Dr. Waikar is first incumbent of the Constantine L. Hampers, MD Distinguished Chair in Renal Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. The Chair honors the career of Dr. Constantine L. Hampers:
For more than 50 years, Constantine L. Hampers, MD, has served as a dedicated clinician, devoted mentor, and brilliant innovator. Dr. Hampers advanced the care and treatment of patients throughout his career, most notably by revolutionizing how they receive life-saving dialysis. In the late 1960s, Dr. Hampers co-founded National Medical Care (NMC) and pioneered a new model of clinical care that provided hope to patients with kidney disease who otherwise couldn’t access or afford treatment. While at NMC, he established more than 1,000 dialysis clinics in the U.S. and abroad as chairman of the board and chief executive officer for more than 20 years.
The model of the outpatient dialysis clinic Dr. Hampers developed has since been replicated and adopted worldwide for other types of outpatient care. Dr. Hampers also worked tirelessly as a policymaker to provide government funding for universal medical coverage for patients with kidney disease. Dr. Hampers earned his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in 1958. He completed his residency at Cook County Hospital, teaching affiliate of the University of Chicago, and Philadelphia General Hospital, teaching affiliate of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1966, he completed his fellowship in the Renal Division at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital (PBBH), a predecessor hospital to Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He was appointed director of Artificial Kidney Services at PBBH and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School before founding NMC.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Hampers has earned board certification in internal medicine and published more than 100 clinical papers and studies about renal medicine. In addition to his work at NMC, he has been instrumental in the success of other medical endeavors. Currently, Dr. Hampers is working with Cardiac Assist Technology to develop an artificial heart. Dr. Hampers began as a member of its board of directors in 2001 and continues to be involved in an advisory role.