Despite their best efforts, UW Medicine has not yet been able to reach fair and sustainable agreements with Aetna that ensure continued access to care and are in the best interests of patients. Effective June 1, 2025, UW Medicine’s contracts with Aetna for Medicare Advantage and Commercial services have expired and we are now out of network with Aetna. Learn more about what this means for you and what you should do next.
Valley's Nephrology Clinic provides diagnosis and treatment for patients with kidney (renal) and urinary tract disease. We are focused on management and treatment that slow the progression of kidney disease.
Kidneys remove waste products and excess water from the blood, and prevent toxic by-products from building up to harmful levels in the body. Kidneys also produce hormones that help the body absorb calcium and phosphorus to maintain bone health, stimulate bone marrow to create red blood cells and help regulate blood pressure.
Chronic kidney disease causes the gradual and often permanent loss of kidney function over time. Diabetic patients who have difficulty controlling blood sugar and blood pressure are particularly susceptible to kidney disease. Other risk factors include genetics, age, drug abuse, allergic reaction to antibiotics, premature birth, trauma or accident, and certain diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (a connective tissue disease), sickle cell anemia, AIDs, cancer, hepatitis C and congestive heart failure.
We diagnose and treat a number of diseases to help patients slow the progression of kidney disease: