Northwest Kidney Centers is honored to present the 2011 Clyde Shields Distinguished Service Award to Gladys Rubinstein.
Rubinstein, a longtime Seattle philanthropist and resident of Queen Anne, is being given the nonprofit organization’s highest honor for helping thousands of needy individuals with kidney disease. Through her generous donations, she has launched the organization’s recent initiatives in patient education, transplantation and kidney research, and supported advancement of the home dialysis program.
“Gladys Rubinstein has improved the quality of care and extended the lives of thousands of kidney patients throughout the region,” said Northwest Kidney Centers president and Chief Executive Joyce F. Jackson. “Her impact has been enormous.”
Rubinstein’s husband, Sam, received home dialysis under Northwest Kidney Centers care for many years. During his lifetime and after he passed away, Gladys Rubinstein made many contributions to Northwest Kidney Centers. Her donations started:
Northwest Kidney Centers’ “Living Well with Chronic Kidney Disease,” http://www.nwkidney.org/nkc/kidneyInformation/chronicDisease/Livingwellprogram.html, a comprehensive nutrition and treatment-choices education program to help people prepare for dialysis and transplantation.
The initial work of the organization’s Kidney Research Institute, which is now conducting 20 significant federally funded research projects to advance care for kidney patients through new discoveries.
Patient support services at the Sam Rubinstein Home Hemodialysis Training Center, based at the organization’s Seattle Kidney Center.
“Gladys has advanced Northwest Kidney Centers and the care of our patients in countless ways,” said Jackson. “The board selected Gladys because of her deep commitment to use philanthropy to help kidney patients. Since 1998 we have been honored to be the steward of her multiple generous gifts. Her donations have supported many Northwest Kidney Centers programs, but more importantly, they have enabled us to transform our organization so we can better serve this region. The impact of her gifts is visible to the board, our patients, doctors and staff every day of the year.”
The Clyde Shields Award will be presented May 19, 2011, at Northwest Kidney Centers’ ninth annual Breakfast of Hope
The award is named for machinist Clyde Shields, who in March 1960 became the world’s first dialysis patient to receive treatment on an ongoing basis. Mr. Shields received the first Scribner shunt, a breakthrough dialysis delivery method developed in Seattle. Although Mr. Shields’ kidneys had failed – a death sentence before the innovation – the shunt and regular dialysis helped him survive another 11 years.
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