From Care Partner to CEO: Marc Hurlbert's New Gambit for Kidney Health

NEW YORK, NY – July 01, 2026 – In the quiet corridors of public health, leadership transitions often signal subtle shifts in strategy. But the appointment of Dr. Marc Hurlbert as the new Chief Executive Officer of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) feels less like a subtle shift and more like a strategic gambit. He takes the helm of a 75-year-old institution at a critical juncture, armed not only with a formidable resume in medical research and fundraising but with the one credential that cannot be taught: the lived experience of being a care partner for a family member with chronic kidney disease.

Dr. Hurlbert, a pharmacologist by training, steps into the role vacated by Kevin Longino, who leaves the foundation on a wave of significant momentum. Yet, the challenge ahead remains monumental. Kidney disease is a silent, sprawling crisis in America, a slow-motion catastrophe that has largely evaded public consciousness while straining healthcare systems and devastating families, particularly in minority communities. Hurlbert’s arrival signals a potential new doctrine for the NKF: one that fuses deep personal empathy with a data-driven, cross-sector approach to innovation.

The Weight of a Silent Crisis

To understand the strategic rationale behind Hurlbert’s appointment, one must first grasp the sheer scale of the problem. Kidney disease is not a niche ailment; it is a public health epidemic hiding in plain sight. More than 37 million American adults—a staggering 1 in 7—are living with chronic kidney disease (CKD), yet an estimated 90% are completely unaware they have it. The disease often progresses without symptoms until its late, most devastating stages.

The human and economic costs are immense. Kidney disease is the ninth leading cause of death in the United States, and its prevalence has more than doubled globally in the last three decades. The burden, however, is not borne equally. Structural inequities in the healthcare system have created stark racial disparities. Black Americans are almost four times more likely than White Americans to experience kidney failure. Hispanic and Native American populations also face a disproportionately high risk. These disparities are not accidental; they are the result of systemic barriers, including historical biases in diagnostic tools—an issue the NKF has actively worked to dismantle.

With over 90,000 Americans on the waiting list for a kidney transplant and 13 people dying each day while they wait, the urgency is palpable. This is the landscape Hurlbert inherits: a deeply entrenched, inequitable, and largely invisible health crisis.

A Legacy of Momentum

Dr. Hurlbert is not starting from scratch. He builds upon the formidable legacy of his predecessor, Kevin Longino, a kidney transplant recipient himself who led the foundation for 11 years. Longino’s tenure was marked by a series of strategic wins that transformed the NKF into a more agile and impactful organization. Under his leadership, the foundation became debt-free and significantly strengthened its advocacy and program arms.

Key initiatives like CKDintercept moved from concept to a national movement, forging partnerships with healthcare systems to embed early detection and intervention protocols. The “Transplants For All” campaign amplified the foundation’s voice in policy debates, contributing to legislative efforts to modernize the nation's organ procurement and transplantation network. Perhaps most significantly, the NKF championed the adoption of race-free eGFR equations—a critical step in dismantling the structural inequities that delay diagnosis and care for Black patients. Longino leaves an organization, as he noted, with “extraordinary momentum” and a clear platform for revolutionary change.

The Hurlbert Doctrine: Personal Insight Meets Strategic Innovation

While Hurlbert has stated his first priority is to “listen, learn, and have conversations” with stakeholders across the country, his professional history provides a clear blueprint of his leadership philosophy. This is not a leader who simply maintains the status quo. Across roles at the Melanoma Research Alliance, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, a distinct pattern emerges: Hurlbert is a builder of bridges and a leverager of capital—both financial and intellectual.

Having overseen the deployment of more than $750 million in funding across thousands of awards, he has a deep understanding of the flows that govern medical innovation. His recent work as CEO of the Melanoma Research Alliance saw him expand investment into early detection and rare subtypes, specifically embracing technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning—a strong indicator of the innovative lens he will bring to the NKF.

This professional acumen is supercharged by his personal connection. Serving as a care partner for his brother, who was diagnosed with Stage 3a CKD in 2016, provides Hurlbert with an unshakeable “why.” This experience transforms the abstract statistics of the kidney disease crisis into a tangible, human-centered mission. It is the difference between analyzing a problem and feeling its weight.

“This is a defining moment for NKF,” Dr. Hurlbert said in a statement. “Science is advancing at remarkable speed, and patients are asking us to lead with urgency.” His vision hints at accelerating innovation in therapies, diagnostics, and even xenotransplantation by fostering the kind of robust collaborations between patient advocacy, academia, government, and the private sector that have defined his career.

His tenure promises a dual-track approach: continuing the vital grassroots work of public education and patient support while simultaneously operating at a higher strategic altitude, orchestrating the complex partnerships needed to drive systemic change and technological breakthroughs. The initial listening tour, therefore, is not a sign of indecision but a classic strategic data-gathering exercise. For a leader known for building coalitions, understanding the needs and capabilities of every potential partner is the essential first move on the chessboard.