Clinical Programs
Department of Medicine: Division of Nephrology
The clinical programs of the Division of Nephrology encompass early and advanced chronic kidney disease, acute renal failure, dialysis, and transplantation. As one of the largest Nephrology programs in the country, the Division has more than tripled in faculty size over the last 20 years. We work closely with the Department of Surgery for kidney transplants and offer the latest therapies to reduce the side effects of anti-rejection drugs.
Clinical and Critical Care Nephrology
Our clinical nephrology program ensures the care of patients both in outpatient centers as well as within the hospital. The outpatient dialysis program provides clinical care at four different large outpatient units for more than 300 patients. We also have a home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis program.
There is an active critical care Nephrology Consultation Service, which directs acute intermittent dialysis and continuous techniques in multiple intensive care units of the main University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) and the Midtown Campus, Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Hospital.
Kidney Transplantation
Our transplantation program provides care on two main inpatient services: transplant surgery and transplant medicine. In addition, the transplant program staffs an innovative onsite transitional care unit, which helps transition the care of patients from our inpatient service to outpatient care. The robust outpatient transplantation clinics run five days a week, and staff 6,000 to 7,000 annual outpatient visits.
Chronic Kidney Disease
The Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) clinical program comprises multiple clinics at the University of Maryland Medical Center, both the downtown and Midtown campuses, and Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Kidney biopsies are done at both sites, and we have close interaction with our two nephropathologists at UMMC and at the Baltimore VAMC.
In addition, there are many patients seen in private consultation by members of the Division of Nephrology outside the traditional CKD clinics. Nearly 5,000 patients a year are seen in these various outpatient settings.
Polycystic Kidney Disease
The Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Center provides multidisciplinary care to individuals with all forms of cystic kidney and liver disease. Our attending nephrologists care for patients at all stages of PKD.
We are experts at the application, and interpretation, of gene testing, and we manage the treatment of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease with the latest approved therapies.
Our clinic partners include radiologists, hepatologists, urologists, neurosurgeons and interventional radiologists who are experts at caring for the wide range of complications that patients with polycystic kidney disease can experience. We offer our patients participation in a natural history study of PKD and several clinical trials.