University of Mississippi Health Care’s nephrology services features a comprehensive program that addresses all aspects of renal-related diseases. It offers care via dialysis clinics, outpatient renal clinics, inpatient nephrology services (including critical care nephrology) and kidney transplant services.

Nephrology care at UMHC focuses on leading-edge, comprehensive and compassionate care for all types of kidney disease, training nephrologists of tomorrow at the state’s only academic medical center; and improving the understanding and treatment of kidney disease through basic science and clinical research. 

UMHC nephrology medical milestones

• 1960s

  • Dr. James D. Hardy performed the United States’ first auto-kidney transplant at University of Mississippi Medical Center.

• 1965

  • UMMC’s nephrology program was established as the first access to expert kidney care in Mississippi.

• 1966

  • Mississippi’s first dialysis unit (artificial kidney unit) was established within UMHC’s flagship University Hospital.

• 1974

  • The mission of the nephrology program in the early 1970s was to make outpatient dialysis services available to all Mississippians in need. In 1974, the first outpatient hemodialysis facility was opened by Kidney Care under the guidance of UMHC nephrology services. Kidney Care quickly grew to a statewide network of hemodialysis facilities in many rural communities of Mississippi.

• 2000-07

  • UMHC expanded its inpatient dialysis services to include continuous dialysis therapies. The demand for this service grew quickly.
  • In 2007, UMHC hired its first critical care nephrologist and further expanded its continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) program, which now haves 12 machines that provide CRRT care in UMHC’s four intensive care units.

• 2008

  • UMHC added a substantial home dialysis training program to its large outpatient dialysis facility at the Jackson Medical Mall.

• 2009

  • UMHC opened the only pediatric dialysis facilities in Mississippi – one for hemodialysis and one for home training of peritoneal dialysis.
  • UMHC’s transplant program performed its 1,000th kidney transplant.

• 2010

  UMHC opened its nocturnal hemodialysis unit, completing a collection of dialysis facilities which enable UMHC to provide all types of dialysis services to Mississippians.