A $20,000 commitment from the RBC Foundation, made to the Seven Oaks Hospital Foundation, will soon help the Kidney Check program remove barriers to preventive healthcare for Indigenous communities across Manitoba.
For many people living in northern, rural and remote communities, accessing preventive healthcare means travelling long distances to see a healthcare provider. Kidney Check bridges gaps by bringing screening, education, and connections to care directly into communities, helping to identify kidney disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure before serious complications develop.
“Our goal is to help provide inclusive opportunities for prosperity, with physical wellbeing being a fundamental part of that,” said Chris White, RBC Regional Vice President, Winnipeg. “The Kidney Check program and its mobile unit bringing screening directly into communities geographically isolated from healthcare is an initiative we are delighted to support.”
Kidney Check delivers this access through mobile point of care screening and support. Using simple blood and urine tests, Kidney Check screens people aged 10 and older for chronic kidney disease and diabetes, as well as tests for high blood pressure. Participants receive education about their results immediately and, when appropriate, are connected to primary care providers or specialists for follow-up care.
Beyond screening, the program helps build trust by delivering care in familiar community settings and through partnerships with Indigenous organizations that guide where and how services are delivered. In fact, the lived experiences of Indigenous patients helped develop the model Kidney Check delivers today.
“The communities are really appreciative of the initiative and that we do things in a culturally safe way,” says Michelle DiNella, Director, Chronic Disease Innovation Centre.
The next phase of Kidney Check will build on that foundation by launching a culturally informed education campaign designed with an Indigenous-led organization. The campaign will address common misconceptions about kidney disease while raising awareness of advances in treatment that can improve outcomes when the disease is detected early.
“One of the things we’re finding when we go into communities is that many people are afraid to come for screening because they believe a diagnosis of kidney disease automatically means dialysis,” says DiNella. “But over the past five to seven years, there has been an explosion in the quality and types of treatments available. If kidney disease is caught early, it is often possible to slow or even prevent progression. It’s important for people to know there is hope.”
Sharing that message is strongly supported by the RBC Foundation‘s commitment to community and equitable health outcomes.
“RBC Foundation is committed to supporting community partners that address inclusion by responding to local needs and tackling root causes with long-term solutions,” says RBC’s White. “Equipping people with accurate, accessible information about their health is one of the most powerful ways to do that. When communities have timely access to diagnosis and care, it builds the kind of resilience that benefits everyone.”
The results of screening go beyond a one-time screening session. Studies published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal showed that compared to the years before screening, people who were screened by Kidney Check received more frequent monitoring of their kidney health, and were more likely to receive the appropriate diabetes treatment and kidney care they needed in the years following screening. Surprisingly, the positive impact was not limited to those who were screened. The studies showed that people in communities served by Kidney Check had greater improvements in follow-up care through the healthcare system compared to people living in communities that did not receive screening by Kidney Check.
Kidney Check hopes to continue spreading that impact to remote and rural communities through strong partnerships with Indigenous health organizations, including the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba, Keewatinohk Inniniw Minoayawin Inc., and MedeChan.
By supporting Kidney Check and partnering with organizations like the RBC Foundation, we are helping ensure more people can access preventive healthcare close to home, receive timely diagnosis and treatment, and make informed decisions about their health. The commitment represents an investment not only in early detection but in healthier communities and more equitable access to care across Manitoba.