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We believe in caring for a person, not just treating kidneys

Who We Are

Colorado Kidney Care is dedicated to advancing the science of kidney care and enhancing the quality of life for kidney disease patients across the greater Denver metropolitan area. We call it “Kidney care with a caring touch”. When a patient starts coming to CKC, it often ends up being a lifelong journey he or she embarks upon with us. Our goal is to ensure every patient gets the best clinical outcomes, while feeling comfortable, supported and truly cared for during every step. We deliver this in everything we do because we believe in caring for a person, not just treating kidneys.

Through our 32 nephrologists, 14 nurse practitioners, 6 outpatient offices, access center, world-class research program and kidney education programs, we strive to deliver the very best in available care to patients. We also contribute daily to delivering dialysis treatment, providing hands on care for patients and medical director services to over 30 dialysis centers. We also provide medical director services to one of the three transplant programs in Denver.

Services We Provide

We are passionate about what we do

Since CKC began 50 years ago, we have worked as a team to raise the standard of excellence in kidney care. We consistently strive to be better in everything we do as evidenced by our commitment to recruiting preeminent medical staff; advancing the field through research; developing a specialized vascular access center; and providing unparalleled comprehensive care. The team at CKC is visible in the community, supporting education programs, dietary improvement, and programs in partnership with the National Kidney Foundation.

We are looking toward the future

With rapidly growing numbers of kidney disease patients amid an increasingly complex health care system, CKC is and will continue to be an advocate for kidney care patients. We proactively explore what patients may need, not only today, but five, ten, twenty years from now. It’s this insight that fuels our drive to expand our services; assess local and national needs; attract the best staff and nephrologists; and build expanded relationships with payors.

We have developed a robust, clinical outcomes, operations and financial database that allows us to manage our delivery of care internally, and supports our external incentive based agreements. This includes agreements with health plans and compliance with federal government programs, including meaningful use and physician quality reporting program.
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Main Admin Office

13901 E. Exposition Avenue
Suite 202
Aurora, Colorado 80012

Phone: 303-327-4700

Fax: 303-327-4711

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Jianing Gao, NP

Rose Office

Jianing Gao is a Family Nurse Practitioner who graduated from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Prior to becoming an FNP, Jianing served as a Registered Nurse, with a critical care focus, from 2017 after obtaining her BSN from Texas Tech University. In addition to her years of experience as a nurse, Jianing proudly served in the United States Air Force from 2007 to 2018 and has since commissioned as a flight nurse in the United States Air Force Reserves at Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado Springs. In terms of her practice, Jianing strives to build trusting, long-lasting relationships with her patients and is continuously exploring and providing the latest evidence-based practices in order to deliver the best care. She is also fluent in Mandarin Chinese and has utilized this skillset to facilitate culturally competent care. Outside of work, Jianing enjoys cooking, and spending time with her loved ones.

Jennifer Baron MSN, C-APN, AGACNP-BC

Thornton Office

Jennifer Baron MSN, C-APN, AGACNP-BC is an Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner board-certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).  As a provider she is focused on patient-centered care by meeting a patient’s needs where they are at and developing strong, trusting patient-provider relationships.

She completed her bachelor’s and master’s degree at Texas Tech University Health Science’s Center where she was a Senator for TTUHSC Student Government Association and an Advisor on the Dean’s Graduate Advisory Council.
Prior to becoming an NP, she has over ten years nursing experience in critical care nursing (frequently caring for patients with acute and chronic kidney disease) at large, urban Level 1 Trauma Centers with a focus on underserved populations and is passionate about increasing health literacy.
In her spare time, Jen enjoys cycling, swimming, spending time with her three sons, and hiking with her husband and dogs Chloe and Ginger.

Jacqueline Paller, NP

Lone Tree Office

Jacqueline is a board-certified Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with 20 years of bedside nursing experience in a critical care setting. Jacqueline earned her undergraduate degree from Colorado Mesa University and graduate degree from the University of Northern Colorado. She is board certified through the American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN).

Jacqueline believes that we can do more for our patients. She was encouraged when reading Being Mortal by Atual Gawande. He wrote, “You may not control life’s circumstances, but getting to be the author of your life means getting to control what you do with them.” Being in nephrology care means exactly that. As a provider in this field, we are able to help give our patients the ability to be their own authors of their life stories. Jacqueline looks forward to growing her appreciation of the human condition with regards to mental health and the technology/science of Nephrology. Jacqueline intends to achieve excellence in treating our patients with compassionate evidence-based care that treats the whole person including the people that love them.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends and pup. She enjoys anything outside, reading, and actually doesn’t own a TV. 

Neil R. Manek, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Neil R. Manek, MD

Aurora Office

Neil Manek, MD takes a holistic approach to the prevention and management of kidney disease and believes the best care comes from effective communication, education, and a focus on realistic personalized lifestyle interventions. He’s passionate about kidney transplantation and home dialysis therapies and has expertise in hypertension and electrolyte disorders. He is an active member of the American Society of Nephrology and the Renal Physician Association.

