Marc Chow Named New Executive Director for National Renal Administrators Association

Philadelphia, PA, October 20, 2011 --(PR.com)-- The National Renal Administrators Association (NRAA) announces Marc Chow as its new full-time executive director, effective November 1, 2011. NRAA, a nonprofit organization that represents dialysis facilities and centers throughout the United States, selected Chow to guide the group’s efforts on behalf of those working with various facets of end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

In this new position, Chow will prioritize the goals of providing innovative, proactive direction in the development of new products and services that will enhance the benefits that the NRAA members receive.

“The NRAA’s decision to hire Marc Chow as Executive Director for the NRAA and NRAA GPO (group purchasing organization) is perfectly aligned with our unwavering commitment to help our members continue to face the ongoing and substantial challenges in our industry,” said NRAA President, Sue Rottura, and Administrator, Renal Associates of Boca Raton. “We are very excited to begin our strategic planning process with Marc’s dedicated support. Together with the NRAA and NRAA GPO Boards, Marc will focus on opportunities, benefits and resources that bring measureable value to the NRAA and NRAA GPO membership.”

Mr. Chow agrees that current healthcare policy and economic factors offer challenges to the NRAA and the ESRD industry, “But I believe that these challenges are also opportunities,” he says. “By working collaboratively with the kidney community, the NRAA is prepared to create solutions that allow providers to continue offering high quality care to kidney patients.” Chow believes that a number of challenges facing the industry include:

· Continued implementation of the ESRD bundled payment system.
· Assuring sufficient reimbursement for oral ESRD drugs slated to begin in 2014.
· Need for monitoring the development of the Medicare Quality Incentive Program (QIP)
· Maintaining the Medicare Secondary Payer under the Health Exchange beginning in 2014 for kidney patients.

Following the November 1st transition into his new position, Mr. Chow will work with the Philadelphia-based association management firm, Fernley & Fernley, and the public policy group, Prime Policy, a subsidiary of Burson-Marsteller Global Public Relations.

Mr. Chow comes to the NRAA with 15 years of nonprofit healthcare and public policy experience. As Director of Government Affairs & Compliance for Satellite Healthcare, a not-for-profit dialysis provider, for the last seven years, Mr. Chow offers perspective of being immersed in business operations and high-level healthcare industry issues.

A Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of San Francisco and an MS in Health Policy from George Washington University make up Mr. Chow’s academic resume. In addition, he serves on various boards and has been a member of NRAA’s Board of Directors for the past four years.

NRAA is a voluntary organization representing independent, regional and community based dialysis providers throughout the United States. Our membership is primarily small and medium sized dialysis organizations, both for-profit and non-profit providers serving patients in urban, rural and suburban areas in both free-standing and hospital-based facilities.

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