New TRUST Board Member Combines Passion for Fighting CKD with a Clear Business Focus

Roy Malkin, who joined The Kidney TRUST’s board of directors in January 2011, has a clear vision of the role the TRUST can play in the fight against chronic kidney disease (CKD).

“We need to be much more proactive in creating programs that keep people out of dialysis,” said Roy.  “Our mission at the TRUST has two main thrusts.  First, to develop creative strategies that will enable us to reach the 31 million Americans who already have some stage of CKD because, through early diagnosis and education, we can save many lives. And second, for those who do go on dialysis, we provide financial assistance and educational support that will definitely help them live longer, healthier and, more productive lives.”

Roy brings a business focus to his work at the TRUST, where he serves as the board treasurer.  He is pres­i­dent and chief exec­u­tive offi­cer of Min­ntech Cor­po­ra­tion, a sub­sidiary of publicly-held Can­tel Med­ical Cor­po­ra­tion, a posi­tion he has held since Sep­tem­ber 2001.  Min­ntech is a com­pany based in Min­neapo­lis that man­u­fac­tures and mar­kets med­ical device reprocessing systems, ster­i­lants and disinfectants, infection prevention and control chemistries, and blood and water fil­tra­tion prod­ucts, many of which are used in dialysis.

As described in a 2010 eNEWS profile, Roy’s com­mit­ment to the fight against CKD starts at home.  His wife, who had dia­betes, is a kid­ney and pan­creas trans­plant recip­i­ent, so he knows first­hand the con­se­quences of kid­ney fail­ure. “The trans­plants have been very suc­cess­ful,” said Roy, “But, it’s been a long, hard road for my wife.  For those of us who live with the con­se­quences of kid­ney dis­ease, it’s not hard to be pas­sion­ate about spread­ing the word to others.”

In looking at the CKD landscape, Roy sees several areas where the TRUST could have an important impact, including the ongoing education of the medical community.  “As a group, many primary care physicians are sometimes just not putting it all together when it comes to the relationship between CKD, diabetes and hypertension,” said Roy.  “CKD needs to be front and center in discussions with patients who have these other conditions because like diabetes and high blood pressure, CKD can be well managed if the patient is properly educated and given the right tools to do so.”

But in Roy’s view, CKD awareness also has to become part of our everyday health concerns.  “People on the street need to be thinking about CKD in the same way they are about high cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar.  It’s the TRUST’s role to help people to recognize the fact that CKD is something that they must make as an important part of their regular health check-ups and individual wellness programs.”

TRUST President and CEO Annette Eros is appreciative of the contribution that Roy is already making to the TRUST. “Roy is one of those rare individuals who combines vision and passion for a cause with a hard-nosed, business focus,” she said.  “We’re incredibly lucky to have him as part of our leadership team.”