Dr. Manek completed his Nephrology training at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York after finishing Internal Medicine Residency at Temple University in Philadelphia, and medical school at The University of Texas.

He enjoys hiking, scuba diving, playing basketball, and spending time with his family.

David Kanar, MD

Lone Tree Office

David Kanar joined CKC in June of 2023. He was born in Chicago where he did most his medical training at Finch University of Health Sciences and then Loyola University Medical Center. He then did his nephrology fellowship at Long Island Jewish. He worked at South Denver Nephrology until moving to rural Nebraska and then rural Colorado where he did both primary care and nephrology.

His professional interests in nephrology cover the full spectrum of general nephrology, kidney diseases, electrolyte disorders, secondary hypertension, dialysis and transplant.

His personal interests include many of the outdoor activities that are available here in Colorado. As a former gymnast, he coaches his son for gymnastics. His daughter does ballet.

Kelsey Felt, NP

Lone Tree Office

Kelsey is an Adult Gerontology-Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with 6 years of nursing experience. She primarily worked in the intensive care unit, often caring for patients with chronic and acute kidney disease. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Detroit Mercy and graduate degree from Saint Louis University. She is board certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Kelsey’s philosophy of medicine is to provide empathetic and patient-centered care while encouraging patients to take an active role in their health. She is committed to providing effective patient education that positively impacts her patient’s lives.

In her spare time, Kelsey enjoys spending time with her friends and family. She especially loves hiking, backpacking, traveling, and reading a good book.

Marco Pagani, MD

Thornton Office

Dr. Marco Pagani was born in Mexico City in 1977. Growing up, he was always fascinated by medicine, and his desire to help others led him to pursue a career as a physician, and later on as a nephrologist. He attended Universidad Anahuac, a prestigious private university in Mexico City, where he graduated with honors.

He completed his residency in internal medicine and fellowship in nephrology and hypertension at Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami, Florida.
He has more than 13 years of clinical experience, including practicing in Texas, and most recently in Chicago, Illinois.

He is a native Spanish speaker, and is fluent in Italian and English.

Dr. Pagani is particularly passionate about providing care for kidney patients. He understands the impact that kidney disease may have on patients and their families. His patients appreciate his compassionate and patient-centered approach to care. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Pagani is also actively involved in teaching medical students and residents, and is a member of different societies including the Renal Physician Association, American Society of Nephrology and National Kidney Foundation. Outside of work, Dr. Pagani enjoys traveling, martial arts, and playing basketball. He is also involved in various community organizations that support kidney disease and patient advocacy

Holly Strain MSN, AGNP-C

Aurora Office

Holly Strain MSN, AGNP-C is passionate about helping patients reach their health goals. She believes in caring for the whole person, not just the kidneys, and that the best health outcomes are achieved through evidence-based practice, patient education, and a trusting, meaningful relationship between the patient and their provider.

She is board-certified through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and completed her bachelor’s at Georgetown University and her master’s degree at the University of Colorado. She is currently working towards her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree at CU. She has 11 years’ experience working with kidney transplant patients as an RN.

In her spare time, Holly enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time outdoors camping and hiking with her husband and dog, Pancake.

Holly Strain, MSN, AGNP-C

Lone Tree Office

Holly Strain MSN, AGNP-C is passionate about helping patients reach their health goals. She believes in caring for the whole person, not just the kidneys, and that the best health outcomes are achieved through evidence-based practice, patient education, and a trusting, meaningful relationship between the patient and their provider.

She is board-certified through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and completed her bachelor’s at Georgetown University and her master’s degree at the University of Colorado. She is currently working towards her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree at CU. She has 11 years’ experience working with kidney transplant patients as an RN.

In her spare time, Holly enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time outdoors camping and hiking with her husband and dog, Pancake.

Holly Strain MSN, AGNP-C

Lone Tree Office

Holly Strain MSN, AGNP-C is passionate about helping patients reach their health goals. She believes in caring for the whole person, not just the kidneys, and that the best health outcomes are achieved through evidence-based practice, patient education, and a trusting, meaningful relationship between the patient and their provider.

She is board-certified through the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) and completed her bachelor’s at Georgetown University and her master’s degree at the University of Colorado. She is currently working towards her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree at CU. She has 11 years’ experience working with kidney transplant patients as an RN.

In her spare time, Holly enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time outdoors camping and hiking with her husband and dog, Pancake.

Ryan Mascarenhas, MD

Lone Tree Office

Dr. Ryan Mascarenhas is intrigued by the art and science of the field of nephrology and has found his passion in managing chronic kidney disease by predominantly aiming to slow its progression. His approach is multifaceted with his main focus on helping his patients understand the complexity of this disease and its effect on other organs of the body. He believes that through focused education, open communication with his patients and their caregivers, and lifestyle changes that the renal trajectory can change. He enjoys all aspects of nephrology care but takes a special interest in hypertensive and diabetic kidney disease.

Dr. Mascarenhas graduated from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Georgetown University Hospital/Washington Hospital Center, and fellowship in Nephrology at Ochsner Medical Center. He is board certified in Nephrology and Internal Medicine. Prior to joining Colorado Kidney Care, he spent seven years in a private practice in New Orleans.

