Dominic Raj, MD, director of the Division of Renal Disease and Hypertension and professor of medicine at the George Washington University (GW) School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), received the A. Peter Lundin, MD Award during the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) National Patient Meeting.
Ludin, who passed away in 2001, was a revered physician and a founder of AAKP. He also was the first person to complete medical school while on dialysis, graduating from SUNY Downstate Medical Center.
“He was an inspiration to a number of patients, and is known for his perseverance and tenacity. He made it the mission of his life to advocate for patients with kidney disease,” Raj said. “I was honored and humbled to receive this award.”
The legacy award is one of the highest honors presented by AAKP to physicians for their significant contributions to the care and wellbeing of patients. “You can read all you want, teach all you want, but the purpose of this profession is to improve patient care,” Raj said.
Diana Clynes, executive director of AAKP, said the award is presented to a renal physician who has made contributions to the care, welfare, and wellbeing of kidney patients over a lifetime of distinguished and devoted service and to someone whose entire body of work is deemed excellent. Raj was recognized for his leadership for patients globally, within the United States, and throughout SMHS.
He added that the award would not have been possible without the support of his colleagues in the Division of Renal Disease and Hypertension, which was ranked by U.S. News and World Report as “high performing,” a distinction held by the top 10% of nephrology divisions in the country.
Raj said he began working with AAKP during the planning stages for the Inaugural Global Summit on Innovations in Patient-Centered Kidney Care, which SMHS hosted this past summer. The summit included 35 presentations from two dozen organizations representing patient advocates, officials from the U.S. government, entrepreneurs, investors, medical professionals, academic researchers, and industry leaders.
During the summit, Raj received recognition from AAKP as part of the internationally-syndicated AAKP Innovator Series, which highlights professionals in the field of nephrology committed to making a difference, improving care, and changing the status quo.
GW’s partnership will continue with AAKP in 2020 when the university again plays host to the Global Summit on Innovations in Patient-Centered Kidney Care.
