Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Physician and public health advocate Judith Eguzoikpe discusses her article, “Hope is the lifeline: a deeper look into transplant care.” She pulls back the curtain on the kidney transplant process, revealing that the true journey for patients with end-stage kidney disease is not just a single surgery but months or years of emotional and logistical challenges. Judith shares powerful patient stories that illustrate the fear, frustration, and uncertainty that define the waiting period. The conversation highlights the essential role of health care professionals as advocates who must provide not just information but presence and compassion. She also confronts the stark inequities in the system, where marginalized communities face greater barriers to care. The core message is a call for clinicians to look beyond lab values and recognize that building hope through advocacy and human connection is a critical part of the treatment itself.

Careers by KevinMD is your gateway to health care success. We connect you with real-time, exclusive resources like job boards, news updates, and salary insights, all tailored for health care professionals. With expertise in uniting top talent and leading employers across the nation’s largest health care hiring network, we’re your partner in shaping health care’s future. Fulfill your health care journey at KevinMD.com/careers.

VISIT SPONSOR → https://kevinmd.com/careers

Discovering disability insurance? Pattern understands your concerns. Over 20,000 doctors trust us for straightforward, affordable coverage. We handle everything from quotes to paperwork. Say goodbye to insurance stress – visit Pattern today at KevinMD.com/pattern.

VISIT SPONSOR → https://kevinmd.com/pattern

SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast

RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

Transcript

Kevin Pho: Hi, welcome to the show. Subscribe at KevinMD.com/podcast. Today we welcome Judith Eguzoikpe. She’s a physician and public health advocate. Today’s KevinMD article is, “Hope is the lifeline: a deeper look into transplant care.” Judith, welcome to the show.

Judith Eguzoikpe: Thank you so much, Kevin. It’s truly an honor to be here to help shed more light on organ transplantation for the health care professionals who have been working in this field, especially from the perspective of patients and the clinicians who advocate for them. I am a physician and I hold a master’s degree in public health, where I work at the intersection of transplant advocacy, public health, and research. My focus is on improving access to kidney transplantation, especially for underserved populations, and bridging the gap between system-level barriers and clinical care.

Over the last few years, I have had the opportunity to work with patients navigating complex transplant pathways, and I have seen firsthand how trust, hope, and communication are just as essential as lab values and procedures.

Kevin Pho: So tell us more about your KevinMD article regarding some of the obstacles underrepresented minorities have when it comes to our transplant system. Tell us about some of the things that you’ve seen.

Judith Eguzoikpe: Yeah. My article, “Hope is the lifeline: A deeper look into transplant care,” was born just from quiet moments watching patients wait. They were not just waiting for organs; they were waiting for referrals, calls, and approvals. They were waiting for clarity. And it struck me how much patients endure is invisible. The emotional toll, the quiet resilience, and the confusion were not captured on lab results.

So I wanted to write something that reminded us that while we often focus on the clinical and logistical piece, hope is a therapeutic force. And when clinicians slow down enough to offer clarity or advocacy, it completely changes the patient experience. So writing this article for me was a way to honor the patients who taught me that and to gently nudge our field toward more human-centered care.

Kevin Pho: In your article, you talk about the essential work of liaisons and coordinators in the whole transplant process, so talk to us more about their role and the difference that they make.

Judith Eguzoikpe: Their role basically stems from sending in those referrals, coordinating the care, all the appointments that patients need to make, and ensuring that information gets transferred to the transplant center and that they receive it. Transplant centers then take these results and lab values and tests and make sure that the patients are listed on the waiting list to become actively waiting for a kidney or a heart or any type of organ. So the liaisons and coordinators, I see them as a bridge to transplant, helping patients navigate through that process. And while they’re doing that, they need to offer hope. They need to offer clarity, advocacy, and educate patients on the transplant process.

I’ve come to realize that most patients are stuck in limbo. They don’t know what the next steps will be. What do I do? What is transplant? So most times it is our duty as health care professionals, coordinators, and liaisons to educate the patients and accurately make them understand what they’re getting into.

Kevin Pho: Now, in your article, you talk about the simple task of transportation, and that’s a powerful example of a systemic barrier. So just talk to us about something that we often take for granted, transportation, and how these non-medical hurdles can really derail a patient’s path to transplant.

Judith Eguzoikpe: Yeah. I have seen where most patients are not able to get to appointments due to a lack of transportation. They don’t have a ride. They’re not able to secure a ride to get to the evaluation appointments, to get to the appointments that are being scheduled by the transplant centers. Because of this lack of transportation, they miss appointments and are not able to get actively waitlisted. So most times, this is a huge barrier that we always have to solve for.

Most patients are maybe in a geographical location where they can’t get a ride to another transplant center and they’re forced to go out of town. For example, if the transplant center is not located within their vicinity, how will they get there? So these are the things that we all have to put into perspective when we educate patients about them, and we need to try to also explore other means, maybe telemedicine for evaluation appointments or try to get them to the appointments one way or the other.