In his free time, he enjoys biking, traveling, watching movies, and spending time with his wife, two daughters and two dogs

Grace Shannon, NP

Rose Office

Grace is dedicated to providing high-quality care to patients and families,
starting by building trusting relationships.  She empowers patients to be an
active partner in their care, and she is passionate about providing exceptional
patient education. She provides culturally competent and compassionate care
to ensure she is treating each patient as an individual.

Grace is a graduate of the Family Nurse Practitioner program at Regis
University.  She has 7 years of nursing experience in critical care, including
caring for patients with acute and chronic kidney disease. She is board
certified through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).

In her spare time, Grace enjoys skiing, backpacking, cooking and spending
time with family.

Tina Michael, NP

Lakewood Office

Tina is a board certified Adult Geriatric Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with over 20 years nursing experience in acute care settings. Tina has cared for critical patients in the Emergency Department and in most recent years, perioperatively for the Cardiac Cath lab and Interventional Radiology; many of the patients having acute and chronic kidney disease. Tina has earned her nursing degrees from Front Range Community College in 2001, Regis University in 2016, and the University of Colorado in 2021. Tina is board certified through the American Nurses Credentialling Center (ANCC). In 2012, Tina went on a medical mission trip with other medical professionals to Nepal. In Nepal, she served as a recovery nurse for Nepalese women undergoing gynecological surgeries.

Tina’s philosophy in patient care starts with building a solid foundation of trust and respect with every patient. “I believe when patients can trust their provider, they become more active participants in their own care and wellness”.

In her spare time, Tina enjoys spending time with her family and friends. As a native of Colorado, she also enjoys outdoor activities like road biking, long walks, hiking, snowboarding, and most recently learning to play golf.

Elizabeth Garcia, NP

Rose Office

Elizabeth is an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with over 9 years of bedside nursing experience within the critical care setting; she has cared for patients who require complex assessments, including those with acute and chronic kidney disease. Elizabeth earned her undergraduate degrees from the University of Colorado and graduate degree from the University of Northern Colorado. She is board certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Elizabeth is committed to providing high quality, patient-centered care. Her goal is to deliver up-to-date, comprehensive, and collaborative care to patients and families while creating a healing, humane, and caring environment. Patient education is a true passion of hers. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family outdoors; skiing, camping, biking, and hiking.

Irina Suyumova, NP-C | Colorado Kidney Care

Irina Suyumova, NP-C

Rose Office

I moved to the United States from Uzbekistan. I joined Colorado Kidney Care in 2006. I received my bachelor and master’s degree from Regis University and graduated with honors. In my free time, I enjoy playing tennis, gardening, and spending time with my family.

Heather Rahim, ANP-C | Colorado Kidney Care

Heather Rahim, ANP-C

Lakewood Office

Heather is originally from Indiana where she earned her BSN from Indiana University in 2002. Her previous nursing experience includes Neurosurgical Critical Care, Organ Donation, and Emergency medicine. She earned her MSN from Ball State University and is accredited by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Heather takes pride in being a team member of Colorado Kidney Care. She sees chronic kidney patients at the Lutheran office and dialysis center. Heather enjoys building relationships with her patients and strives to provide empowering, individualized care through education and patient involvement. Her personal interests include travel, hiking, camping, gardening, and spending time with family and friends.

Nhu Nguyen, NP | Colorado Kidney Care

Nhu Nguyen, NP

Aurora Office

Nhu joined Colorado Kidney Care in 2019. She received her undergraduate and graduate nursing degrees from Regis University. She is board certified through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Prior to obtaining her Master’s Degree, she worked as a Registered Nurse for 10 years in a cardiovascular setting and also as a nephrology nurse at an incenter hemodialysis clinic caring for patients with end stage renal disease.

Nhu’s goal is to provide quality holistic care to patients living with CKD and ESRD. She believes in empowering her patients through effective education and health promotion. She strives to be a culturally sensitive provider who provides compassionate care to the populations she is serving. She is also fluent in Vietnamese.

In her spare time, she enjoys discovering new music and watching movies as well as fishing and camping with her husband and two sons.

Carol Johnston, NP | Colorado Kidney Care

Carol Johnston, NP

Thornton Office

Carol is a dual board-certified Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and Family Nurse Practitioner with 22 years of experience in the acute care setting. Carol earned her graduate degrees from the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She is board certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Carol’s philosophy of patient care is based on providing competent, compassionate, and optimal holistic care. She is a strong patient advocate and believes that open communication, trust, and respect for patient autonomy are essential for best patient care and outcome. She also firmly believes that patient education is important and strives to be an educator, a promoter of disease awareness, and good health practices. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys domestic and international travel, gardening, hiking, and camping with her family and 4 rescue dogs.

Marlena Hill, FNP-C | Colorado Kidney Care

Marlena Hill, FNP-C

Aurora Office

Marlena joined Colorado Kidney Care in 2015. She is a graduate of the Family Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Prior to obtaining her Master’s Degree, she worked as a Registered Nurse for 13 years, where she cared for patients with acute and chronic kidney disease in the critical care setting.

