National Black Kidney Health Initiative
A Program of Nicole Washington Ministries
Why We Exist
The National Black Kidney Health Initiative was founded to address one of the most urgent health challenges facing African American communities today: kidney disease.
Every day, thousands of individuals and families are impacted by chronic kidney disease, dialysis, hypertension, diabetes, transplantation challenges, and health disparities. Too many people receive information too late. Too many patients feel alone. Too many caregivers struggle without support.
We believe there is a better way.
The National Black Kidney Health Initiative exists to provide education, advocacy, support, resources, and hope to individuals and families affected by kidney disease.
Founded by Pastor Nicole Washington — dialysis patient, patient advocate, author, educator, and founder of Nicole Washington Ministries — this initiative brings together healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers, churches, community organizations, and healthcare institutions to improve kidney health outcomes and strengthen communities.
Our mission is simple:
To Educate
To Empower
To Advocate
To Inspire Hope
No one should have to face kidney disease alone.
Together, we can change lives, strengthen families, and build healthier communities.
What We Do
Our Focus Areas
Kidney Disease Awareness
Helping communities understand CKD, ESRD, dialysis, and prevention — because knowledge is the first line of defense.
Dialysis Support
Practical support and spiritual encouragement for patients navigating dialysis treatment — you are not alone on this journey.
Living Donation Education
Helping people understand how to become a living donor, the testing process, and common misconceptions.
Caregiver Support
Resources, encouragement, and community for the caregivers who pour out their lives for loved ones.
Faith & Wellness
Hope, encouragement, and spiritual support grounded in faith — because healing touches body, mind, and spirit.
Health Equity
Addressing disparities in kidney health that disproportionately affect Black and minority communities.
The Reality
Why This Matters
3.4x
African Americans are 3.4 times more likely to develop kidney failure than White Americans.
35%
Of the national kidney transplant waiting list is made up of Black patients — yet they receive fewer transplants.
1 in 3
American adults is at risk for kidney disease. Most don't know it until the disease has progressed.
90%
Of people with kidney disease don't know they have it. Early detection saves lives.
Sources: National Kidney Foundation, American Kidney Fund, CDC, NIH/NIDDK
Founder, National Black Kidney Health Initiative
Pastor Nicole Washington
Pastor Nicole Washington is a nationally recognized faith leader, patient advocate, author, speaker, educator, and founder of the National Black Kidney Health Initiative. She is uniquely positioned at the intersection of faith, healthcare, patient advocacy, community engagement, and health equity, bringing both professional expertise and lived experience to the national conversation surrounding kidney disease and chronic illness.
For more than three decades, Pastor Nicole has dedicated her life to serving others through ministry, leadership development, counseling, teaching, and community outreach. As the founder of Nicole Washington Ministries, she has encouraged thousands of people facing life's greatest challenges with a message of faith, resilience, hope, and practical empowerment.
What distinguishes Pastor Nicole's voice in the healthcare space is not only her leadership but her personal journey. As a dialysis patient living with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), she understands firsthand the realities of chronic illness, dialysis treatment, vascular access complications, hospitalizations, caregiver challenges, transplant considerations, emotional trauma, and the daily decisions faced by patients and families navigating kidney disease.
Her experience extends beyond the clinical aspects of kidney failure. She has personally walked through the emotional, spiritual, relational, and financial challenges that often accompany serious illness. Through her own journey, she has become a trusted advocate for patients who often feel unheard, unseen, or overwhelmed by the healthcare system.
Pastor Nicole serves as a patient advocate and has become a respected voice within the kidney community, helping bridge the gap between patients, healthcare providers, caregivers, researchers, faith communities, and underserved populations. Her ability to communicate complex medical realities in a compassionate, understandable, and culturally relevant manner has made her an effective ambassador for kidney health education and awareness.
As Founder of the National Black Kidney Health Initiative, Pastor Nicole is committed to addressing the disproportionate impact of chronic kidney disease, hypertension, diabetes, dialysis dependence, and transplant inequities within African American communities. The Initiative focuses on increasing awareness, expanding education, strengthening patient support systems, promoting living donor education, empowering caregivers, and fostering partnerships between healthcare institutions and the communities they serve.
Pastor Nicole's work sits at the crossroads of several critical areas:
Her unique ability to unite faith-based communities with healthcare organizations creates opportunities for meaningful dialogue, increased trust, and improved health outcomes in populations that have historically experienced barriers to care.
In addition to her advocacy work, Pastor Nicole is an accomplished author, teacher, and conference speaker whose work focuses on healing, hope, resilience, spiritual growth, and overcoming adversity. Her books, teachings, support groups, and educational programs continue to inspire individuals facing health challenges, life transitions, grief, trauma, and personal setbacks.
Pastor Nicole believes that every patient deserves not only quality healthcare, but also dignity, support, education, and hope. Through the National Black Kidney Health Initiative, she is building a movement that empowers individuals, strengthens families, supports caregivers, educates communities, and helps create a future where better kidney health outcomes are possible for all.
Her message is simple but powerful:
No one should have to face kidney disease alone.
Through education, advocacy, partnership, and faith, lives can be transformed, communities can be strengthened, and hope can be restored.
Year One Goals
Our Vision
In our first year, we are building the infrastructure to reach communities at scale — equipping churches, supporting patients, and creating pathways to living donation.
100
Churches
Receive educational materials
500+
Patients
Reached through support groups
50
Living Donor Inquiries
Generated through education
Monthly
Online Meetings
Plus quarterly educational forums
Building the House
Community Partnerships
We are building the house before the guests arrive — creating space for future collaborations with leading organizations in kidney health, community engagement, and health equity.
Medical Schools
Partnering with institutions like Morehouse School of Medicine to advance community-based kidney health research and education.
National Kidney Organizations
Collaborating with the National Kidney Foundation, American Kidney Fund, and transplant centers across the country.
Dialysis Providers
Working alongside dialysis centers to provide patient support, education, and faith-based encouragement.
Faith Communities
Equipping churches with educational materials to reach their congregations with kidney health awareness.
Community Organizations
Engaging grassroots organizations already doing the work in underserved neighborhoods.
Research Partners
Supporting community-based participatory research focused on kidney health disparities.
"We are building the house before the guests arrive. When potential partners visit this page, they will see a fully-formed initiative — not an idea seeking validation, but a movement seeking collaboration."
— Pastor Nicole Washington
Collaborate With Us
Partnership Opportunities
Proposed Areas of Collaboration
Nicole Washington Ministries proposes collaboration with Morehouse School of Medicine in the areas of community engagement, health equity, kidney disease education, dialysis patient support, living donor awareness, and community-based outreach initiatives.
Let's Work Together
Get in Touch
Together, we can improve kidney health outcomes and create hope for future generations.
Faith. Education. Advocacy. Hope.
The National Black Kidney Health Initiative is the bridge connecting ministry, advocacy, healthcare, and community. Together, we can change outcomes — one life at a time.