About

The provided page text does not contain a professional biography or specific research information about Professor Susan T Crowley. Therefore, there is no available biographical content to summarize.

Research topics

• Intensive care medicine
• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Environmental health
• Emergency medicine
• Nursing

Selected publications

• Veterans Health Administration Peritoneal Dialysis Program Infrastructure and Clinical Practices: Findings from a Nationwide Questionnaire

  Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology · 2026-05-15

  article

  Peritoneal dialysis (PD) use among the United States (US) Veteran population is lower than that in the non-Veteran kidney failure population. Increasing choice of and access to high quality home dialysis within the Veteran population is a Veteran Healthcare Administration (VHA) strategic priority. To date, no comprehensive assessment of existing VHA PD programs has been conducted. The VHA Peritoneal Dialysis Committee conducted a nationwide stakeholders survey to inform strategies to improve Veterans ability to select PD (VHA PD Choice subgroup), 2) to access PD (VHA PD Access subgroup), and 3) to receive excellent quality PD (VHA PD Quality subgroup). This manuscript reports findings from the PD quality and respondent characteristic survey items, which were designed to assess current infrastructure and clinical practices for VHA PD services. Participants were invited by email and completed an electronic questionnaire. A total of 27 VHA PD programs responded to the survey (100% response proportion) with a median number of 10 patients. Facility-level variation was found in PD infrastructure and clinical practices, which include differences in services to PD patients, training and staffing ratios for PD nurses, and clinical practices for initiation and maintenance of PD. Large PD programs (more than 10 Veterans) offered a broader range of services (e.g., outpatient and inpatient PD, urgent-start PD) and reported greater alignment with PD clinical practice guidelines than small PD programs (less than 10 Veterans). Substantial variability exists in PD infrastructure and clinical practices within VHA, especially in comparisons of small versus large PD programs. Program-aligned facility infrastructure, standardized best clinical practices, and quality assessment and improvement initiatives have already begun to increase successful utilization of PD across VHA.

  PublisherDOI

• Characteristics of Veterans with CKD Using a Telenephrology Program in the Veterans Health Administration

  Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology · 2026-02-10

  articleOpen access

  KEY POINTS: We examined clinical characteristics of Veterans receiving telenephrology care. Telenephrology was associated with higher prescription rates of guideline directed therapies and longer survival in Veterans with CKD. Adjusting for telenephrology visits and other clinical factors, rurality and heart disease were associated with an increased risk of mortality. BACKGROUND: Veterans with CKD residing near lower complexity Veterans Health Administration facilities are often managed by primary providers. To improve access to nephrology for rural Veterans, we established a hub-and-spoke network that used telemedicine to connect nephrologists to Veterans at Veterans Affairs facilities lacking nephrology services (spokes). METHODS: Veterans with CKD, refractory hypertension, and electrolyte disorders cared for at spoke sites were defined as eligible. Patients requiring dialysis or hospital management were excluded. We compared demographics, clinical characteristics, prescription rates, and mortality of the Veterans cared for by telenephrologists (Telenephrology+) with those cared for by primary providers (Telenephrology-). RESULTS: The Telenephrology+ group consisted of 2147 eligible Veterans who had telenephrology visit(s) during the study period (2021-2024). The Telenephrology- control group consisted of 9678 telenephrology eligible Veterans who were managed by primary providers. At baseline, Telenephrology+ Veterans were younger (69±12 versus 74±10 years; P < 0.001) but had more advanced CKD (eGFR 47±21 versus 55±16 ml/min per 1.73 m 2 , P < 0.001) than Telenephrology- Veterans. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and heart disease were common in both groups. During the course of the study, more of the patients in the Telenephrology+ group were started on guideline directed therapies ( P < 0.001). Survival analysis showed that the Telenephrology+ group had a significantly lower mortality compared to the Telenephrology- group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.62; confidence interval [CI], 0.55 to 0.71; P < 0.001). Mortality in the Telenephrology+ Veterans remained lower (HR, 0.85; CI, 0.74 to 0.98; P = 0.02) after adjustment for confounders and medication use. In addition to telenephrology visits, major factors influencing mortality were rurality (HR, 1.52; CI, 1.39 to 1.67; P < 0.001), heart disease (HR, 1.95; CI, 1.76 to 2.17; P < 0.001), and prescription of sodium glucose transporter 2 inhibitors during the study period (HR, 0.50; CI, 0.44 to 0.57; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Telenephrology was associated with higher prescription rates of guideline directed therapies and longer survival in Veterans with CKD.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Barriers and Opportunities in Access to Peritoneal Dialysis across Veterans Health Administration

  Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology · 2025-09-15

  articleOpen access

  Peritoneal dialysis (PD) use among the US Veteran population is lower than in the non-Veteran kidney failure population. Enhancing access to PD within the Veteran Health Administration (VHA) may be crucial for achieving the Advancing American Kidney Health Executive Order goals. The VHA Home Dialysis Committee conducted a nationwide survey of nephrology stakeholders to assess Veterans' access to PD across the VHA and identify barriers and opportunities for the growth of VHA-affiliated PD services. Participants were invited through email and completed an electronic questionnaire consisting of 17 PD access items and 15 respondent characteristic items. Of the 141 eligible centers, 117 (83%) responded, including 97 facilities that provide nephrology services. Respondents indicated that PD could ideally serve 25% (interquartile range, 15%-40%) of Veterans with kidney failure. Most (62%) of the nephrology service-providing centers offered outpatient hemodialysis; however, only 28% reported providing outpatient PD services, with a median census of 10 Veterans. Among those lacking, 30% expressed a desire to establish outpatient PD services. The availability of comprehensive KRT-directed prekidney failure education, an inpatient PD program, or respondents' perceptions of Veteran interest in PD were positively associated ( P < 0.05) with their desire to establish outpatient PD services. System-related challenges, such as limited space and capital costs of establishing a program, alongside staff-related issues such as insufficient availability of trained nurses and support staff, were frequently cited barriers to PD programs. Respondents commonly cited the need for formal VHA-specific policies and procedural standards, administrative guides to establish local PD and patient education programs, and VHA-based PD nurse training assistance as strategies to address PD underutilization. Our findings suggest that the Veterans' lack of access to VHA-based PD programs may be an underrecognized barrier to their PD utilization. VHA nephrology stakeholders have a high desire to establish PD services but require local and system-based support to address PD underuse across the VHA.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Assessing Rural Veterans’ Experiences with a Tele-Nephrology Program in the Veterans Health Administration

  American Journal of Nephrology · 2025-06-17 · 1 citations

  article

  INTRODUCTION: Rural-living veterans with chronic kidney disease and refractory hypertension have a higher mortality rate and are hospitalized more frequently than veterans living in urban or suburban areas. They also face particularly unique challenges in accessing nephrology specialty care. Previous studies suggest virtual nephrology care can be used to increase access to care for veterans. The purpose of this study was to examine veteran's perceptions and experiences with a veteran administration (VA) virtual nephrology program. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with forty-four veterans at five rural VA medical centers who were receiving virtual nephrology care ("tele-nephrology"). RESULTS: Four major themes arose that represent the veterans' perceptions and experiences with VA virtual nephrology care: (1) tele-nephrology provides timely access to care for veterans living in rural areas, (2) clinical partnerships between primary care and tele-nephrology are key to veterans' health, (3) veterans' technology fears were assuaged with virtual nephrology care, and (4) improvements to care include more direct access to virtual nephrologists. CONCLUSION: This evaluation represents an important step forward in how the VA can enhance virtual nephrology care to better meet the needs of rural veterans receiving care at facilities without VA specialty providers. Prior to the Choice and MISSION Acts, veterans were often required to drive long distances to the closest VA specialty provider. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, the VA has been shifting care from the community to the VA via virtual care. Further research should examine veterans' experiences with different modalities of nephrology care as well as experiences of demographically and geographically diverse veterans.