She strives to provide high-quality care to each of her patients and believes strongly in health promotion and patient education. She cares for her patients in a partnership and welcomes patients and family’s ideas to provide patient-centered comprehensive care.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 children.

Courtney Gates, NP | Colorado Kidney Care

Courtney Gates, NP

Lone Tree Office

Courtney, DNP, AGACNP-BC, is passionate about patient education, prevention, and overall wellness. Her mission focuses on treating the disease and its complexities while still individualizing the patient’s care. She values building lon7g-term relationships with patients and explaining their conditions in a way that they can understand.

Courtney is a board-certified Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with bedside experience in critical care and kidney transplant. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at the University of San Francisco and her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree at the University of Arizona. She is board certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

In her spare time, Courtney enjoys traveling, cooking, hiking, camping, and snowboarding.

Johanna Carey, MS, FNP-BC | Colorado Kidney Care

Johanna Carey, MS, FNP-BC

Lone Tree Office

Johanna Carey has been a nephrology nurse practitioner for nearly 14 years-throughout her career as an NP. She has been with Colorado Kidney Care (and previously South Denver Nephrology) for nearly 6 years, previously practicing in Indiana for 8 years. She sees clinic patients with varying stages of chronic kidney disease, including providing CKD education and modality teaching with her self-developed program, covers anemia management, hypertension management, and patients on hemodialysis.

She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Purdue University. She had been an active member of the Duneland Chapter of ANNA, serving as president, president elect and treasurer. She currently is a member of ANNA High Country.

In her spare time, she enjoys being active with her family – camping, hiking, skiing, biking, traveling and just hanging out.

Shannan Bryant MSN, AGACNP-BC | Colorado Kidney Care

Shannan Bryant MSN, AGACNP-BC

Rose Office

Shannan is a board certified Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner with over 20 years of bedside nursing experience in a critical care setting, where she cared for patients with acute and chronic kidney disease. Shannan earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Northern Colorado. She is board certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Shannan is committed to providing compassionate high-quality health care. She is committed to educating and guiding her patients to empower them to make educated health care choices. She strives to deliver health care that is respectful of all cultures and individual choices.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 children. She enjoys watching her children compete in sports, camping, swimming and downtime with her family and friends.

Adolfo Villar, M., MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Adolfo Villar, M., MD

Lone Tree Office

Dr. Villar was born and educated in Lima, Peru. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. He then moved to Colorado for his fellowship in Nephrology at the University of Colorado. Dr. Villar joined Colorado Kidney Care part time in 1995 while also working at the Salud Family Health Center in Fort Morgan, CO. Two years later he joined Colorado Kidney Care full time.

He is a member of the American Society of Nephrology and the American Medical Association. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Kidney Foundation of Colorado, Montana and Wyoming from 2006 to 2011, including being president in 2009-2010.

He is the medical director of the Davita Castle Rock and the Davita Parker dialysis clinics. He has a special interest in home dialysis modalities. He received the prestigious Davita Doctor Pepper award in 2006.

He is married and has 3 children and 2 stepchildren. He enjoys travelling, skiing, tennis and spending time with his family. Dr. Villar is fluent in Spanish.

Jeffrey Thomas, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Jeffrey Thomas, MD

Rose Office

Dr. Thomas started with South Denver Nephrology in 2012 and with a merger became part of Colorado Kidney Care in 2016. Dr Thomas is a Colorado native, born and raised in Longmont. He initially studied nutrition at Colorado State University and completed a Masters in Public Health from the University of North Carolina prior to attending medical school at the University of Colorado. Dr Thomas completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Duke University and then returned to the University of Colorado for fellowship training in nephrology.

Dr Thomas is board certified in Nephrology and Internal Medicine. He is interested in all aspects of nephrology including chronic kidney disease, hypertension and dialysis. He cares for patients at the Porter and Greenwood Village offices and for dialysis patients at the Davita Southwest Unit. Dr. Thomas currently serves as the medical director for the acute dialysis programs at Porter, Littleton and Castle Rock hospitals as well as Health South Rehabilitation center. He is currently Chair of the Nephrology section at Swedish Medical Center.

In his free time, Dr Thomas enjoys spending time with his family, backpacking, camping and skiing.

Dmitri Sychev, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Dmitri Sychev, MD

Lone Tree Office

Dr. Sychev cares for patients at the Lone Tree office. He sees dialysis patients at DaVita Parker.

Dr. Sychev joined South Denver Nephrology in 2011 and with a merger became part of Colorado Kidney Care in 2016. Dr. Sychev is board certified in Nephrology and Internal Medicine. He has interest in all aspects of nephrology including chronic kidney disease, dialysis, hypertension, and transplantation. Dr. Sychev is a graduate of the University Of Alabama School Of Medicine. He subsequently completed Internal Medicine residency and a Nephrology fellowship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Sychev is married with two daughters. In his free time Dr. Sychev enjoys spending time with his family, reading, traveling, swimming, cooking, and skiing. He is fluent in Russian.

