Winners announced in second round of the KidneyX COVID-19 Kidney Care Challenge

Washington, DC (April 6, 2021) —Today, the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) announced seven winners in Round 2 of the KidneyX COVID-19 Kidney Care Challenge. From December to January, healthcare providers, dialysis centers, nonprofit health systems, and other entrants submitted solutions that could reduce the transmission of coronavirus among people with kidney disease and/or reduce the risk of kidney damage among people who contract the virus. 

The challenge is a joint effort of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the American Society of Nephrology. “The KidneyX COVID-19 Kidney Care Challenge received a range of resourceful solutions that could benefit patients with kidney disease and front-line health care workers,” said HHS Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. Rachel L. Levine. “As we continue to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, we are pleased to recognize these innovators and to share their work with communities across the nation.” 

Winners will receive $20,000 each to recognize their inspiring advances in data management, detection, and telehealth. 

• CADIS (Albuquerque, NM). Mixed reality smart glasses supporting kidney disease management through telehealth and telemonitoring.
• Jacob Stevens, M.D.; Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (New York, NY). Customized data management tools to reduce coronavirus transmission in healthcare settings and maximize the number of patients receiving renal replacement therapy.
• NewYork-Presbyterian (New York, NY). Proactive, structured workflow to monitor and manage patients with kidney transplants during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Outset Medical (San Jose, CA). Cloud-based remote monitoring of the Tablo Hemodialysis System that enables clinicians to track critical treatment parameters in real-time during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Paraic Kenny, Ph.D.; Gundersen Medical Foundation (La Crosse, WI). Genetic sequencing of COVID-19 cases to determine patterns of spread and inform infection control practices.
• Renal Research Institute (New York, NY). Pool testing of used masks from hemodialysis patients and clinic staff to identify SARS-CoV-2.
• Winnie Cheng, StockMyPantry (West New York, NJ). Delivery of dietician-recommended groceries for dialysis and transplant patients in need.

“COVID-19 continues to threaten the safety of lifesaving treatment options and place Americans living with kidney disease at increased risk of severe illness,” said KidneyX Steering Committee Chair John Sedor, MD. “Through prize competitions like the COVID-19 Kidney Care Challenge, KidneyX is addressing vital needs in the treatment of kidney disease — particularly for communities facing severe health disparities.” 

The first round of the challenge, which ran from November to December, named eight winners in January 2020. KidneyX published detailed summaries of the Round 1 and Round 2 winning solutions for the public to read, share, and adapt.

Learn more about the COVID-19 Kidney Care Challenge at kidneyx.org.

About KidneyX

The Kidney Innovation Accelerator (KidneyX), a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), is accelerating innovation in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of kidney diseases. KidneyX seeks to improve the lives of people with kidney disease by expediting the development of drugs, devices, biologics, and other therapies across the spectrum of kidney care. 

KidneyX has already completed three other competitions, awarding $4 million in prizes: the Patient Innovator Challenge and Redesign Dialysis Phase 1 and Phase 2. These competitions sought to improve the quality of life for people with kidney failure by improving current dialysis treatment through innovations that reduce infection risk, improve vascular access, and replace kidney functions. The $10 million Artificial Kidney Prize, a competition to accelerate artificial kidney development toward human clinical trials, accepted Phase 1 submissions through March 24, 2021.

For more information, visit kidneyx.org.

About the American Society of Nephrology

Since 1966, the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) has been leading the fight to prevent, treat, and cure kidney diseases throughout the world by educating health professionals and scientists, advancing research and innovation, communicating new knowledge, and advocating for the highest quality care for patients. ASN has more than 21,000 members representing 131 countries. For more information, visit asn-online.org.

About the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) enhances and protects the health and well-being of all Americans. HHS fulfills that mission by providing for effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health, and social services. For more information, visit hhs.gov.

Since 1966, ASN has been leading the fight to prevent, treat, and cure kidney diseases throughout the world by educating health professionals and scientists, advancing research and innovation, communicating new knowledge, and advocating for the highest quality care for patients. ASN has more than 20,000 members representing 131 countries. For more information, please visit www.asn-online.org or contact the society at 202-640-4660.

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