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Nephrology

Welcome to the Division of Nephrology at The Ottawa Hospital and University of Ottawa. Nephrology is an active academic program within the Department of Medicine, and the Division has an established record of excellence in clinical care, research, and education.

History of the Division and Overview

The specialty of Nephrology is relatively young. In Ottawa, Nephrology was established as a clinical specialty in the 1960's, when patients with end-stage kidney disease were first treated with dialysis therapy and kidney transplantation. Drs. G. Posen, R. Couture, D.Z. Levine, S. Jindal, and D. Pagé were amongst the first nephrologists in Canada to develop and implement these new treatments for patients with kidney disease in the Ottawa area.

Dr. David Z. Levine, Head of the University of Ottawa Division of Nephrology from 1980 until 1997, established an international reputation for basic science research in nephrology, and led the development of training programs for housestaff and future nephrologists. Under his direction, a formal training program was established in the 1980's, approved by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Since 1987, more than 20 nephrologists have received training within this program.

In 1998, with creation of the amalgamated Ottawa Hospital, the University of Ottawa Division of Nephrology became one of the first Divisions in Ottawa to unify into a single entity under the leadership of Dr Kevin Burns. An innovative model was developed to deliver care on all three campuses of The Ottawa Hospital, and to bring hemodialysis care closer to patients' homes with the development of four satellite dialysis facilities.

The Division, under its current Head, Dr Peter Magner, now manages one of the largest clinical programs in Canada and is the sole provider of adult Nephrology care in the Ottawa area.  We provide care for more than 650 patients on chronic hemodialysis therapy, more than 150 home dialysis patients, and perform more than 60 transplants per year. We also manage several thousand clinic patients with chronic kidney disease.