Newswise — The GAP Clinic at Lurie Children’s was born almost one year ago and has seen 40 patients. This referral-only program led by Jill Krissberg, MD, MS, attending physician in the Division of Nephrology, is comprised of several specialists including a transplant coordinator, dialysis physician, dialysis nurse practitioner and a social worker all working together to provide education, options and next steps for the child with advanced kidney disease.
Providing information about dialysis and transplant to a patient in a non-urgent environment leads to better outcomes and improved patient care said Dr. Krissberg. There are a lot of moving parts when considering dialysis. Incorporating a patient-centered approach that encourages caregiver participation in the decision-making process is an important part of this clinic. Having these conversations early and knowing the game plan ahead of time can alleviate a lot of stress down the road.
Most referrals are from the patient’s primary nephrologist and in most cases, these patients have severe kidney disease on the path to progression.
Most appointments are done via telemedicine but in person appointments are also available. A typical appointment covers everything from the type of dialysis modalities offered, the road to kidney transplantation as well growth and nutrition issues. Having all these skilled and essential team members at the consultation will provide patients and families with all the information they need to make the best decision for their family. Each patient leaves with numerous educational handouts to take back to their primary nephrologist. A re-meet appointment is offered after two years, if needed.
Deirdre Bartlett, MD, board-eligible in pediatric nephrology, joined Lurie Children’s in September 2024 after completing her pediatric nephrology fellowship at Northwestern University McGaw Medical Center. Before her fellowship, Dr. Bartlett was the Chief Resident of Pediatrics at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital from 2020-2021 after completing her pediatrics residency there in 2020. She mentors medical students in their pre-clinical areas of study at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
She is passionate about cardiorenal syndrome and is focused on improving kidney outcomes in children with underlying heart disease and past cardiac surgeries, as evidenced by her recent publication entitled "Cardiorenal Syndrome: Evolving Concepts and Pediatric Knowledge Gaps" in Pediatric Nephrology. She is a dialysis provider at our outpatient pediatric chronic dialysis center and enjoys the acute kidney injury follow-up clinic.
Dr. Bartlett also remains committed to critical care nephrology, and medical education and quality improvement research.
H. Rhodes Hambrick, MD, is a board-certified pediatric nephrologist with a special interest in optimizing drug dosing for children on dialysis, particularly critically ill children in the ICU receiving continuous renal replacement therapy.
After his residency training in pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital in 2021, he moved on to complete his fellowship training in pediatric nephrology and pediatric clinical pharmacology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in 2024. At the same time, he earned a Master of Science in Clinical and Translational Research.
Dr. Hambrick has numerous publications and is funded through an Early Career Award from the Thrasher Foundation for Pediatric Research and is entitled "Pharmacokinetics of Cefepime in Children receiving Continuous Kidney Replacement Therapy". He is interested in critical care nephrology, medical education and is an active tutor for the US medical licensing exam and pediatric board exams. In addition, he is interested in the pharmacokinetics of immunosuppressants used in patients with kidney disease.
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