Northwest Kidney Centers sends wishes of peace and safety to all people across our country in light of recent racial violence and protests.
As a community-based, nonprofit organization, Northwest Kidney Centers fulfills its mission through shared core values of teamwork, integrity, excellence, stewardship and respect.
Respect is central to our ability to serve our diverse patients, staff and community. Respect is also an underpinning of a fully engaged democracy. We provide care and extend concern for the safety and well-being of people of color, many of whom are our employees, patients, family members, physicians, volunteers, donors, board members and community partners.
The recent tragedies of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Manuel Ellis and too many others echo a history of systemic racial inequities. As a nation and as an organization, we must acknowledge and address these facts.
Northwest Kidney Centers strongly supports the fundamental right to free speech, and we support peaceful events that further dialogue to eliminate racial inequality. It is unacceptable that some peaceful demonstrations have been tainted by indiscriminate violence.
As an organization, Northwest Kidney Centers has made diversity, equity and inclusion a strategic priority. More than 60 percent of patients are people of color, disproportionately affected by kidney disease, COVID-19, poverty, lack of access to care and other health risks.
We are listening. We care.