Bansal, Shweta

School of Medicine
Medicine
(210) 567-4700
bansals3@uthscsa.edu

I am a board certified specialist in Internal Medicine and Nephrology. My main clinical interests are: Peritoneal Dialysis (PD), Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and role of salt in the hypertension. To that end, I reestablished the PD program at University Health System (UHS) and have increased the patient?s census from 2 to 30 adopting a multi-disciplinary approach. This approach included establishment of a) renal replacement therapy education protocol at advanced CKD clinic, b) placement of PD catheter by interventional radiologists and general surgeons, c) an urgent-start protocol to initiate PD in an emergent setting, and d) hiring of new clinic staff including 3 RNS and 1 LVN. In 2014, I was appointed as the medical director of all four UHS outpatient renal clinics to oversee their clinical operations. As a director, over last year, I have significantly improved patient care including reduction of wait times from average of 2-3 months to 2 weeks, development and implementation of multiple policies and procedures to streamline the administration of treatments like intravenous iron, hepatitis B vaccine, and erythropoietin simulating agents etc. Additionally, as a medical director of advanced CKD clinic since 2012, I reorganized the dialysis access placement procedures that the interested and funded patients get the dialysis access within 2 months instead of 12 months previously. Over the past 5 years, I have continued my interest in basic and clinical research. My basic research is regarding the role of inflammation in CKD with the focus on two biological proteins (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin [NGAL] and fibroblast growth factor 23 [FGF23] as the pathogenic factors in the progression of CKD and associated cardiovascular disease. I received a sub award by NIDDK ($100,000) in 2013 and an institutional grant ($50,000) in 2014 to support my research. The results of the work have been presented at American Society of Nephrology national meetings and are under review for publication by a peer-reviewed journal. On the clinical side, I have started 4 investigator initiated projects involving nephrology research fellows in few. The results of these projects have been presented at national level during National Kidney Foundation and Southern Society of Clinical Investigation meetings and also published in reputed journal. I am also the principal investigator of 2 and co-investigator for few industry-sponsored clinical trials. I have been passionate about education since my residency time and have continued this interest as clinical faculty as well. I received award of excellence in teaching by the outgoing nephrology fellows with in first year of my joining as an assistant professor in the division. Currently, I am actively involved in teaching medical students, residents and nursing students. I have been serving the institute as the IRB member since 2013 and recently been appointed as the chair of IRB-2. I also chair the UHS pharmaceutical and therapeutic renal sub-committee since 2012. In this role I have revised many unclear policies and achieved approval for new medications needed by our dialysis population. For the patient care, I strongly believe that empowering patients by health education is the best way to achieve the healthiest outcomes.