VNA's physicians are all Board Certified in Nephrology, with extensive backgrounds in internal medicine, transplantation, geriatrics, and pediatrics. VNA physicians are faculty members of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Most of our physicians are very involved in the training of internal medicine specialists. Some VNA physicians have earned the distinction of Fellow of American College of Physicians (FACP) and Specialist in Clinical Hypertension designated by the American Society of Hypertension (ASH) and Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology (FASN).
F. Jackson Ballenger, MD, FACP
Dr. Ballenger graduated from Wake Forest University School of Medicine. He completed an additional five years' training in Internal Medicine and Nephrology at the University of Virginia Affiliated Training Programs. Dr. Ballenger has been providing care in Southwest Virginia for over 35 years and was instrumental in bringing dialysis to the area.
Matt Mathew, MD, FACP
Dr. Mathew received his medical degree from Christian Medical College in Vellore, India. His Nephrology Fellowship was at the University of Virginia. He also received additional training in Renal Transplantation and is UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) certified. Dr. Mathew has been providing care in Southwest Virginia for 26 years and was instrumental in bringing kidney transplantation care to the area.
James S. Cain, MD, FACP, FASN
Dr. Cain is a graduate of Old Dominion University and Eastern Virginia Medical School. He served his Residency in Internal Medicine at Eastern Virginia Graduate School of Medicine. His Nephrology Fellowship was at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, VA. Dr. Cain served in the US Navy as a physician and has continued providing care in Southwest Virginia for 20 years.
Edgar R. Escasinas, MD
Dr. Escasinas received his medical degree from Cebu Institute of Medicine in Cebu City, Philippines. He completed additional training at Internal Medicine at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI, and in Nephrology at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Escasinas provided care for ten years in a private practice and has been practicing in Southwest Virginia with VNA for 16 years.
Ryan D. Evans, MD
Dr. Evans received his medical degree from Pennsylvania State University, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. He completed his Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Nephrology at the University of Virginia. He had additional training in Interventional Nephrology in Arizona. Dr. Evans established VNA’s first dialysis access center and provides vascular access placement as well as on-going access maintenance for dialysis patients.
Shahram Ahmadzadeh, MD
Dr. Ahmadzadeh is a graduate of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran. He served his Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Virginia Roanoke-Salem program. His Nephrology Fellowship was at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. He has had additional training in Interventional Nephrology. Dr. Ahmadzadeh provides on-going vascular access maintenance and care for dialysis patients.
Abdelaziz Ali Elsanjak, MD
Dr. Elsanjak is a graduate of Odessa State Medical University. He acquired additional training in Internal Medicine and Nephrology at Texas Tech University. Dr. Elsanjak came to our practice from Danville, VA where he practiced as a Nephrologist.
Rebin Titus, MD
Dr. Titus is a graduate of B.M. Patil Medical College, India. He completed his Internship in Family & Community medicine at Texas Tech University and completed his residency in Internal medicine at the University of South Carolina. Dr. Titus completed a Masters in Physiology, and his Fellowship in Nephrology at Texas Tech University. He is board certified in Internal medicine and Nephrology and is a Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology. Dr. Titus’s special interests are in Chronic Kidney Disease, home dialysis, hypertension and renal transplant. He has provided Nephrology care in SW Virginia for close to 10 years.
Dennis Hu, MD
Dr. Hu specializes in chronic kidney disease care and pre- and post- transplant management. He received his BS and MD degrees from University of Texas, completed his Internal Medicine residency at Eastern Virginia Medical School, and completed his Nephrology Fellowship at UVA, where he was Chief Nephrology Fellow. Dr. Hu is originally from Texas.
Marc Roman, MD
Dr. Roman is board certified in Nephrology and completed his Nephrology Fellowship at the University of Virginia. He joins VNA after having practiced in Danville and in Cleveland, Ohio.