Jeffrey Sirota, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Jeffrey Sirota, MD

Rose Office

Dr. Sirota sees patients at the Porter office and the Davita Southwest dialysis unit in Lakewood.

Dr. Sirota grew up in Philadelphia and completed his undergraduate studies at Yale University. He then moved back to Philadelphia to attend the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and after graduating in 2004, he came to Denver for his post-graduate medical training. After completing his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, he worked for a few years as a hospitalist at Denver Health Medical Center, and he then completed a three-year fellowship in Nephrology at the University of Colorado. He has been in practice since 2012. Dr. Sirota is board certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology, and he is interested in all aspects of nephrology, including chronic kidney disease, hypertension, electrolyte disorders, and kidney stones. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, two daughters, and dog, as well as playing music, enjoying the outdoors, and traveling.

Michael Shomaker, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Michael Shomaker, MD

Thornton Office

Dr. Shomaker joined Colorado Kidney Care in 2007. He trained at Wake Forest University for both residency and fellowship in Nephrology. His interests include managing kidney transplant patients, and in the care of Peritoneal and Hemodialysis patients. Dr. Shomaker also enjoys teaching, and gives numerous lectures on topics such as the medical management of the transplant patient and Fabry’s Disease.

He is dedicated to charitable work donating his time to several non-profits, which includes serving on the medical advisory board of the American Transplant Foundation. His outside interests include camping, road biking, and golfing. He is the proud father of two boys and enjoys spending time with his family.

Stuart Senkfor, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Stuart Senkfor, MD

Rose Office

Dr. Senkfor has been with Colorado Kidney Care since completing his Nephrology Fellowship at the University of Colorado in 1993. He served as President of Denver Nephrology from 1998 to 2003 and remains on the executive committee. Dr. Senkfor also served as president of the Colorado Society of Nephrology and was chief of the Nephrology section at St. Joseph Hospital from 1998 to 2005. He has been the Co-Medical Director of the DaVita-Littleton Dialysis Center and currently serves as Medical Director of the Davita-Lonetree Dialysis Center. Dr. Senkfor is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Nephrology.

Dr. Senkfor grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, attended Ohio Wesleyan University for undergraduate school and received his medical school education at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He then moved to Chicago for his Internal Medicine training and Chief Medical Resident year at Northwestern University. Subsequently, he moved to Denver, Colorado and completed a four year fellowship training in Nephrology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center from 1989-1993. He is currently working towards being a Certified Physician Executive through the American College of Physician Executives.

Dr. Senkfor has long had an interest in patient empowerment, education and teaching. He received the St. Joseph’s Hospital Department of Medicine Outstanding Staff Teacher award three times. In addition, he has been recognized by 5280 Magazine as Denver’s Top Doctors (Nephrology) multiple times.

In his spare time, Dr. Senkfor is interested in raising his three children, playing tennis, attempting golf and volunteering.

Paul Sakiewicz, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Paul Sakiewicz, MD

Aurora Office

Dr. Paul Sakiewicz joined Colorado Kidney Care in 1999, from The Department of Nephrology and Hypertension at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Dr. Sakiewicz is very interested in improving the quality of life in Dialysis patients, and practices in a hospital, office and dialysis unit based setting. He is Board certified in internal medicine, nephrology and hypertension, Dr. Sakiewicz is a member of the American Society of Nephrology, holds Three Original US patents and is a member of the Executive Committee of Colorado Kidney Care PC.

Dr. Sakiewicz was born and educated in Austria, then trained at New York Medical College and The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, before joining Colorado Kidney Care PC. He can speak and read in German, Polish, French and English. He, his wife and three children enjoy skiing, biking, ultra-running, squash, camping, dancing and chess.

Kajal Rao, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Kajal Rao, MD

Rose Office

Dr. Rao joined Colorado Kidney Care in the fall of 2014 after moving to Denver with her family from Chicago, where she held a private practice position for two years. Dr. Rao grew up in North Carolina and attended medical school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Upon graduation, she relocated to Boston where she completed her residency at Tufts Medical Center. Discovering her deep interest in all things kidney-related, Dr. Rao made the decision to specialize in nephrology and subsequently completed her nephrology fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco. While in her fellowship, she was actively involved in clinical research of Lupus Nephritis. Her clinical interests continue to focus on all aspects of kidney disease and hypertension. The cornerstone of Dr. Rao’s practice is her belief that patient awareness and strong communication are essential building blocks for a solid patient-physician relationship.

Since settling into Denver, she and her family have and continue to enjoy the great outdoors.

Ashley Pyle, MD

Aurora Office

Dr. Pyle joined Colorado Kidney Care in 2012 and cares for patients at the Thornton office and the Davita-Brighton and Platte Valley dialysis units. Educated at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, she completed her Internal Medicine residency at the Medical University of South Carolina. This was followed by fellowship training at Oregon Health and Science University in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension. Dr. Pyle’s interests include: electrolyte disorders, hypertension, patient education regarding chronic kidney disease, and promoting a healthy lifestyle to help prevent disease.

