George Washington University Nurse Practitioner Recognized for Work in Kidney Health

George Washington University (GW) nurse practitioner Nancy Uhland is being honored with a 2018 Medal of Excellence Award in the nursing category from the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) for her work in providing specialized treatment for patients with kidney diseases.

AAKP is the largest kidney advocacy organization in the United States. This national award is the highest honor that kidney health care professionals can earn, intended to honor the professionals committed to improving the lives of patients through research, technology, and quality-driven treatments.

Uhland has worked closely with kidney patients and their caregivers for more than 20 years, including working with patients on dialysis who require specialized care. With 2.7 percent of the DC population affected by kidney disease, Uhland tells GWHatchet.com, “DC has the highest rate of kidney disease in the country. We’re super proud to have kidney transplants on the GW campus.”

Uhland’s goal is to provide direct patient care and empower patients to be their own advocates. She is on a mission to give kidney patients a voice in their medical care. Her passion for kidney health started when she received her master’s degree and family practitioner degree at Georgetown University. After completing her education, Uhland was able to start working as a kidney transplant coordinator at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Virginia.

Kidney transplants are difficult to get and patients often face long waitlists. Uhland believes these patients should be given extra care, and she encourages patients to take additional measures to take care of their kidneys. She plans to continue working on direct patient care and promote that patients facing kidney diseases have specific needs that should be addressed within the medical community.