In 1962, the Seattle Artificial Kidney Center, now known as the Northwest Kidney Centers was established in Seattle by Dr. Belding H. Scribner of the University of Washington and King County Medical Society president, James W. Haviland, as the world’s first out-of-hospital outpatient hemodialysis treatment center.

Today, the Northwest Kidney Centers is a not-for-profit community based organization whose mission is: “to promote the optimal health, quality of life and independence of people with kidney disease, through patient care, education, and research.