Kidney care involves clinical knowledge, communication and trust. For Joe Gonzales, DNP, FNP-C, caring for patients also comes with an understanding of what it can feel like to be on the other side of the exam room.
Joe is a Nurse Practitioner with Balboa Nephrology in El Centro and a member of our kidney care team. He works alongside our nephrologists to help patients manage their kidney health, understand their treatment plan and stay connected to their care. Joe also brings a personal perspective to his work as a transplant recipient.
“Because I understand the transplant journey personally, I strive to care for every patient with compassion, understanding and respect.”
Bringing clinical and patient perspectives together
Living with kidney disease can involve much more than lab results and medications. Patients may be managing uncertainty, treatment decisions, frequent appointments and questions about what comes next.
Joe’s own experience gives him an additional appreciation for the importance of listening to patients and helping them understand their care. As a Nurse Practitioner, Joe may review symptoms, medications and laboratory results, discuss changes in a patient’s health, answer questions and help patients follow the treatment plan developed with their nephrologist.
That means patients have another knowledgeable healthcare provider they can turn to while remaining connected to their nephrologist.
Why you may see an NP during your kidney care
Kidney disease often requires ongoing monitoring rather than a single visit.
Balboa Nephrology’s Nurse Practitioners work closely with our physicians to help provide continuity throughout that process. Seeing an NP can give patients additional opportunities to discuss concerns, review progress and address changes that may arise between physician visits.
The goal is not to replace the relationship between a patient and their nephrologist. It is to strengthen the kidney care team surrounding that patient.
Your nephrologist. Your NP. One connected care team.
More than one perspective. One goal.
Every member of a patient’s care team brings something different to the relationship. For Joe, that includes advanced clinical training as well as a personal understanding of navigating serious kidney care. That combination reflects something we want patients to experience throughout Balboa Nephrology: knowledgeable care that also recognizes the person behind the diagnosis.
Meet Your Kidney Care Team
Meet Your Kidney Care Team is an ongoing Balboa Nephrology series introducing the nurse practitioners and physician assistants who work alongside our nephrologists throughout San Diego, Imperial and Orange counties.
Each feature gives patients an opportunity to learn more about the people who may be involved in their care and the different perspectives they bring to the Balboa team.
Balboa Nephrology – El Centro
📞 760-353-0404
🌐 BalboaCare.com