Kevin Pho: So you mentioned earlier about how we in health care sometimes need to slow down and look beyond values in a busy clinical setting. So just from your perspective in the transplant space, what are some ways that we can do that? And again, talk about the difference slowing down can make for our patients.

Judith Eguzoikpe: Yeah. When I say slow down, I mean when we slow down to offer clarity and advocacy, we tend to actually listen, to actively listen to our patients. We are not always just going to, “Get this done, get that done.” Once we slow down, we can hear clearly what our patient needs. But if we are all stuck in, “This is what the template says, you have to get this done,” you won’t be able to listen to the subtle cues the patient is offering. You will just go past them. It’s always going to be at a fast pace where you have to get this done, and that’s it. But does the patient have the bandwidth to get it done? So slowing down means actually actively listening to your patients, learning your patients, and knowing what your patient needs.

Kevin Pho: So in your article, you touch upon the hardest moments that you’ve seen, sometimes when patients don’t survive the wait. Tell me what effect that has on you and how does that strengthen your commitment to advocacy?

Judith Eguzoikpe: Yeah. When I say most patients don’t survive the wait, it is all related to that lack of clarity, the uncertainty of if they’re ever going to get a transplant, if they’re ever going to get an offer, if they’re ever going to be called. So while they are on that wait, they don’t know what’s going to happen next. Most people wait without clarity on the next steps or what they have to get done. They are just waiting.

This is also where we come in as health care professionals to offer hope, to offer assistance, to make it clear enough that this is what you need to get done. You are not just waiting; you are actively getting things done to become active on the list. The goal is always the transplant. The goal is always to get transplanted. So for patients and for health care professionals, it’s about coming together to work closely to understand that while they are waiting, we must make it clear enough that these are the things they need to get done.

And if the patient is not eligible for this process, it’s always good to let them know early enough or find another way, like maybe solving the issue that has made them ineligible. Most patients have comorbidities that they have to actually address first before pursuing a transplant. So I believe in letting them know early. And this all comes with advocacy and the clarity of what the process is about.

Kevin Pho: So talk to us about more things that we can do. I guess from a program level, are there any policy issues or anything that we can do to help overcome some of these obstacles that underrepresented minority patients are facing? Is there anything on a policy level that we can implement or advocate for to help these patients on the transplant list?

Judith Eguzoikpe: Yeah. I know as health care professionals we can’t fix the systemic flaws, but I believe that we can bridge that gap. And bridging the gap in the sense that with what they are facing, they really have to understand, again, what the process is about. And some of these policies are about fixing transportation, medical access, health care access, and insurance problems. The policies that the government could put in place would help Medicaid and Medicare patients be able to access the health care needs or whatever tests that they need to complete. So from a health care perspective, I believe in working together with the patient to make sure that this access is being given. That is one policy that I would actually love to see addressed.

Kevin Pho: In your article, you also talk about family and social support. You told a story about a young father who hesitated to tell his wife about his diagnosis. So tell us the importance of that type of familial support in these situations.

Judith Eguzoikpe: Having a loved one and having an advocate who will always go with the patient to transplant evaluations and tests is very essential, in the sense that they would understand what the patient needs. Some patients might be too tired. For example, take dialysis. Dialysis could cause brain fog and fatigue at the end of the day. But having an advocate who knows what medication is needed, what the days of dialysis are, and what tests are being required by the transplant center actually helps the patient navigate the process effectively.

So the importance of an advocate in all of this is that this is a very critical role, and whoever is going to take on this role needs to be mentally ready and prepared to actually take on this task.

Kevin Pho: Now, let’s ask a question from the patient’s perspective. Tell us some pieces of advice that you could share with patients, perhaps with a newly diagnosed end-stage kidney disease who is feeling completely overwhelmed by the entire transplant process. What kind of advice can you share with these patients?

Judith Eguzoikpe: Take it one day at a time. I know a new diagnosis is overwhelming, but you will definitely get through it. The importance of educating them earlier on before they actually get to stage five, for example, is very important. Because the longer they stay on dialysis, the more impact it has on their heart. So education comes in first. Educate them about the need for organ transplantation. Once that is done, the patient can quietly and easily navigate through that process. I know a new diagnosis might be overwhelming at first, but they’ll get through it.

Kevin Pho: We’re talking to Judith Eguzoikpe. She is a physician and public health advocate. Today’s KevinMD article is, “Hope is a lifeline: a deeper look into transplant care.” Judith, let’s end with some take-home messages that you want to share with the KevinMD audience.

Judith Eguzoikpe: Yeah. I just want to say that hope isn’t just something our patients bring with them. It is something that we help sustain. In complex fields like transplant, where the process can stretch for months or even years, our role as clinicians goes far beyond technical care. It’s about helping patients feel less lost, less alone, and more empowered. So every time we take the time to clarify, to follow through, to simply listen, we are practicing a form of care that is just as vital as surgery or medication. So hope is part of that treatment plan, and we have the privilege of protecting it.

Kevin Pho: Judith, thank you so much for sharing your perspective and insight. Thanks again for coming on the show.

Judith Eguzoikpe: Thank you so much, Kevin.