Department of Medicine

Nephrology News & Issues has also added to its Editorial Advisory Board members who represent the many aspects of nephrology and the communities served. Lilia Cervantes, from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, who has studied access to dialysis care for illegal immigrants and historically underserved communities, has joined the board.

Thomas Campbell, chief clinical research officer at UCHealth [and professor of medicine at CU School of Medicine], said he encourages people to get the second dose of the vaccine as soon as it’s available to them. Campbell said there’s very little information on the efficacy for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines if only a single dose is given.

“That is what has been proposed in the United Kingdom,” said Thomas Campbell, chief clinical research officer for UCHealth. Let’s start there. Yes, the U.K., for example, is now suggesting a second dose at the end of 12 weeks. But Dr. Campbell points out that’s the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is different from what’s approved in the U.S.

Jean Kutner, chief medical officer of UCHealth University at Colorado Hospital [and professor of medicine at CU School of Medicine], said she’s volunteering at a clinic hosted by a church that brings in the vaccine and helps build trust between health care workers and residents. For now, UCHealth schedules appointments online, but Kutner said a COVID-19 hotline is in the works because of the volume of calls from seniors.