Lisa Prince, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Lisa Prince, MD

P/SL Transplant Clinic

Dr. Prince joined Colorado Kidney Care in 2019. She sees patients mainly at Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Kidney Transplant Center and at surrounding hospitals in Denver. She also cares for hemodialysis patients at the East Aurora Dialysis Unit.

Dr. Prince earned her medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana. She completed Internal Medicine Residency, a Chief Medical Resident year and Nephrology Fellowship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC. She transitioned to staff at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center involved in academic nephrology from 2010 through 2019 and was the Program Director for the Nephrology Fellowship there from 2014 through 2018. She is a Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology.

Dr. Prince values developing long term relationships with patients through education, shared decision making and comprehensive care.

Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons and trying new restaurants in Denver.

Shyam Parkhie, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Shyam Parkhie, MD

Thornton Office

Dr. Parkhie joined Colorado Kidney Care in 2009 after completion of his nephrology training at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland. He did his internal medicine residency at The George Washington University Medical Center in Washington DC.

He is a member of the American Society of Nephrology and has done research in renal transplant medicine and on HIV’s effect on the kidneys. His work has been published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology and he has written the chapter on renal medicine for a medical student textbook.

He currently serves as the Chief of Medical Subspecialties and Nephrology Division educational coordinator at Intermountain Health Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver.

He served on the National Kidney Foundation of Colorado, New Mexico and Montana’s Board of Directors for over 5 years. He and his wife were pleased to serve as co-chairs of the NKF’s 2014 Great Chefs of the West Gala.

He sees patients with all types of kidney concerns at our Thornton office.

Dr. Parkhie believes that communication and understanding between a patient and their doctor is crucial to good medical care. He likes to spend his free time enjoying the Colorado outdoors with his family.

Britt Newsome, MD, MPH, MSPH | Colorado Kidney Care

Britt Newsome, MD, MPH, MSPH

Thornton Office

After receiving a B.A. from Middlebury College, Dr. Newsome earned his M.D. from the Medical College of Virginia as well as a Master’s of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Michigan. He then completed an internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he was awarded the annual teaching honor during two of his three years of training. Dr. Newsome was subsequently selected for an Agency for Health Research and Quality Fellowship in Health Services and Outcomes Research which he completed prior to his Fellowship in Nephrology at the same institution. For his work during fellowship, Dr. Newsome was elected to the Delta Omega Public Health National Honor Society.

After completing his fellowships, Dr. Newsome was recruited to remain as faculty in the Divisions of Nephrology and Preventive Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he was active in clinical medicine, teaching and population-based research. His research has been published in journals such as the Archives of Internal Medicine, The American Journal of Kidney Diseases, and The Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. In 2008 he was elected to the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Dr. Newsome has been co-investigator or principal investigator on several epidemiologic and health services research studies and has served as a peer-reviewer for multiple scientific journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association and The Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, as well as scientific reviewer for the Department of Veteran Affairs.

Since joining Colorado Kidney Care in 2009, he has been active in the local medical community, serving as the president of the medical staff at North Suburban Medical Center and the Chief Medical Officer for the practice. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and family.

Neil R. Manek, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Neil R. Manek, MD

Lone Tree Office

Neil Manek, MD takes a holistic approach to the prevention and management of kidney disease and believes the best care comes from effective communication, education, and a focus on realistic personalized lifestyle interventions. He’s passionate about kidney transplantation and home dialysis therapies and has expertise in hypertension and electrolyte disorders. He is an active member of the American Society of Nephrology and the Renal Physician Association.

Dr. Manek completed his Nephrology training at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York after finishing Internal Medicine Residency at Temple University in Philadelphia, and medical school at The University of Texas.

He enjoys hiking, scuba diving, playing basketball, and spending time with his family.

Karen Lochhead, MD, MS | Colorado Kidney Care

Karen Lochhead, MD, MS

Superior Office (Fridays Only)

Dr. Karen Lochhead joined Colorado Kidney Care in 2018 and sees patients at our office in Superior.  She attended the University of Notre Dame then went on to medical school at the University of Virginia. She completed an Internal Medicine residency and Chief Resident/Transplant year at the University of Wisconsin.  She did her Nephrology fellowship and a Masters degree in Epidemiology at the University of Washington.  She has lived in Boulder for the past seventeen years and has worked in both private practice and as a hospitalist at Good Samaritan Medical Center, and has served as Medical Director of the DaVita Loveland Dialysis Unit.

Dr. Lochhead enjoys connecting with patients and sharing their stories.  Her interests include critical care, transplantation and chronic dialysis.

She lives in Boulder where she and her husband have raised three daughters and enjoy skiing, horses, biking, running, music, good books, movies and travel.

Myriam Lallinger, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Myriam Lallinger, MD

Aurora Office

Dr. Lallinger joined Colorado Kidney care in 2017. She was born and raised in Berlin, Germany and attended medical school at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin where she also completed a doctorate in basic research in Internal Medicine. She completed residency in Internal Medicine at Weiss Memorial Hospital and fellowship training in Nephrology at Rush University, both in Chicago.

Dr. Lallinger is Board certified in Nephrology and Internal Medicine. She is interested in all aspects of Nephrology and strongly believes in the importance of education for improving kidney health and patient well-being.

