Whatcom County targets empty kidney transplant list by 2030

Bellingham nephrologist Dr. Jimmy Thomas has called for the community to eliminate the local kidney transplant waiting list by 2030.

Thomas, a board-certified nephrologist with Washington Kidney Care in Bellingham, supports a goal first proposed by his retired colleague, Dr. Bill Lombard. Lombard named the initiative the Moonshot, comparing it to the Apollo program. The target is to ensure every eligible Whatcom County resident needing a transplant has a path to receiving one within that four-year window.

Dr. Thomas described the current reality for patients on dialysis in his recent essay for the Salish Current. He noted that patients often sit connected to a machine three times a week for hours. He observed that this schedule rearranges family lives and limits ordinary freedoms. The hope for a better future usually appears only when a patient learns that a transplant is possible.

The plan relies heavily on living kidney donation. Thomas explained that most people are born with two kidneys, but a healthy person who passes a medical evaluation can live a normal life with one. He emphasized that donors do not need to be blood or tissue type compatible with recipients. Paired kidney donation can connect incompatible pairs, allowing multiple transplants to occur from a single effort.

Thomas argued that the effort must begin before transplantation occurs. He identified diabetes and high blood pressure as the leading causes of kidney failure in the United States. He noted that chronic kidney disease can advance for years with few symptoms, meaning people may not realize their kidneys are damaged until the disease is well established.

With November approaching as National Diabetes Month, Thomas urged Whatcom County Health and Community Services to make prevention a visible priority. He called for health care providers and community organizations to encourage residents to know their risk. He specifically recommended that people with diabetes or high blood pressure discuss kidney health with their providers and receive blood and urine testing.

The Moonshot vision requires thousands of people to believe the difficult goal is achievable, much like the original space program. Thomas said the county needs to identify kidney disease earlier and help people control their blood pressure and blood sugar. He also wants to educate neighbors about the personal decision of living donation.

Dr. Thomas completed his Internal Medicine residency at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and pursued fellowship training at the University of Washington. He holds a Master’s in Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Texas Health Sciences Center. He stated that the attempt itself could improve the lives of people living with kidney disease.