Welcome to the Division of Pediatric Nephrology and Hypertension

Letter from the Director

Rene VanDeVoorde, III, MD

For over 30 years, our division has been dedicated to excellence in patient care, education and research in Pediatric Nephrology. Our mission is to deliver optimal clinical care in pediatric nephrology with the overarching goal of improving childhood health. We aim to achieve this mission through the fostering of knowledge through clinical application, research and professional collaboration, with a primary focus centered on patients and families. Our division's clinicians and investigators have a wide range of professional interests across multiple areas of pediatric nephrology, including:

    • Fetal identification of congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract
    • Kidney transplantation
    • Cardiovascular disease in children with chronic kidney disease
    • Outcomes of glomerular diseases
    • Progression of chronic kidney disease and its sequelae
    • Risk and outcomes for acute kidney injury in hospitalized children
    • Kidney stones
    • Clinical factors determining risk for acute kidney injury in hospitalized children

Members of our division evaluate and treat children with congenital or acquired diseases of the kidney, all forms of hypertension and electrolyte disorders. We strive to provide care that is individualized and incorporates recent discoveries and established treatments. The procedures provided by members of the division include dialysis (hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, CRRT), plasmapheresis, renal transplantation, kidney biopsies and ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. We receive consultations, requests for second opinions and renal transplant evaluations from throughout Tennessee and Kentucky as well as from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Virginia.

Our team has ongoing research interests in cardiovascular disease, hypertension, glomerular disorders, acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease and transplantation outcomes. We have collaborative investigations with specialists within the Department of Pediatrics, across Vanderbilt University Medical Center and with pediatric subspecialty colleagues throughout the United States and abroad.

Education and training remain integral to all aspects of our mission. This includes clinical training of medical students, residents and fellows; research training and career development for faculty, fellows, residents and visiting international scholars; and the development of programming for national meetings. Faculty members play leadership roles in resident education and provide ongoing education for faculty and trainees in other divisions and departments throughout the Medical Center.

I invite you to learn more about the Division through our website and contact us regarding opportunities for collaborative enterprises in clinical care, research and education.

Best regards,

Rene G. VanDeVoorde III, MD
Director, Division of Pediatric Nephrology and Hypertension
Program Director
Pediatric Nephrology and Hypertension Fellowship
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Nephrology
rene.g.vandevoorde@vumc.org 

Contact Us

Division of Nephrology and Hypertension
2200 Children’s Way
Doctors’ Office Tower, Suite 10111
Nashville, TN 37232-9560

For Patients and Families:

Visit our patient care website or call (615) 322-7416 for more information or to schedule an appointment.