On Tuesday, November 16, 2010 KidneyWise/WiseCommunities held its inaugural Washington Roundtable Meeting. Jason Hill, Director of Federal Government Relations for Walmart, was the keynote speaker and provided insight into Walmart's goals and the strides the company is making in healthcare. The group of attendees was comprised of thought leaders from across the corporate, non-profit and international sectors. Participants included Dr Bernard Merkel of the European Union, Dr. Jim Koeninger from the Health Occupations Students of America, Richard Nordstrom - President, Global Managed Access Programs, Kathy Spangler and Carol Hazen from Save the Children, Becky Johnson from Healthy Weight Commit Foundation, George Sifakis - KidneyWise Washington Office Director, Taryn Sifakis - Associate Director KidneyWise Washington Office, Meredith Scaggs - Senior Fellow KidneyWise Washington Office, Richard Hegg - Senior Advisor, Venable LLP and Dr. Maria Rosa from the National Council of La Raza. Conversation and creative ideas were presented as the group brainstormed on ways to promote a healthier future for our nation. Keeping in line with the KidneyWise philosophy, everyone concurred that building social capital in communities across the country is vital to addressing obesity and chronic disease throughout the nation. Each individual participant brought a unique perspective and agreed to do their part in their respective organizations to help support the mission of KidneyWise and Wise Communities.
Our next Washington Roundtable Meeting will be held in January 2011 and will feature the Medical Reserve Corps.
Please click here to learn more about the MRC and their involvement with KidneyWise and the WiseCommunities Program