With a goal to enhance Nephrology programs at UTMB, the institution welcomed a new chief last September. Ajay Israni, MD, MS, arrived with extensive experience, a vision for growth, and excitement for the tremendous potential he saw at UTMB.
Now, UTMB is on track to emerge as a leader in kidney care that encompasses chronic kidney disease and hypertension management, plasmapheresis, dialysis, transplant services and more. From expanding services at hospital campuses to bolstering research and incorporating new education and training programs, the division has experienced significant growth in only a few months.
Dr. Israni is a transplant nephrologist who most recently held leadership roles Hennepin County Medical Center at the University of Minnesota. His focus on innovation and high-quality patient care is helping define UTMB Nephrology’s path forward.
The growth has meant added coverage in multiple areas. With existing inpatient services at UTMB’s Galveston and League City hospitals, the division has recently been able to add inpatient coverage at Clear Lake hospital.
Expanding the outpatient footprint is just as important, Dr. Israni says. Nephrology currently has clinics in Galveston and League City, with faculty additionally providing services at dialysis centers across the area.
“We want to make sure we can meet our patients closer to home,” he says, noting potential for growth in the Clear Lake area as well as Angleton.
Two new interventional nephrology faculty members have come on board this year, bringing to the total to three. This growth has allowed the division to expand its vascular access program, previously limited to Galveston, so that interventional nephrology procedures may also be provided in League City. These include dialysis access management, including fistula and graft maintenance; catheter insertion and removal; and treatment of complications like stenosis and thrombosis.
The division recently welcomed a second faculty member specializing in glomerulonephritis – a disease in which the kidneys’ tiny filtering units become inflamed and damaged, disrupting the kidneys' ability to filter blood properly. That individual, Dr. Shikha Wadhwani, also serves as Director of Clinical Trials, advancing the goal to bring more innovations to the bedside. She joins Dr. Tina Kochar, the Director of the Glomerulonephritis Program, to help patients find clinical trials because glomerulonephritis has seen a tremendous amount of growth in new therapies coming into the field.
“The special glomerulonephritis program provides multiple clinical trials and access to cutting-edge research for these patients,” Dr. Israni says.
“It is an exciting time in our division, not just on the clinical side, but on the research side as well. We have a great cadre of researchers,” he adds.
As a transplant nephrologist, Dr. Israni is also eager to expand the transplant program. Outreach clinics currently enable patients in the communities of Beaumont and McAllen to receive pre-and post-transplant care close to home, sometimes through the use of telemedicine. A third outreach clinic is now in development to bring this ability to patients in the Katy area.
The division is also helping patients become better candidates for transplants. One new faculty member, Dr. Shahed Ammar, leads a weight management program so that patients who are advised to lose weight before surgery have the support and resources to do so. Another recent hire, Dr. Totini Chatterjee, specializes in geriatrics and helps to address the needs and challenges of patients over 60.
“We are creating new and novel programs within nephrology,” Dr. Israni says. “There is a lot of excitement around the growth and referrals to our programs.”
Partnering with community nephrologists is another important component of Dr. Israni’s approach. Noting that many local nephrologists are UTMB alumni or have practiced at UTMB, he values these relationships that help bring patients from all over Texas to UTMB for advanced care.
“We can provide subspecialized care if and when they need it,” he says. “We can provide transplantation, interventional nephrology, vascular access procedures, and glomerulonephritis trials. Our goal is to help them help their patients.”
With more faculty enriching the division, there is not only the opportunity to serve more patients, but to expand training opportunities. The first of these opportunities, an interventional nephrology fellowship program, is currently in development.
“Now that we have grown the number of great mentors here, we are excited to attract the next generation of nephrologists to come here and get trained,” Dr. Israni says. “They can learn from our great faculty, then go out and help the community.”
 | Ajay Israni, MD, MS, is Chief of the Division of Nephrology. The division has clinic locations at the League City and Galveston Campuses. Learn more about Nephrology services at UTMB Health. |