Welcome to the cardiorenal multidisciplinary program at George Washington University, a sub-specialty niche within the division of Nephrology. The mission of this program is to provide comprehensive inter-disciplinary care in a seamless and integrated fashion for patients with heart and kidney disease. The overlap between the specialties of cardiology and nephrology has never been more relevant with the increasing burden of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity worldwide, resulting in an epidemic of cardiovascular and kidney disease. Patients with the complex burden of heart and kidney disease share several “common soil” risk factors, as well as experience a heightened risk of adverse outcomes due to dual organ involvement. Ironically, many of these vulnerable patients with kidney disease are excluded from advanced procedures, surgeries, clinical trials, and medical therapies that are shown to be effective at improving outcomes. With the advent of newer and cutting edge cardiorenal therapies such as the SGLT2 inhibitors as well as the GLP-1 receptor agonists, procedural advancements such as “zero contrast PCIs” and advanced device therapies such as left ventricular assist devices in patients with kidney disease, the scope of our multidisciplinary cardiorenal program extends from primary prevention in high risk patients, to caring for patients with advanced cardiorenal disease with the goal of improving clinical outcomes, reducing hospitalization burden, optimizing peri-procedural outcomes, improving quality of life, and achieving patient- centered goals in an equitable and caring manner.
Our program offers patients with heart and kidney disease the ease of being evaluated and treated in real-time by a joint team of cardiologists and nephrologists with expertise in this interdisciplinary space, with the development of a joint plan that is patient- centered. This affords opportunities to avoid hospitalizations, modify the trajectory of heart failure and progression of kidney disease, achieve symptom control, and navigate barriers to optimal care. The cardio-renal team also provides consultative support in patients that are critically ill with the need for acute cardiac mechanical support, peri-procedural kidney risk reduction as well as enrollment of patients in cardiorenal trials. The expertise of the faculty in the cardiorenal program is well recognized nationally and internationally through the publications and editorial leadership of textbooks in this space, several peer reviewed manuscripts and speaking invitations at cardiology and nephrology meetings. The program is vested in training cardiologists as well as nephrologists in the nuances of this interdisciplinary space, and welcomes medical students, residents and fellows across internal medicine, cardiology, nephrology, endocrinology, and critical care to gain experience by rotating through the program.
The cardiorenal program at GWU is strongly committed to providing comprehensive care to patients with heart and kidney disease, with the implementation of the highest quality of evidence- based medicine in this space. We welcome patients and their families to be part of our program across the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area, and offer both in-person as well as telemedicine based consultation. We look forward to serving the needs for patients with heart and kidney disease and providing the exceptional and cutting edge care they deserve, to ensure the best of outcomes for these patients.