What does it take to challenge an established healthcare system, fight for health equity, and create meaningful change—even when the odds are stacked against you?
In this episode of She’s at the Table, hosts Shika Pappoe, MD, MPH, MBA, and Katie Abbott, MHA, FACHE, welcome Dr. Amaka Ananya, a physician executive, nephrologist, healthcare entrepreneur, and public health advocate whose career has been defined by bold leadership and a commitment to transforming healthcare.
From academic medicine and clinical research to executive leadership and entrepreneurship, Dr. Ananya shares the pivotal moments that shaped her career, including her role in the national movement to remove race-based adjustments from kidney function calculations.
Her advocacy helped advance the adoption of a race-neutral estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) equation, addressing longstanding inequities in kidney disease diagnosis, treatment, and transplant eligibility. The impact was deeply personal: her own father, a dialysis patient, benefited from the resulting policy changes and ultimately received a kidney transplant.
Together, they explore the courage required to challenge institutional norms, the importance of knowing your unique strengths, and why meaningful healthcare transformation begins with people willing to lead differently.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
- Dr. Ananya’s journey from academic nephrology to healthcare executive leadership and entrepreneurship.
- How race-based kidney function calculations contributed to disparities in kidney care and transplant access.
- The advocacy and collaboration behind the transition to race-neutral eGFR equations.
- How to navigate institutional resistance, professional challenges, and difficult career transitions.
- Why self-awareness, community, mentorship, and personal resilience are essential to effective leadership.
- The rise of direct specialty care and how Dr. Ananya is reimagining nephrology through BOLD Direct Nephrology Care.
- The opportunities and challenges of launching a healthcare business while maintaining a commitment to patient-centered care.
- Why physician entrepreneurship, health equity, and the next generation of healthcare leaders offer hope for the future.
Dr. Ananya also shares three guiding questions that have helped her navigate some of the most challenging moments of her career: How can I find joy today? How can I move my body? And how can I use my power for good?
Her story is a reminder that transforming healthcare requires more than identifying what’s broken. It takes courage, collaboration, and a willingness to build something better.
She’s at the Table, powered by MitoKhon, brings women across the health ecosystem together for candid conversations about leadership, innovation, systems change, and the future of health.
Grounded in the belief that health is everyone’s business, the show highlights the women challenging conventional thinking, building new solutions, and creating lasting impact across healthcare and beyond.
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