Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The Division of Nephrology is committed to improving patient care by providing access to healthcare in a timely and respectful manner, maintaining an inclusive environment with equitable access to support services, promoting hiring from diverse backgrounds, and continuing the education and training of Nephrology Fellows.

The Division of Nephrology and the Center for Immunity, Inflammation, and Regenerative Medicine assert that diversity, equity, and inclusion are fundamental to providing exceptional care for patients with kidney diseases through achieving excellence in patient care, research, and education.

Kidney diseases disproportionately affect minorities. Black, African, Hispanic, or Latin Americans are more likely to have kidney failure. Black or African Americans disproportionately make up the dialysis population; they represent nearly 50% of the patients with kidney failure in Central Virginia.

There is a high prevalence of risk factors for kidney disease, including diabetes and hypertension. Concerning life-saving transplantation treatment, Black patients face numerous barriers and, as a result, have longer than average wait times, are less likely to receive transplant evaluation, less likely to survive on the waitlist, and have lower graft survival post-transplant.

The Division of Nephrology seeks to support and serve members of marginalized communities by

• Ensuring we have a Division and Center with diverse faculty and trainees
• Providing equitable training of nephrology fellows (MD, MBBS, and DO)
• Providing equitable provision of care and eliminating barriers to transplantation
• Providing equitable access to home dialysis therapies
• Providing equitable food, medication, and transportation security
• Promoting equity for genders underrepresented in medicine, including women, transgender, and non-binary individuals
• Providing compassionate and age-appropriate care for older and elderly patients with kidney disease

• Angie G. Nishio-Lucar, MD (Chair)
• Tushar Chopra, MD, FASN
• Lesley McPhatter, MS, RDN, CSR
• Mark D. Okusa, MD, FASN
• Jitendra K. Gautam MS-CR, PhD
• Hasan Iftikhar, MBBS
• Korshie Dumor, MD, MPH

• 14th October, 2023 is Latinx health fair in Charlottesville
• 21st October, 2023  is KDSAP screening at the Mosque in Charlottesville
• 18th November 2023, KDSAP screening at Southwood community in Charlottesville, with Dr.Nishio giving a talk about kidney transplants in Spanish before the screening event

• UVA Food Pharmacy. Under the leadership of Leslie McPhatter Assistant Clinical Nutrition Manager – Renal Nutrition we continue underpinning our unwavering commitment to our patients, the UVA Dialysis Program launched an onsite Food Pharmacy in March 2020. This initiative, fueled by a generous grant from the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank (BRAFB), was designed to enhance our patients’ access to kidney-friendly, nutritious food.
• As of July 2023, our food pharmacy seeks continued funding to maintain its valuable services. Currently, it caters to approximately 300 patients across 6 of our 12 dialysis units. The enduring aim is to broaden this service to all our dialysis units, as food insecurity continues to be a significant challenge for many of our patients. Our ongoing dedication to patient welfare drives this effort, underlining our commitment to offering comprehensive care that addresses not just medical needs, but also nutritional wellbeing. This year the Division of Nephrology/CIIR through an endowment from the Ralph Cohen Fund provided a major gift to the Food Pharmacy Program.