Credits Available: 4.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, Maintenance of Certification (MOC) points available

Description: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is estimated to impact approximately 37 million individuals in the United States (U.S). Furthermore, about 786,000 persons are living with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and receive renal replacement therapy, either through maintenance dialysis or kidney transplantation. Hyperphosphatemia, characterized by phosphorus levels in the bloodstream exceeding the normal parameters of 2.5–4.5 mg/dL, constitutes a critical aspect of the mineral and bone disorder associated with CKD. Elevated levels of serum phosphorus facilitate vascular calcification, impair endothelial function, and may play a role in other newly identified mechanisms of cardiovascular toxicity specific to CKD. The treatment of hyperphosphatemia in patients with CKD requiring dialysis is complex and is ideally managed by a multidisciplinary team of care providers including nephrologists, advanced practice providers (APPs), nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals. Evidence suggests that multidisciplinary care models can slow the progression of CKD and improve mortality rates, but gaps remain in the availability and implementation of these models across different healthcare settings. These challenges include dietary management, optimization of dialysis, pharmacological interventions, patient education, addressing adherence concerns, and the need for comprehensive care models. This collaborative social learning platform establishes a network of providers who can support each other locally, as well as those from different communities, with the goal of learning and sharing best practices that will improve outcomes for patients with hyperphosphatemia.

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This program is intended for:
Target Professions: DO, MD, Nurse, Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, Dietitian, Pharmacist, MBBS
Target Specialties: Nephrology, Nutrition, Pharmacy, Internal Medicine, Nutrition Support, Clinical Pharmacy

Kartik Kalra

GEISINGER
Clinical Associate - Nephrology / Associate Program Director- Nephrology Fellowship

Kartik Kalra, MD, is a Clinical Associate in Nephrology and serves as the Associate Program Director of the Nephrology Fellowship training program at Geisinger Medical Center in Danville, PA. Additionally, he is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. Dr. Kalra completed his internal medicine residency at St. Peter's University Hospital, Rutgers, NJ, and then pursued a nephrology fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He further specialized in glomerular disease through GLOMCON fellowship, where he currently acts as a faculty mentor. His primary areas of interest include glomerular disease, peritoneal dialysis, ICU nephrology, and electrolyte abnormalities. He has published peer-reviewed articles and presented numerous posters at national and international conferences. Dr. Kalra has been honored with the David R. Gutknecht Award for excellence in clinical teaching at Geisinger and is featured on the Internal Medicine Faculty Honor Roll. He is a senior member of the Geisinger Academy of Educators and a Fellow of both the American Society of Nephrology and the National Kidney Foundation.