Tag Archive for: kidney transplantation

Marva Moxey-Mims, M.D., chief of Nephrology at Children’s National.

Transforming pediatric nephrology: Personalized care for every patient

Marva Moxey-Mims, M.D., chief of Nephrology at Children’s National.

“We strive to create an environment where success goes beyond medical results, focusing on lasting improvements in the lives of children around the world,” says Dr. Moxey-Mims.

Big picture

The Kidney Transplantation Program at Children’s National Hospital is the only one of its kind in the Washington, D.C. region focused on the needs of children and teens with kidney disease. Performing up to 20 kidney transplants per year, the program is one of the highest volume centers on the East Coast.

“A significant portion of the recent kidneys came from living donors,” says Marva Moxey-Mims, MD, chief of Nephrology at Children’s National. “This is crucial because living donor kidneys typically perform better and have a longer lifespan than kidneys from deceased donors.”

Children’s National leads the way

At the forefront of groundbreaking treatment, the nephrology team is pioneering progress by providing innovative care and resources. One example is the hospital’s collaboration with the National Kidney Registry and MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute’s Living Donor Program. This provides a greater chance of finding more suitable donors for difficult-to-match children and has resulted in altruistic donations.

“Living kidney donations are transforming the landscape of pediatric transplants” says Dr. Moxey-Mims. “By significantly reducing wait times, we provide children with faster access to life-saving care and a quicker journey to restored health. This reflects our unwavering dedication to improving the lives of every child we serve.”

That commitment is also seen in the division’s focus on making sure families have the resources they need during their medical journey. Through philanthropic funding, families with children undergoing kidney transplants and dialysis can receive financial assistance. In some cases, donors will be eligible for lost wage reimbursement up to $2,000 per week for up to 12 weeks (total maximum $24,000), and up to $6,000 for travel, lodging, and dependent care. Families can also receive funds for medication co-pays and other expenses incurred around the time of the transplant.

“These funds are true lifesavers for families navigating medical challenges,” says Jennifer Verbesey, MD, surgical director of pediatric kidney transplantation at Children’s National. “We are committed to ensuring that families have access to the care and resources their child requires regardless of their financial situation.”

Global efforts

In addition to the work her team is doing in the United States, Dr. Moxey-Mims is on a mission to address pediatric renal disease on a global scale. Most recently, Dr. Moxey-Mims traveled to the Kuwait Pediatric Congress in November, to discuss advances in pediatric renal care.

“Children’s National was the only pediatric hospital from the United States represented at the meeting, says Dr. Moxey-Mims. “This demonstrates our commitment to tackling this chronic condition.”

In February, Dr. Moxey-Mims will travel to Cape Town, South Africa for the 2025 International Pediatric Nephrology Association Congress, where she will present on treatments to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease.

Bottom line

Children’s National is at the forefront of pediatric kidney transplantation. “Our approach addresses every aspect of a patient’s journey,” says Dr. Moxey-Mims. “We strive to create an environment where success goes beyond medical results, focusing on lasting improvements in the lives of children around the world.”

Learn more about our latest advances in pediatric Nephrology.

Connecting allied health professionals in pediatric nephrology

With the meeting in Washington this year, Children’s National Health System will be the local host, a distinct honor for an academic medical center that treats hundreds of nephrology patients each year, says pediatric Nephrologist Asha Moudgil, M.D., who directs Children’s kidney transplant service.

Pediatric nephrology is a relatively small specialty worldwide, encompassing just a few hundred doctors in the U.S. For each allied health field that provides collaborative care with these physicians – including nutrition, child-life, psychology and social work – the numbers of providers are even smaller. There are no national meetings for these individual subspecialty fields and no venues to meet new like-minded colleagues or learn about new research or protocols.

Six years ago, the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN) aimed to help resolve this dilemma by launching a new multidisciplinary symposium that brings together allied health professionals of all kinds within pediatric nephrology.

Each year, the “ASPN Multidisciplinary Symposium” changes locations, allowing the meeting to target different regional groups of allied health professionals based on geography. With the meeting in Washington this year, Children’s National Health System will be the local host, a distinct honor for an academic medical center that treats hundreds of nephrology patients each year, says pediatric Nephrologist Asha Moudgil, M.D., who directs Children’s kidney transplant service.

There are multiple advantages to having the symposium in Washington, Dr. Moudgil explains. One is access to Children’s experts in this field, who have a wealth of experience in managing issues that affect patients who live in the greater Washington area. For example, the keynote address scheduled for the meeting’s opening night will be delivered by Jennifer Verbesey, M.D., Children’s surgical director of pediatric kidney transplantation, focusing on living donation in minority populations. Living kidney donors and recipients who are minorities have unique issues that can affect organ longevity, explains Dr. Moudgil, which may not be well known by all clinicians.

Children’s speakers also focus prominently in the main session on the second day, including:

  • Angela Boadu, RD, LDN/LD, a registered dietitian, and Kaushalendra Amatya, Ph.D., a psychologist, are giving a talk about nutrition and the psychosocial aspects of obesity
  • Surgeon Evan Nadler, M.D., director of Children’s Bariatric Surgery Program, is speaking about bariatric surgery before and after transplantation
  • Nurse Practitioner Christy Petyak, CPNP-PC, and Social Worker Heidi Colbert, LICSW, CCTSW, NSW-C, are leading breakout sessions about the practical aspects of immunosuppressive therapy and resources for uninsured patients
  • Amatya, the Children’s psychologist, also is leading a breakout session on internalizing psychological disorders in pediatric renal patients and
  • Registered Dietitian Kristen Sgambat, Ph.D., RD, and Dr. Moudgil are co-leading a breakout session on nutritional challenges and enteral supplementation in chronic kidney disease.

Another advantage to holding the meeting in the nation’s capital is its close proximity to government research and federal regulatory agencies, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Speakers from both agencies will be present, talking about how the FDA approves medicines for pediatric patients and offering details about the NIH’s rare disease program.

Besides the abundance of more formal knowledge-sharing, Dr. Moudgil adds, there will be plenty of opportunities for attendees to network, making connections within and outside their own respective fields.

“This is a platform for making long-term professional relationships,” Dr. Moudgil says. “Even if you’re the sole clinician representing your specialty at your own institution, you’ll be able to connect with other specialists at institutions across the country. You’re not only acquiring new information, you’re acquiring a group of colleagues you can connect with this year and those professional relationships can extend far into the future.”