The NANI Success Story
“In our practice, Kidney Disease and Hypertension are not just part of a long list of things we treat.
Nephrology is what we specialize in, which is why we do it so well!
A long history of expertise in Nephrology and dedication to our patients makes NANI stand out.”
Pioneers for our patients
The field of nephrology was just developing when the doctors who founded Nephrology Associates of Northern Illinois and Indiana (NANI), began operating outpatient dialysis centers – some of the first in the country.
That was in 1968. Just a few years later, Arthur Morris, MD and Paul Balter, MD joined the original founders. Since then, the group has grown to offer patient services from hospitals to physician offices and from labs to dialysis centers. We have added locations and doctors for our patients all around Chicago and northern Illinois, throughout northern and central Indiana, in New Jersey, and in West Virginia. Dr. Morris and Dr. Balter are still among the NANI leaders today.
Patient care close to home
In 1968, the founders of West Suburban Kidney Center (WSKC), Robert Muehrcke, M.D., Joseph Moles, M.D. and Arthur Gene Lawrence, M.D., created a new model for dialysis in Oak Park, Illinois that later became NANI. Their community dialysis centers were outside of the hospital, close to patients’ homes and in a safe medical environment. WSKC established the first mobile dialysis unit for Acute Kidney Disease patients staying at many area hospitals.
“When he founded WSKC/NANI, Dr. Muehrcke’s insight was that dialysis should be performed at non-hospital sites in the patient’s community” says Dr. Arthur Morris, NANI President. “This solved the hospital capacity problem, but required the doctors involved to establish a new business model independent of hospital infrastructure and funding”
In 1976 NANI was formed and began hiring nephrologists to staff its growing number of dialysis centers in the Chicago area. Later that year, NANI established its first dialysis center in Indiana. Eventually, NANI physician offices opened all across northern Illinois, in the northern Indiana communities near Merrillville and Fort Wayne, in the Indianapolis area and in New Jersey. Our service offerings provide continuity of care for our patients. They include physician care for early stages of kidney disease, late-stage treatments, pre- and post-transplant care, vascular access surgery, home dialysis training, lab services and support and close relationships with many patient support organizations.
As the largest U.S. nephrology practice, we maintain our leadership in the Field with our own clinical research arm, a professional consulting subsidiary, involvement in advocacy organizations and direct participation in federal quality of care programs. We are proud to be leaders in Nephrology for our patients.
Expertise with experience
Each patient who comes to NANI will receive the best care, as an individual. We specialize in kidney disease and difficult to control hypertension, so our doctors and staff are experts in Nephrology and are dedicated to patients like you. You will benefit from the broad experience we have in kidney disease and hypertension as well as the high standards our doctors hold.