Faculty, Fellows & Staff

Click on faculty members’ names to go to their profile in the UVA Health System Find A Doctor Directory. Use the back button to return to the Nephrology Division website.

General Nephrology

Transplant Nephrology

Nephrology Nurse Practitioners (NPs) are an integral part of our clinical practice and are committed to excellence in patient care across the continuum, including acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, and dialysis. Our NPs have experience and special training in nephrology, regularly collaborate with other providers and specialists throughout multiple practice settings, and actively participate on local, regional, and national levels. NP-led programs include the management of dialysis with our interdisciplinary teams, quality improvement initiatives, a specialized education clinic, a multidisciplinary high-risk CKD clinic, and inpatient ESRD consultation and dialysis management.

Danielle Wentworth, MSN, FNP-BC
Training: Yale University
Practice area: CKD clinic, Hemodialysis, Patient Education
Memberships: American Society of Nephrology, NKF Council of Advanced Practitioners
Education: MSN, FNP

Danielle Wentworth cares for patients with chronic kidney disease and those on dialysis at the UVA Kidney Center. Danielle grew up in the Maryland suburbs. She completed her undergraduate studies at Vanderbilt University and earned a master’s in nursing as a family nurse practitioner from Yale School of Nursing, specializing in diabetes management. After graduate school, Danielle moved to central New Jersey and worked in private physician practice, splitting her time between nephrology and physical medicine and rehabilitation. In June 2015, she and her husband moved to Charlottesville, where she joined the University of Virginia’s Division of Nephrology.

Danielle enjoys baking, playing tennis, visiting local attractions, and exploring Virginia’s beautiful outdoor trails outside work.

Larkin Muncaster, RN, MSN, FNP
Training: University of Virginia
Practice area: Hemodialysis
Memberships: VCNP
Education: University of Virginia, 2012

Larkin Muncaster is a family nurse practitioner at UVA Dialysis Zion Crossroads. A Charlottesville native, she became interested in nursing as a volunteer for the Charlottesville-Albemarle Rescue Squad, where she served as an EMT for several years. She earned her nursing degree from the University of Virginia, during which time she worked as a technician in the UVA Emergency Department. After graduation, she transitioned to the ICU. She later returned to UVA, obtaining a master’s degree and becoming a certified family nurse practitioner. She joined the UVA Dialysis team in April 2016.

Larkin is married and the mother of two boys. She enjoys spending time with family and friends and playing piano on the worship team at her church.

Laura Krause, RN, MSN, FNP-C
Training: University of Virginia
Practice Area: Hemodialysis
Memberships: VCNP, AANP

Nina Stewart, RN, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
Training: James Madison University
Practice Area: Hemodialysis, CKD Clinic, Education, Advanced Care Planning
Membership: AANP
Education: Eastern Mennonite University, 2012
James Madison University, 2018

Nina Stewart is a family nurse practitioner at both the Staunton and Farmville dialysis clinics and sees patients in the Specialty Care clinic in Fishersville. Nina became interested in nursing because of her desire to care for others. She earned her nursing degree from Eastern Mennonite University and graduated with honors. After graduation, she worked as an operating room nurse and orthopedic specialty care coordinator. Shortly after, she learned that she had a special interest in nephrology and transitioned to UVA to work at the Augusta dialysis clinic. While a charge nurse there, Nina went back to James Madison University to obtain her master’s degree and became a certified family nurse practitioner. After graduation, Nina worked as an NP with palliative care and hospice but quickly learned that she wanted to return to nephrology. Nina has been with the team since August 2019.

Nina is a native of Augusta County and lives in the county with her husband and daughter. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, being outdoors, and cooking.

Leah J Wayner, MSN, ACNP, CNN-NP
Training: University of Virginia
Practice area: Hemodialysis, CKD clinic, Hospital Dialysis, ESRD inpatient consult
Memberships: NKF Council of Advanced Practitioners, ANNA

Karen Sumner, MSN, RN, AGACNP-BC
Training: University of Virginia, 2020
Practice Area: Hemodialysis and CKD Clinic
Memberships: AANP

Karen Sumner is an acute care nurse practitioner at UVA Staunton Dialysis. An Indiana native, she earned her nursing degree from Indiana University Bloomington and spent most of her nursing career working in the cardiac surgery ICU. In 2014 she earned a master’s degree from Ball State University as a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) and worked as a CNS for UVA’s inpatient acute renal and apheresis unit. She later returned to school at UVA and became a nurse practitioner in UVA’s cardiac surgery ICU. She joined the UVA Staunton Dialysis team in June 2021.

Karen is the mother of two young children. She enjoys spending time with her family, camping, hiking, and running.

Diane Burns, RN, MSN, APRN, FNP-C

Training: Chamberlain University
Practice Area: Hemodialysis, CKD Clinic, Education, Advanced Care Planning
Memberships: AANP

Diane Burns holds a master’s degree as a family nurse practitioner and practices at the UVA dialysis clinic in Waynesboro and the UVA Nephrology clinic in Fishersville. She earned a nursing degree from Dabney Lancaster Community college. After graduation, she worked in various areas of nursing, from medical, dialysis, and home care, as well as in the field of nephrology, working in the UVA Nephrology CKD clinic. In this position, her focus was on education in preventative care. She has a special interest in Nephrology by caring for a family member with a history of kidney disease requiring dialysis. During this time, the experience taught her the importance of being a strong patient advocate and providing patient-centered care. Diane is a native of the Shenandoah Valley with her husband and pet cat. She enjoys traveling, working out, and spending time with her friends and family.

Kimberly Gahring, AGA-CNP received her BS in Nursing from Edinboro U. of Pennsylvania, MS in Adult-Gerontology Acute Nurse Practitioner at UVA. Kim has extensive experience as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner providing care for Cardiothoracic and vascular patients at UVA, as a Kidney Transplant Coordinator at UVA, and as a nurse in ICUs.  Kim also has experience as a research coordinator for STAC and CTO of the Cancer Center at UVA.  Kim will provide expertise in both inpatient and outpatient settings in Charlottesville.

Joanne Burks Anderson, ACNPC-AG, received her BS in Nursing from UVA, MS Clinical Nurse Specialist, Liberty University, Lynchburg, followed by Post-Masters Certificate Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner from UVA.  She has extensive experience in the MICU at Centra Health, Lynchburg, and recently as an NP in Gastroenterology in Lynchburg.  Joanne will provide expertise in inpatient and outpatient settings in Farmville/Lynchburg.

Second-Year Fellows

First-Year Fellows

2020-2022 Fellows

2019-2021 Fellows

2017-2019 Fellows

2018-2020 Fellows