Christopher R. Blagg, MD
March 31, 2022
At age 90, Dr. Christopher R. Blagg died peacefully in his sleep on Thursday, March 31, 2022, following a short illness.
Dr. Blagg was born in Retford, Notting- hamshire, England on June 12, 1931, the son of Albert and Alice Blagg. Dr. Blagg earned his medical degree from the University of Leeds School of Medicine. He met his late wife, Jean Blagg, in Leeds. They were married in December 1953 and lived in Leeds and London before moving to Seattle in 1966.
Dr. Blagg began his long involvement with nephrology in 1958. In 1963, Dr. Blagg and his family moved to Seattle for a one-year fellowship from the National Institutes of Health to work with Dr. Belding Scribner, a pioneer in the field of long term dialysis. Dr. Blagg and his family returned permanently to Seattle in 1966 to continue his work with Dr. Scribner. His career was centered around the Northwest Kidney Centers, where he was Executive Director for 27 years from 1971 until 1998. Dr. Blagg was a leading figure in the field of nephrology and a respected authority and advocate for home hemodialysis for the treatment of end-stage renal disease. His efforts helped form centers for organ and tissue procurement, increase home dialysis throughout the United States and establish the vital 1973 Medicare entitlement for end-stage renal disease patients. During his long career he served as president of the American Society of Artificial Organs, the Renal Physicians Association, the Washington State Society of Internal Medicine and the Northwest Renal Society. He served on advisory groups for the National Institutes of Health, the Medicare End-Stage Renal Disease Program, and the Food and Drug Administration. He published numerous papers and book chapters and wrote a book on the history of dialysis and Northwest Kidney Centers in 2017. He received many honors and awards during his lifetime, including the American Association of Kidney Patients A. Peter Lundin Award for distinguished service to patients, the James W. Haviland Award for outstanding achievement in nephrology, the American Kidney Fund Torchbearer Award, and the American Association of Kidney Patients Medal of Excellence.
Dr. Blagg had a profound impact on the kidney community. The Christopher R. Blagg, MD, Endowed Lectureship, which is an annual special event at ASN Kidney Week, will continue to honor him in years to come.
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