The Nephrology rotation at Tulane Medical Center is a consultation service. It covers the entire spectrum of renal inpatient practice. Patients included on the service are hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients from the dialysis units; consults from the Transplant Team; and patients from other services. Lakeside Hospital is considered an extension of Tulane Hospital where obstetric cases are seen.
The Transplant Service (Tulane University Hospital) is structured to care for a spectrum of renal transplantation and combined kidney-pancreas transplantation issues. The patient population is varied, as the service attracts patients from South Louisiana and Mississippi. The fellow is exposed to pre-transplant workup in the clinic and learns the basics of typing and cross matching. The fellow also performs renal biopsies when indicated. Fellows follow transplant patients following transplantation and learn to manage patient issues, such as rejection.
UMCNO has a patient population that is primarily, though not exclusively, indigent. As most of the serious trauma cases in New Orleans are taken to UMCNO, the UMCNO inpatient consult service provides opportunity for fellows to participate in the care of complicated surgical cases. UMCNO also has acute dialysis facilities.
SLVHCS is currently a virtual hospital within Tulane Hospital, pending completion of its new facilities. Clinical coverage duties include inpatient dialysis and nephrology consults for veterans. Fellows also attend a half-day chronic kidney disease clinic administered by the VA on Tuesdays. The New Orleans VA also serves as a tertiary referral for nephrology problems from surrounding VA hospitals that do not perform biopsies or offer dialysis facilities. The goal of the rotation is to train the fellow in the nephrology consultative practice in a government setting.