In her free time she likes to spend time with her family enjoying the beautiful outdoors of Colorado together and traveling.

Laura Kooienga, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Laura Kooienga, MD

Research Office

Rose Office

Dr. Laura Kooienga joined Colorado Kidney Care in 2008.  See currently see’s patients at the Lowry office as well as several Denver metro hospitals and dialysis units. Dr. Kooienga received her MD from Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit Michigan.  She obtained her degree with High Distinction.  After which she came to Colorado where she did her residency and fellowship at University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Dr. Kooienga is Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Nephrology.  She is a member of The American Society of Nephrology, American College of Physicians and Faculty of 1000 Medicine.

Kaveh Kian, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Kaveh Kian, MD

LifeLine Access Center

Dr. Kian completed his medical education in London, England, and graduated from Guy’s and St Thomas’s medical schools in 1996. He completed his medicine residency in England and was awarded Membership of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP, London). He joined Colorado Kidney Care in 2006 after completing his Nephrology training at Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York. His main areas of clinical practice are hemodialysis vascular access care, consultation on hospitalized patients with acute kidney failure and caring for chronic hemodialysis patient. He has been actively involved in clinical research and education in the field of interventional nephrology including publication of scientific papers, book chapters and national presentations.

Clancy Howard, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Clancy Howard, MD

Rose Office

Dr. Howard joined Colorado Kidney Care team in 2005. Dr. Howard attended the University of Kansas, School of Medicine, and came to Colorado for his internship, residency and fellowship in Nephrology and Hypertension at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, where he was also chosen to be Chief Resident of the Department of Internal Medicine.

A member of the American Society of Nephrology and American College of Physicians, he works with patients suffering from chronic kidney disease at Denver Nephrology’s Rose office as well as hospitalized patients with a variety of acute and chronic renal disorders.

Galo Garces, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Galo Garces, MD

Rose Office

Dr. Garces attended Medical School in Ecuador. He completed his residency at the University of Miami, where he was chosen as Best Intern and later as Chief Resident. He also completed his Nephrology fellowship at the same University where he was the Chief Fellow. He is a member of the American College of Physicians, the American Society of Nephrology and the National Kidney Foundation.

Dr. Garces sees patients at Colorado Kidney Care’s Rose office and surrounding hospitals.

Cortney Bosworth, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Cortney Bosworth, MD

Lakewood Office

Dr. Bosworth joined Colorado Kidney Care in 2012. He attended medical school at the University Of Vermont College Of Medicine. He then completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Colorado, and his fellowship training in Nephrology at the University Of Washington School Of Medicine in Seattle. During Nephrology fellowship, he earned a Master of Science Degree in Epidemiology and did research in vitamin D metabolism.

Dr. Bosworth cares for patients at Colorado Kidney Care’s Lutheran Office and many of the surrounding hospitals. He is interested in all aspects of kidney disease and hypertension. He is a current member of the American Society of Nephrology.

Sameer Bisarya, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Sameer Bisarya, MD

Lone Tree Office

Dr. Bisarya started his career with South Denver Nephrology in 2006 and with a merger became part of Colorado Kidney Care in 2016. Dr. Bisarya is board certified in Nephrology and Internal Medicine. He is interested in all aspects of nephrology including chronic kidney disease, hypertension, transplantation and dialysis. Dr. Bisarya cares for patients at the Lone Tree office. He sees dialysis patients at the Davita Littleton and Davita Southwest Units. Dr. Bisarya also serves as Medical Director of the Davita Littleton and Davita Castle Rock units. Dr. Bisarya is originally from Kansas City, MO. He attended medical school at Saint Louis University and did his internship at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Dr. Bisarya went on to complete his residency and nephrology fellowship at the University of South Florida. While there, he also served as Chief Medical Resident and Chief Nephrology Fellow. Dr. Bisarya is married with two daughters. In his free time he enjoys reading, skiing, traveling, basketball, and spending time with his family.

Vidya Bhandaram, MD, MPH | Colorado Kidney Care

Vidya Bhandaram, MD, MPH

P/SL Transplant Clinic

Dr. Bhandaram joined Colorado Kidney Care in 2011. She sees patients primarily at the Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Kidney Transplant Center in Denver and at surrounding hospitals in Denver. She also cares for hemodialysis patients at the Brighton dialysis unit.

Dr. Bhandaram moved to the U.S. after attending medical school in India. She obtained a Masters in Public Health at the Univ. of Massachusetts. After completing her residency at Rochester General Hospital in Rochester, NY where she also served as Chief Medical Resident, she moved to Cleveland, Ohio for her nephrology fellowship training at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. She developed a special interest in kidney transplantation and pursued a one year fellowship at Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN. She is a member of American Society of Nephrology and American Society of Transplantation.

Her interests primarily include kidney transplantation and she strongly believes that patient education and enhancing patient awareness, team work and strong communication skills are vital to good medical care.

In her free time she enjoys hiking, biking and spending time outdoors with her husband and three boys.

