29,000 Illinois resident living with kidney failure live in Cook County, and many more Chicagoans are at risk for the disease due to rapidly rising rates of diabetes and high blood pressure. For African Americans and Hispanics, the risk for kidney disease and kidney failure is even higher with African Americans 3 times more likely and Hispanics 1½ times more likely to develop kidney failure than Whites.

So why don’t people with kidney disease know they have it? How does the kidney work to keep you alive and healthy? What causes the racial/ethnic disparities in kidney health? What can you do to protect your kidney health?

In this talk, Dr. Dinee Simpson will filter through some common kidney-related misconceptions, the racial and ethnic disparities in kidney disease, and everything you need to know about keeping your kidneys healthy.

Event Details

Saturday, October 5th from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Washington Park Fieldhouse, 5531 S Martin Luther King Dr., Chicago, IL 60637.

This program is FREE to attend and seating will be first-come, first-served. Beverages and snacks will be provided.

Parking and Transportation

The Washington Park Fieldhouse is easily accessible off the Garfield stop on the Green Line and multiple bus lines. For detailed travel information visit www.transitchicago.com or call the Travel Information Center at 1-888-YOUR-CTA or 1-888-CTA-TTY1 (TTY). Two free parking lots are available at the park.

Notice: As a guest of Chicago Council on Science and Technology (C2ST), you agree to be photographed, videotaped, or filmed and grant C2ST permission to put the finished footage/photography to any uses that it may deem proper including marketing, advertising (print, radio, and television) and PR-related activities.

We are dedicated to providing an inclusive environment for everyone. Please respect diversity in individuals and in cultures.

Featured Guests

Dinee Simpson, MD

Dr. Dinee Simpson is Assistant Professor of Surgery and a core member of the Comprehensive Transplant Center at Northwestern’s Feinberg School of Medicine. She received her medical degree from New York University and completed her general surgery residency at Brigham and Women’s Hospital of Harvard University Medical School. Her academic focus is on disparities within the African American community in regards to transplantation.  She leads Northwestern’s African American transplant outreach program, which aims to increase education about transplant, access to transplant, and help patients with navigation of the evaluation and listing process. Dr. Simpson also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois and internal advisory board for Northwestern’s George M. O’Brien Kidney Research Core Center (NUGoKidney).