North Georgia Nephrology Consultants (NGNC) is under the leadership of Dr. Abid Bashir, who is board certified in Nephrology and Internal Medicine. He has been practicing nephrology for 14 years and serving Athens and the surrounding areas for 12 years. Dr. Abid Bashir
He completed Internal Medicine training from Mount Sinai, Elmhurst Hospital in New York and Nephrology fellowship at UMD-RWJ Unive
rsity Hospital, New Brunswick, NJ, and Beth Israel Medical Center, in New York. Dr. Bashir is currently the Medical Director for Clarke County Dialysis Clinic as well as Loganville Dialysis Unit. Dr. Jolina Santos
She earned her degree in Medicine from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine from Albert Einstein College of Medicine-Jacobi Medical Center in Bronx, New York and then finished her Nephrology Fellowship in the same institution. Team approach with individualized patient care backed by evidence-based treatment is her main aspiration. Services
In particular, we offer the following services:
Chronic Kidney Disease Care
Anemia Management
Hypertension Management
Evaluation and Medical Management of Kidney Stones
Home dialysis care
Peritoneal Dialysis
Home Hemodialysis
Pre and Post-Kidney Transplant Care
Evaluation of Blood and Protein in Urine
Fluid Overload and Congestive Heart Failure
associated with Chronic Kidney Disease
Our Philosophy
At NGNC, our goals are early detection of Kidney Disease and preventing/slowing its progression to avoid dialysis, if at all possible. We believe that patient empowerment is an essential element of achieving these goals, thus, we proactively share our knowledge of this disease and lifestyle changes that can prevent disease progression to patients. We understand that being diagnosed with a new disease can be nerve-racking, as such, our team of doctors, nurses, medical assistants, and office staff all work together to ensure that all patients’ questions and concerns are addressed fully and in a timely manner. We know that without the patients’ help, any treatment will not be successful; hence, we use an approach where our patients are part of the healthcare team. We constantly work with patients in coming up with a treatment regimen that is meaningful to each patient’s needs and lifestyle. We recognize that communication is key in providing quality patient care; thus we ensure constant communication, not only with the patients, but also with all referring physicians. If and when dialysis cannot be avoided, we offer our patients with different dialysis modalities and have them pick one that best suits them. We work together with different dialysis units in Athens, Monroe, Royston and Loganville and will be happy to refer patients to a center that is most convenient to them. Background
Kidney failure is an extremely common disease. In the United States alone, an estimated 26 million people have chronic kidney disease (CKD) and millions more are at risk. 70-80% of these patients have high blood pressure and diabetes as the primary cause of kidney disease. Early detection of kidney problems and focused care provided by a kidney specialist can help prevent worsening of CKD. Since 2002, North Georgia Nephrology Consultants have been providing quality care for patients with high blood pressure, different levels of kidney disease from various causes, kidney stones and problems with protein and blood in the urine. Our goals are: 1) early detection of kidney disease and 2) slowing/preventing its progression, to avoid dialysis, if at all possible. When appropriate, we refer our patients for kidney transplants and manage their pre and post-transplant care. When dialysis cannot be avoided, patients can pick among different home and in-center dialysis modalities that are offered.