Rihab Ahmed Taha MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Rihab Ahmed Taha, MD

Lakewood Office

Dr. Taha earned her Nephrology fellowship from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. Then she moved to the United Kingdom with her family where she worked at Manchester Royal Infirmary NHS foundation Trust as a Senior Clinical Fellow in Nephrology, then as a Consultant Nephrologist. Prior to that she worked as a hospitalist in Denver, Colorado for a number of years. Dr. Taha finished her Internal Medicine residency at Monmouth Medical Center in New Jersey and medical school in Khartoum, Sudan.

Dr. Taha is American Board Certified in Nephrology and Internal Medicine, as well as holds registrations in the Medical Council in the United Kingdom. She is a member of the American Society of Nephrology as well as several other organizations. She enjoys all aspects of Nephrology, in particular glomerular disease, renal transplant, as well as managing peritoneal dialysis.

Dr. Taha is fluent in both English and Arabic. Outside of work she enjoys travelling and spending time with her family.

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Yolanda Bogaert, MD, PhD | Colorado Kidney Care

Yolanda Bogaert, MD, PhD

Lakewood Office

Dr. Bogaert joined Colorado Kidney Care in 2008 and sees patients at the Lutheran office. Her main outpatient dialysis units include Goodland, Kansas ; Lakewood & Arvada where she enjoys helping her patients’ physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. She does in-patient consultations primarily at Lutheran and St. Anthony’s Central hospitals.  She is completely fluent in Spanish and has many Spanish-speaking patients.

Dr. Bogaert did her M.D./Ph.D. at the George Washington University where she received numerous awards and did her residency in internal medicine at the University of Colorado. She loved Colorado and stayed to do her fellowship training in Nephrology and Hypertension at the University of Colorado Hospital. She was faculty at the University for 5 years and left to spend more time with patients.

Dr. Bogaert’s areas of expertise include hypertension, electrolyte disorders and she is passionate about preserving kidney function through patient education and a close teamwork approach between the patient, family and herself.  Dr. Bogaert is married and has two children. She spends her free time running after her very active kids and community projects.

Florian Toegel, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Florian Toegel, MD

LifeLine Access Center

Dr. Toegel joined Colorado Kidney Care in 2019. His main areas of clinical expertise include hemodialysis vascular access, acute care nephrology and hemodialysis and he is the Medical Director of Colorado Kidney Care’s Vascular Access program at the Colorado Renal Access and Imaging Center.

Dr. Toegel grew up in Augsburg, Germany and studied Medicine in Munich and Hamburg. In 2002, he moved to Salt lake City to complete a graduate program in Physiology with a PhD based on studying the use of stem cells to treat kidney injury. He completed his medicine training at Albert Einstein Jacobi and New York Presbyterian Hospital Cornell to become a clinical and research fellow in Medicine (Nephrology) at Harvard Medical School and the joint Nephrology Fellowship Program of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Staying on as faculty at Harvard Medical School in Boston, he pursued further training in interventional Nephrology and joined the interventional nephrology team at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital.
Dr. Toegel has published more than 20 scientific peer reviewed publications as well as reviews and book chapters and has been teaching students and residents throughout his career.

He is married with one son and spends his free time swimming, biking and running and participating in triathlon events.

Jitendar Rao, MD | Colorado Kidney Care

Jitendar Rao, MD

Aurora Office

Dr. Rao joined Colorado Kidney Care in 2003. He was born and educated in India, studying there until moving to St. Louis, MO for his medical residency. He served as Chief Resident and then Assistant Professor at the Department of Internal Medicine at St. Louis University Health Sciences Center. He went on to complete his Fellowship in Nephrology there as well.

Dr. Rao has interests in a wide spectrum of Nephrology related issues including Chronic Kidney Disease, End Stage Renal Disease, Glomerulonephritis, Difficult to Control Hypertension and Electrolyte Disorders.

He is married and has two children. His personal interests include camping, hiking and mountaineering.

Gregory S. Proctor, MD

Aurora Office

Dr. Proctor joined Colorado Kidney Care in 2007. He cares for patients at the Aurora office as well as the DaVita Boulder, DaVita Sable, Davita Longmont and Fresenius Aurora dialysis facilities. He is currently the Medical Director of the DaVita Boulder and DaVita Longmont dialysis facilities.

Dr. Proctor also serves as the President for Colorado Kidney Care since October 2015.

Dr. Proctor attended Cornell University for his undergraduate education and received his medical degree at the Chicago Medical School. He completed his internship and residency training at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. He then joined the Department of Medicine at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center where he cared for in-patients, taught residents and medical students and conducted clinical research at Denver Health Medical Center. He completed his Nephrology fellowship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center where he received funding and research awards from the National Kidney Foundation. His research has been published in journals including American Journal of Kidney Diseases, Diabetes, The Journal of Clinical Investigation and The Journal of Biological Chemistry.

Dr. Proctor’s professional interests include Electrolyte Disorders, Glomerulonephritis and Refractory Hypertension. Dr. Proctor is Board certified in Nephrology and is a member of the American Society of Nephrology. Dr. Proctor enjoys cycling, crossfit and spending time with his wife and family.