About Us

Our Facility

Athens Kidney Center, which was formally inaugurated in 2000, is the primary ESRD (End-Stage Renal Disease) program affiliate of Oconee Medical Group, a Clinical Practice Group that has been serving the greater Athens community since 1998. We are a team of dedicated medical professionals and care-givers, who deliver much-needed local expertise in kidney diseases, hypertension, dialysis and diabetes care. Our doctors have full staff privileges at Athens Regional Medical Center and St. Mary?s Hospital, both situated in Athens, Georgia. We are conveniently located at 4 well-appointed campuses in Athens, Madison, Lake Hartwell and Commerce, each with ample parking spaces and adequate technical support. Our stated goal is to continue to save lives, 1 kidney at a time.

Services

Our clinical practice is focused on the management, diagnosis and treatment of:

•    Chronic Hypertension
•    Kidney Disease
•    Kidney Transplantation
•    Diabetes Mellitus
•    Dialysis
•    Acute Kidney Failure
•    Salt & Electrolyte Disorders
•    Hematuria (blood in the urine)
•    Proteinuria (frothy urine)
•    Kidney Stones

We also provide expert dialysis treatment and follow-up at either of our in-house dialysis facilities. For an appointment, or just to visit, call (706) – KIDNEYS (706-543-6397). We are here to serve you!

Our Philosophy

Our quest is to build a center of repute founded on institutional integrity, professional excellence, continued clinical improvement, high ethical responsibility and utmost compassion for those who are sick or otherwise impaired.

We will strive to be the best- bar none- at what we do. We will imbibe the culture of Hippocratic empathy. We will work as a team to guide our patients to a better place.

The Board

Athens Kidney Center is under the management of a Board of Governors, which directs the professional staff in their teaching, medical, research and community-oriented missions. The Board of Directors meets at least once each year, and is chaired by the medical director, Beze Adogu, MD, PhD. The alternate chairperson is Martine Noukelak, MD, a specialist ophthalmic surgeon, with interest in diabetes and kidney-related eye problems. The secretary to the Board is Ms. Valarie Lumpkin. Other members include Marie-Claire Noukelak, JD; Ethel Bailey, RN, DON; Faye Thomas, CHHT; Vanessa Autry (Practice Manager); Mrs. Carolyn Walker (alternate) and Mr. Aaron Heard (alternate).