  PublisherDOI

• Chronic Pain Locations, Characteristics, and Associations With Other Symptoms in Adults Receiving Maintenance Hemodialysis: Findings From the HOPE Consortium Trial

  American Journal of Kidney Diseases · 2025-11-15 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Development and Validation of a Mortality Prediction Model for Conservative Management (CM) vs. Dialysis in Advanced CKD: Analysis of Two National Cohorts

  Journal of the American Society of Nephrology · 2025-10-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Impact of the Kidney Score Platform on Communication About and Patients’ Engagement With Chronic Kidney Disease Health: Pre–Post Intervention Study

  JMIR Formative Research · 2025-04-29 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects 14% of the US adult population, yet patient knowledge about kidney disease and engagement in their kidney health is low despite many CKD education programs, awareness campaigns, and clinical practice guidelines. Objective: We aimed to examine the impact of the Kidney Score Platform (a patient-facing, risk-based online tool that provides interactive health information tailored to an individual's CKD risk plus an accompanying clinician-facing Clinical Practice Toolkit) on individual engagement with CKD health and CKD communication between clinicians and patients. Methods: We conducted a pre-post intervention study in which English-speaking veterans at risk for CKD in two primary care settings interacted with the Kidney Score platform's educational modules and their primary care clinicians were encouraged to review the Clinical Practice Toolkit. The impact of the Kidney Score on the Patient Activation Measure (the primary outcome), knowledge about CKD, and communication with their clinician about kidney health was determined with paired t tests. Multivariable linear and logistic models were used to determine whether changes in outcomes after versus before intervention were influenced by age, race or ethnicity, sex, and diabetes status, accounting for baseline values. Results: The study population (n=76) had a mean (SD) age of 64.4 (8.2) years, 88% (67/76) was male, and 30.3% (23/76) self-identified as African-American. Approximately 93% (71/76) had hypertension, 36% (27/76) had diabetes, and 9.2% (7/76) had CKD according to the laboratory criteria but without an ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Edition) diagnosis. Patient interaction with the Kidney Score did not change the mean Patient Activation Measure (preintervention: 40.7%, postintervention: 40.2%, P=.23) but increased the mean CKD knowledge score (preintervention: 40.0%, postintervention 51.1%, P<.01), and changed the percentage of veterans who discussed CKD with their clinician (preintervention: 12.3%, postintervention: 31.5%, P<.01). Changes did not differ by age, sex, race, or diabetes status. Results were limited by the small sample size due to low recruitment and minimal clinician engagement with the Clinical Practice Toolkit during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: One-time web-based tailored education for patients can increase CKD knowledge and encourage conversations about kidney health. Increasing patient activation for CKD management may require multilevel, longitudinal interventions that facilitate ongoing conversations about kidney health between patients and clinician teams.

  PublisherDOI

• Emotional Support Animals on Campus: A Narrative Inquiry

  Journal of College & University Student Housing · 2025-11-07

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Requests for emotional support animals (ESAs) on college and university campuses have been increasing over the years, as more and more students are presenting documentation to allow them to live with their ESA in a higher education setting that does not otherwise allow pets. Research to date has focused primarily on higher education narratives about ESAs (e.g., issues like avoiding risk), but little is known about the individuals who have ESAs. Using a qualitative three-dimensional narrative approach, this study sought to explore the meaning that ESAs have for these students and the impacts of the unique campus housing setting on ESA partnerships. We collected information from three participant narratives. Four themes related to ESAs in campus housing arose from the data: the desirability of on-campus housing, the importance of a sense of community on campus, requirements needed to prove legitimacy, and policy restrictions on ESAs. The narratives inform suggestions for higher education institution administrators to better support ESA partnerships individually, systemically, and within the on-campus community.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Examining the Validity of a Subjective Urine Questionnaire for Residual Kidney Function Among Recruited Participants of the Incremental Hemodialysis in Veterans (INCHVETS) Randomized Controlled Trial

  Journal of the American Society of Nephrology · 2025-10-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Impact of Conservative Management vs. Dialysis Transition on Cognition in a National Cohort of Patients with Advanced CKD

  Journal of the American Society of Nephrology · 2025-10-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Kamyar Kalantar‐Zadeh

  UCLA Medical Center

  66 shared

• Aldo J. Peixoto

  Yale University

  59 shared

• Csaba P. Kövesdy

  University of Tennessee Health Science Center

  45 shared

• Connie M. Rhee

  VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System

  41 shared

• Sergio F. F. Santos

  San Antonio College

  37 shared

• George A. Mansoor

  37 shared

• Roger B. Mendes

  American Society of Nephrology

  37 shared

• Rafael Maldonado

  Hospital Privado

  36 shared

Education

• M.D., Medicine

  Yale University

  1990

• Other, Business Administration

  Yale University

  1986

• B.A., Biology

  Yale University

  1982

Awards & honors

• FASN