(Joplin, MO) – Doctors Ian Kaiser, MD, and Sharon Reuben, MD, share a love for each other and for medicine. The couple joins Freeman Nephrology and Dialysis Center at Freeman East.
“We both love medicine, and nephrology is the epitome of medicine,” says Dr. Reuben.
“Here at Freeman Health System, there is a wide array of kidney disease cases,” says Dr. Kaiser. “As a doctor, that piques my interest. The challenges are exciting and keep me on my toes. I love the patient population. Kidney disease can affect everyone, but very often it impacts the poor, and I like taking care of people who need it the most.”
Dr. Kaiser is proud to join Freeman, where doctors and the community support the Freeman Dialysis Patient Assistance fund, which helps patients in need pay for medical expense, proper nutrition and even transportation. “I love the opportunity to help people all get the same treatment.”
Kidney disease is the eighth leading cause of death in Missouri, claiming more than 1,500 lives in 2018. Missouri is one of the top seven states in the nation for its death rate of 19.1 per 100,000 residents.
“Diabetes is often a cause of kidney disease, but it is not fair for a patient to be lumped into a diagnosis. A kidney biopsy might be necessary,” says Dr. Reuben. “We are both big picture people and think broadly first. Then we dig deeper and do extra consults—checking and rechecking the patient’s history to make sure we find a course for treatment that is best for the patient.”
Board certified in both internal medicine and nephrology, Drs. Kaiser and Reuben treat conditions such as acute renal failure, chronic kidney disease, hematuria (blood in the urine), and proteinuria (excess protein in the urine). Treatment can include hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, nutritional counseling, educational resources, social services, and transplant referral.
Drs. Kaiser and Reuben met at Emory University and then relocated to New York. They married in May, via a Zoom ceremony. After being treated for coronavirus, Dr. Kaiser was asked to work at Phelps Hospital in Westchester County, New York, as he was being discharged. Both doctors worked there at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It is amazing to be a doctor in need,” says Dr. Kaiser. “You feel kind of like a serviceman. It is an honor in a lot of ways.”
Drs. Kaiser and Reuben will make their home in Joplin, which has a similar midwestern feel to Sharon’s hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.
“Joplin and everyone at Freeman are so nice and welcoming, ” says Dr. Reuben. “We are so thankful to find a hospital where we can work together as a team. This is a warm place, and we look forward to raising a family here.”
The couple plans to have a full-fledged wedding next April. They enjoy cooking, hiking, and ballroom dancing.
To make an appointment with Dr. Ian Kaiser or Dr. Sharon Reuben, contact the Freeman Hospital East Kidney Center at 417.347.8570.
About Freeman Health System
Locally owned, not-for-profit and nationally recognized, Freeman Health System includes Freeman Hospital West, Freeman Hospital East, Freeman Neosho Hospital and Ozark Center – the area’s largest provider of behavioral health services – as well as two urgent care clinics, dozens of physician clinics and a variety of specialty services. In 2020, Freeman earned dozens of individual awards for medical excellence and patient safety from CareChex®, a quality rating system that helps consumers evaluate healthcare providers. U.S. News & World Report named Freeman Health System the Best Hospital in Southwest Missouri for 2020. With more than 320 physicians on staff representing more than 80 specialties, Freeman provides cancer care, heart care, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, children’s services and women’s services. Additionally, Freeman is the only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital in a 70-mile radius. For more information, visit freemanhealth.com.
Reference:
Lisa Olliges, Marketing and Media Relations Coordinator
Freeman Health System
417.434.3458
media@freemanhealth.com
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