national forum of esrd networks

What national forum of esrd networks does

The National Forum of ESRD Networks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization founded in 1975 that serves as the national coordinating body for the 18 ESRD Network Organizations operating under contract to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It functions as the designated liaison between CMS and providers of end-stage renal disease services across the United States and its territories, advocating on behalf of its membership, facilitating information flow between federal regulators and the renal community, and advancing a national quality agenda for chronic kidney disease, dialysis, and kidney transplant care. Through the 18 member Networks, the Forum's reach extends to 7,556 dialysis centers, 223 transplant centers, 516,837 dialysis patients, and 316,873 kidney transplant recipients (as of March 31, 2025).

The Forum's core offerings are professional and patient toolkits rather than a software platform. Eight professional toolkits (Inpatient Medical Director, Outpatient Medical Director, Transitions of Care, Vaccination, Kidney Transplant, Home Dialysis, QAPI, and Catheter Reduction) and four patient toolkits (Is A Kidney Transplant Right for Me?, Financial Help Resources, Dialysis Patient Depression Toolkit, and Dialysis Patient Grievance Toolkit) are developed by the Medical Advisory Council and the Kidney Patient Advisory Council respectively. Educational programming includes the Donald Molony, MD Dialysis Leadership Medical Director Series, quarterly Forum Matters and KPAC newsletters, the SHEP quality improvement initiative, the 5-Diamond Patient Safety Program, and the annual Creating a Culture of Quality Conference. Recent product additions include the September 2025 ESRD Emergency Hub Mobile App and January 2026 Home Dialysis Patient Videos.

The Forum operates on a donation and grant funding model, providing all toolkits, educational materials, and resources free of charge to dialysis facilities, healthcare providers, and patients. Its go-to-market is community-led: the 18 member ESRD Networks act as embedded distribution channels, the website esrdnetworks.org serves as a self-serve resource hub, and partnerships with NKF, AAKP, ASN, RPA, PCORI, KCER, and ESRD NCC extend reach into adjacent advocacy, research, and clinical-education audiences. Operations are lean, with 1-10 staff and 75+ engaged volunteers coordinating activities from a single Henrico, Virginia office.

Name

national forum of esrd networks

Legal name

The National Forum of ESRD Networks, Inc.

Website

https://esrdnetworks.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The National Forum of ESRD Networks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1975 that coordinates the 18 ESRD Network Organizations under contract to CMS, providing free professional toolkits, patient resources, and quality-improvement education to dialysis facilities and kidney patients nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Henrico

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: The National Forum of ESRD Networks is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Tax ID #13-3246354). It operates primarily through tax-deductible donations and grants. The organization accepts donations through Zeffy.com and by mail.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The National Forum of ESRD Networks is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization that represents the 18 ESRD Network Organizations under contract to CMS. It advocates on behalf of its membership, coordinates projects across networks, develops free professional and patient toolkits, hosts educational webinars and conferences, publishes quarterly newsletters, and provides national ESRD census data to support quality improvement in kidney disease, dialysis, and transplant care.

Product overview

The National Forum of ESRD Networks is a 501(c)(3) non-profit healthcare advocacy organization that operates a platform of educational resources and professional toolkits rather than a traditional software product. Its offerings include 8 professional toolkits (Inpatient Medical Director Toolkit, Outpatient Medical Director Toolkit, Transitions of Care Toolkit, Vaccination Toolkit, Kidney Transplant Toolkit, Home Dialysis Toolkit, QAPI Toolkit, Catheter Reduction Toolkit) developed by the Medical Advisory Council to assist dialysis facilities with regulatory compliance and quality improvement; 4 patient toolkits (Is A Kidney Transplant Right for Me, Financial Help Resources, Dialysis Patient Depression Toolkit, Dialysis Patient Grievance Toolkit) developed by patients for patients; and educational programming including the Donald Molony, MD Dialysis Leadership Medical Director Series, quarterly newsletters (Forum Matters, KPAC Newsletter), the 5-Diamond Patient Safety Program, and the SHEP quality improvement initiative. The organization also publishes National ESRD Census Data tracking 7,556 dialysis centers and 516,837 patients. The Forum coordinates the 18 ESRD Network Organizations under contract to CMS.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Inpatient Medical Director Toolkit Reference tool providing information about the care of patients with kidney failure in the hospital setting for medical directors and hospital-based providers.
• Outpatient Medical Director Toolkit Resource to assist outpatient dialysis facilities in meeting Conditions for Coverage requirements, with chapters on emergency preparedness, physician leadership, and quality incentive programs.
• Transitions of Care Toolkit Reference tool for health providers addressing challenges in care transitions and suggestions for creating solutions, including a Medication Reconciliation Guide and viral pandemic chapter.
• Vaccination Toolkit Resource for health providers on vaccination requirements for kidney patients in dialysis facilities, including influenza, COVID-19, and Hepatitis B vaccine guidance.
• Kidney Transplant Toolkit Reference tool for dialysis clinic staff on transplant referral process and guidance to help patients prepare for receiving a kidney transplant.
• Home Dialysis Toolkit Resource for health providers on overcoming barriers to starting or growing home dialysis programs, including sections on AAKH, emergency management, and modality education.
• QAPI Toolkit Series of toolkits to assist dialysis facilities in meeting Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) requirements under Conditions for Coverage.
• Catheter Reduction Toolkit Quality improvement toolkit to help facilities ensure care coordination for patients to reduce catheter use.
• Is A Kidney Transplant Right for Me? Patient toolkit developed by KPAC to help patients considering a kidney transplant understand their options.
• Financial Help Resources Patient resource booklet sharing personal perspectives on financial challenges of kidney disease and guidance on where to seek help.
• Dialysis Patient Depression Toolkit Patient-developed resource to help dialysis patients understand and address depression, available in English and Spanish.
• Dialysis Patient Grievance Toolkit Patient-developed resource to help patients navigate the grievance system, available in English and Spanish.
• Donald Molony, MD, Dialysis Leadership Medical Director Series Series of 1-hour webinars on topics relevant to nephrology fellows and medical directors covering infection control, water quality, QAPI, emergency preparedness, and home dialysis.
• Forum Matters Newsletter Quarterly newsletter published by the Forum to update members on Forum activities and happenings.
• KPAC Newsletter (Your Voice, Your Health) Quarterly kidney community newsletter published by the Kidney Patient Advisory Council.
• National ESRD Census Data Quarterly national data on ESRD patients including dialysis center counts, transplant center counts, and patient statistics by treatment modality.
• Sharing Highly Effective Practices (SHEP) Initiative providing opportunity for kidney community stakeholders to share successful practices, programs, or activities that improve care and quality of life for kidney patients.
• 5-Diamond Patient Safety Program Program designed to assist dialysis facilities in improving staff and patient awareness of specific patient safety areas through web-based educational modules.
• Decreasing Patient-Provider Conflict (DPC) Program Collaborative program including toolkit, provider manual, and addendum focused on health equity, de-escalation techniques, and conflict management for dialysis settings.
• Fistula First Catheter Last (FFCL) Workgroup Coalition Coalition focused on supporting the renal community and ESRD Networks in efforts to improve vascular access outcomes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 516,837 patients on dialysis and 316,873 patients with functioning kidney transplant through 18 ESRD Networks

Named customers18 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)coreOthersThe Forum facilitates communication between CMS and the 18 ESRD Networks. All ESRD Networks operate under contract to CMS. The Forum advances a national quality agenda with CMS and coordinates projects of mutual interest.
• National Kidney Foundation (NKF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership on patient education, webinars, and advocacy. Joint comments submitted to CMS on ESRD PPS QIP. Partnership on ASCEND Study dissemination and Depression in Dialysis patient education.
• American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatient advocacy partnership; collaborated on Depression & Dialysis webinar and toolkit development. KPAC members present at AAKP events.
• American Society of Nephrology (ASN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on online learning modules for Managing Infections in Outpatient Dialysis Facilities. Joint educational content and conference presentations.
• United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerReferenced as a helpful resource link for transplant information; Forum provides comments on UNOS transplant program performance monitoring.
• Renal Physicians Association (RPA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in Quality Conferences and educational initiatives. Joint position on ESRD patient solicitation.
• Partnership for PatientsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Forum and all 18 Networks are members of this public-private partnership launched by HHS to improve quality, safety, and affordability of healthcare.
• Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerForum received PCORI grant in 2022 to disseminate Evidence Updates related to the ASCEND Study on treating depression in dialysis patients.
• Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKCER is referenced as a partner in emergency preparedness for dialysis facilities. The Forum coordinates with KCER during disasters to support dialysis facilities.
• ESRD National Coordinating Center (ESRD NCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner on Fistula First Catheter Last Workgroup Coalition, DPC Toolkit addendum development, and quality improvement initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER): KCER is a CMS-funded coalition coordinating emergency preparedness and response for the kidney community. It is comparable to the Forum as a federally aligned partner operating in the same ESRD space (emergency preparedness, dialysis facility support), with overlapping member organizations and joint disaster-response activities.
• Renal Physicians Association (RPA): RPA is a professional association representing nephrology practitioners and a Forum partner on Quality Conferences and joint ESRD positions. It is comparable because it serves the same nephrologist audience engaged in ESRD Network activities and collaborates with the Forum on quality and patient-care policy.
• American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP): AAKP is a national kidney patient advocacy nonprofit focused on patient-centered education and policy. It is comparable to the Forum because it shares the same ESRD patient population, co-develops toolkits (e.g., Depression & Dialysis), and KPAC members regularly present at AAKP events—making it a closely aligned advocacy peer.
• ESRD National Coordinating Center (ESRD NCC): ESRD NCC is a CMS-funded coordinating center that supports the 18 ESRD Networks and is a Forum partner on FFCL Workgroup Coalition and DPC Toolkit development. It is comparable because it shares the same constituency (18 ESRD Networks), the same federal mission, and joint quality-improvement initiatives, making it a close functional peer.

Others

• Kidney Health Initiative (KHI): KHI is a public-private partnership between ASN and FDA focused on kidney disease therapeutics innovation. It is adjacent rather than directly competitive—comparable only as a Forum partner (KPAC representation on its Patient and Family Partnership Council) operating in the kidney ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• American Society of Nephrology (ASN): ASN is the largest professional society for nephrologists in the US, publishing JASN/CJASN and running Kidney Week. It is comparable to the Forum as a strategic partner on infection-control learning modules and a convener of nephrology leadership, though ASN focuses broadly on the specialty while the Forum focuses on the ESRD Network program.
• National Kidney Foundation (NKF): NKF is a large, established kidney patient advocacy nonprofit with much broader public-facing programs (KEEP, KAC, public policy). It is comparable because it addresses the same patient population (ESRD/kidney disease) and is a formal strategic partner of the Forum, but operates at much greater scale and across all kidney conditions, not just ESRD Networks.
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK): NIDDK is a federal research institute that funds kidney disease research and patient education. It is comparable because the Forum's KPAC engages with NIDDK and the Forum's educational mission aligns with NIDDK's patient-information goals, though NIDDK operates as a much larger federally funded entity rather than a membership nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-forum-of-esrd-networks-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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