President: Susan Doria

Vice President: Ingrid Haas

Recording Secretary: Megan Hackbarth

Corresponding Secretary: Kimberly Afkhami

Treasurer: Laura Dannerbeck

Authors Luncheon Chairman: Irene Bonadurer

Immediate Past President: Shaun Bracken

Administrative Consultant: Robyn Lee

Kimberly Afkhami, Elise Bard, Laura Bill, Irene Bonadurer, Shaun Bracken, Jan Jennifer Carmer, Laura Dannerbeck, Susan Doria, Lisa Ghelfi, Christine Gustafson, Ingrid Haas, Megan Hackbarth, Carrie Hall, Nadine Hart, Brenda Howard, Jackie Hutt, Carolyn Jackson, Kimberly Jacobsen, Dana Jirauch, Sandy Katzman, Stephanie Kerkorian, Sandy Kostis, Robyn Lee, Sheri Levin, Amy Louis, Lynne Love, Jennifer Lunt, Kathleen McClain, Carey Peña, Susan Purtill, Karen Quinif, Lori Roediger, Alexa Schneider, Margo Shein, Amy Slethaug, Marci Symington, Kristine Thompson, Dee Dee Vecchione, April Ward, and Candyce Williams

Ann Albers, Sydney Anderson, Leslie Berry, Jan Bohannon, Julie Bowe, Jan Cacheris, Susan Charlton, Jane Christensen, Mary Crozier, Robyn DeBell, Ann Denk, Margie Denton, Jacquie Dorrance, Sydney Dye, Gee Gee Entz, Nancy Hanley Eriksson, Virginia Feffer, Shän Francis, Harriet Friedland, Colleen Gaia, Nancy Gaintner, Erin Gogolak, Babs Gordon, Lenni Griego, Penny Gunning, Leah Hoffman, Nan Howlett, Mary Hudak, Carrie Hulburd, Catherine Jacobson, Rona Kasen, Julie Kroot, Patti Lau, Jamie Lendrum, Suzanne Lewis, Judy Linhart, Julie Linhart, Janis Lyon, Sandy Magruder, Brenda Mason, Linda Mattes, Genny Matteucci, Linda Nachman, Virginia Nosky, Susan Palmer-Hunter, Lois Savage, Judy Schubert, Sallye Schumacher, Susan Segal, Judy Shannon, Beverly Shaver, Susie Small, Betsy Stodola, Sue Stuckey, Sandi Thomas, JoAnn Tull, Polly Turpin, Melani Walton, Joan Warne, Kari Yatkowski and Rachel Zemer

Glenna Shapiro (in memoriam), Adriana Trigiani

National Kidney Foundation of Arizona – Food Assistance Program

The Food Assistance Program funds grocery store gift cards and a kidney cookbook to provide renal-friendly options for newly diagnosed and limited income kidney patients who are experiencing financial hardships. The Early Intervention Rent Assistance Pilot Program funds a one-time rent payment assistance to kidney patients who have experienced an emergency situation that endangers their ability to pay rent. Camp Kidney provides a unique experience for pediatric kidney patients and their families.  The Erma Bombeck Project funds the translation of the Living Donor Guide into Spanish, a key asset for encouraging living organ donation throughout Spanish-speaking Hispanic communities in Arizona.

Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation – Nephrology Patient Assistance Services Fund

The Patient Assistance Services Fund provides preventive, financial, psychosocial and ancillary support to pediatric patients receiving dialysis, kidney transplants and treatment for kidney-related illness and disease. This includes infant and child blood pressure cuffs for at-home blood pressure monitoring to avoid medication for young children, as well as funds for emergent living situations involving supplies, utilities, rent, car payments, gas and food that create hardships for kidney patient and their families during treatment.

St. Joseph’s Foundation – Kidney Transplant Outreach Coordinator

The Kidney Transplant Outreach Coordinator is a new position that serves a vital role in increasing patient referrals, transplants and living organ donations for the Kidney Transplant Program at St. Joseph’s Norton Thoracic Institute. By expanding the number of patients treated, the Norton Kidney Transplant Program can more successfully meet the needs of an ever-increasing population of patients in Arizona suffering with end-stage renal disease.

TGen Foundation – Liquid Biopsy Study

The Liquid Biopsy study will investigate the protein composition of urinary extracellular vesicles and urinary metabolites in a cross-sectional cohort of 30 patients with diabetic kidney disease, a leading cause of chronic kidney disease which in turn can lead to end-stage renal disease and mortality. Extracellular vesicles in urine can harbor tissue and disease related protein signatures that mirror the kidney’s pathophysiology and provide markers of diabetic kidney disease progression. Creating such non-invasive diagnostic tools and prognostic markers can help patients better manage their illness and prevent end-stage renal disease.

Transplant Community Alliance – Living Assistance Fund for Kidney Transplant Patients

The Living Assistance Fund provides relief from financial stress caused by a kidney transplant and allows low-income kidney transplant recipients as well as candidates on the donor waitlist to focus on their care and healing. Assistance is a one-time payment to bridge a gap between loss of income from a transplant and living expenses. Eligible expenses include rent payments, utility bills, transportation costs, co-pays for medications and insurance premiums. Payments are made directly to the provider or landlord on behalf of the kidney patient.

Valleywise Health Foundation – Arizona Women’s Board Healthier Families Food Pharmacy

The Arizona Women’s Board Healthier Families Food Pharmacy uses food as medicine for diverse, low-income patients and their families to reduce identified chronic health conditions, namely obesity, hypertension, pre-diabetes and diabetes, that left unchecked can lead to kidney disease. These patients and their families are also experiencing food insecurity. Staff at Valleywise health clinics use a targeted and integrated health approach to provide healthy food, nutritional counseling, cooking workshops, opportunities for activity and movement, family support, prevention education, health information, and social support to improve patient health outcomes.

Erma Bombeck invited fellow authors to join her for the country’s first Authors Luncheon in 1980. Why? Erma thought it would be a unique way to raise funds for Arizona kidney patients. She was right. The Authors Luncheon was an immediate success and quickly became an annual event. The Arizona Women’s Board is dedicated to continuing Erma’s tradition of bringing best-selling authors together to help write a brighter future for Arizona kidney patients. The Friends of Erma Bombeck Authors Luncheon has raised more than $12 million for programs that directly benefit Arizona’s kidney patients and their families. The Women’s Board is honored to continue Erma’s legacy each Fall at its gathering of best-selling authors who present their latest releases.