For Immediate Release:                      Contact: Ingrid Goodwin (206) 292-2771, ext. 5357

Friday, June 27, 2008                                              or ingrid@nwkidney.org

Dr. michael kelly receives the james w. haviland award for outstanding achievement in nephrology

doctor’s dedication to a life of service – his passion, skill and wisdom embody the essense of the award

Seattle, WA – Northwest Kidney Centers announces the selection of Michael Kelly, MD, as recipient of the James W. Haviland Award for Outstanding Achievement in Nephrology.  Dr. Kelly was officially presented the award on June 26, 2008 at the joint meeting of Northwest Kidney Centers and Northwest Kidney Centers Foundation boards of trustees.   

Throughout Dr. Kelly’s more than three decades as a physician, he has garnered the admiration of patients, peers, students, organizations and the medical community.  His dedication to a life of service and his passion, skill and wisdom as a caring physician and talented teacher truly reflect the meaning and spirit of this distinguished award. 

Dr. Kelly’s long tenure as a Northwest Kidney Centers trustee and volunteer is testimony to his commitment to making a difference in the lives of those who have kidney disease.  He is one of a select few who has chaired both Northwest Kidney Centers Trustee and Foundation boards.  Eight years ago, he took on an expanded role in the organization to include serving as Medical Director of Northwest Kidney Centers Special Care Unit. 

As a bioethicist, Dr. Kelly has been an extraordinary and valuable asset to Northwest Kidney Centers and the medical field by helping to examine what it means to “do the right thing.”  He is an exceptionally talented teacher with the ability to communicate well with both medical staff and the lay audience, making him an extremely valuable resource to Northwest Kidney Centers, its staff and patients, as well as future doctors and medics.

“Dr. Kelly embodies the essence of the James. W. Haviland Award for Outstanding Achievement in Nephrology through his remarkable service to this community,” said Joyce F. Jackson, president and CEO of Northwest Kidney Centers.  “Becoming a physician was truly a calling and vocation that he has

pursued with skill, knowledge and obvious compassion for others.  His talent as a doctor is matched by how beloved he is by his patients and peers.  It is our privilege and honor to bestow this special award on to him.”

The Haviland Award was established in 1990 to honor physicians who have made significant contributions in renal research or the treatment of kidney disease.  The award bears the name of Dr. James W. Haviland, who, although not a nephrologist, is considered the father of the world’s first outpatient dialysis center, the Seattle Artificial Kidney Center, known today as Northwest Kidney Centers. The award reflects, above all, the ideal of service.

Dr. Kelly joins an esteemed group of past honorees that includes Drs. James Haviland, Joseph Eschbach, Belding Scribner, Thomas Marchioro, Robert Hickman, Christopher Blagg, S.T. Fred Boen, Henry Tenckhoff, Donald Sherrard, Patrick Fleet, Eli Friedman and Suhail Ahmad.

About Northwest Kidney Centers:  Northwest Kidney Centers, established in 1962 as the world’s first outpatient dialysis facility, is a model for saving and sustaining the lives of people with chronic kidney disease, focusing on improving the quality of patients’ lives.  A not-for-profit organization staffed by a skilled, knowledgeable 525-member staff, Northwest Kidney Centers provides personalized care for patients in the Puget Sound region.  The organization is the central community resource for kidney disease prevention, treatment and education.  A world pioneer in home dialysis, Northwest Kidney Centers is dedicated to developing innovative treatment options and promoting research to find the cure for chronic kidney disease.

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