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Dr. Eric Scott Kerns, MD

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Specializes in: Adult Nephrology

Boston University School of Medicine

Professional interests include: hypertension (high blood pressure), kidney problems, dialysis, and more.

375 Wampanoag Trail Suite 402
East Providence, RI 02915

(401) 649-4060

Dr. Eric Scott Kerns, MD is a nephrologist in East Providence, RI specializing in adult nephrology. He graduated from Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Eric Scott Kerns, MD is affiliated with The Miriam Hospital, Brown Medicine, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Brown Physicians Incorporated, Rhode Island Hospital (RIH), SILVER SPRING HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT INC and Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Office Locations

Address:

375 Wampanoag Trail Suite 402
East Providence, RI 02915

Address:

41 Mall Road
Burlington, MA 01805

Some issues Dr. Eric Scott Kerns, MD can help you with:

Dialysis

Dialysis is a procedure that replicates renal (kidney) function by filtering patients' blood. When kidneys do not work properly, waste can accumulate in the blood and unbalanced chemicals can impair the body's critical functions. In order to stay healthy, a person without proper kidney function must receive dialysis. There are two forms of dialysis treatment: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Both forms of dialysis are recurring treatments that in many cases last throughout the lifetime of the affected patient. Patients who briefly lose renal function may slowly reduce the frequency of dialysis sessions until their kidneys recover. However, most patients who start on dialysis remain on dialysis for the rest of their lives or until they receive a kidney transplant.

A number of conditions can worsen renal function and lead to end-stage or acute kidney failure. When kidneys fail (i.e. nearly 90 percent of their function is lost), dialysis is typically prescribed. Conditions that cause chronic kidney failure (eventually requiring dialysis) include:

Type 1 and 2 Diabetes
Pyelonephritis, recurring kidney infection
Glomerulonephritis, inflammation of the kidney's filtering parts
Polycystic kidney disease
Interstitial nephritis, inflammation of the kidney's tubules
High blood pressure
Vesicoureteral reflux, improper bladder emptying

For hemodialysis (the more common form of dialysis), a patient will visit a hospital or clinic and be connected to a dialysis machine by a needle attached to a tube that draws blood from the arm. The drawn blood is transferred to the dialysis machine, where it is filtered and separated until clean. Waste products from the blood pass into a fluid called dialysate, which is pumped out of the machine into a waste receptacle. The machine also measures and helps ensure the blood has the appropriate level of fluid, electrolytes, and pH. A tube delivers the cleaned blood back into the patient's body. A dialysis session like this will typically last for three to four hours, with a patient undergoing dialysis around three times per week.

A second method of dialysis is known as peritoneal dialysis. Unlike hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis can be performed at home by oneself after an initial surgery. To start, a physician (generally a surgeon) will make a small incision in the lower abdomen and insert and surgically attach a catheter (thin tube). At home, the patient connects a pump to the abdomen catheter, delivering dialysate (dialysis fluid) from a bag hanging on a wheeled stand. This fluid enters the peritoneal cavity (greater abdomen area containing the stomach, liver, and intestines) and collects waste through osmosis, where waste in the blood moves across a membrane and into the dialysate. This process continues for several hours until the fluid concentration is equal between the blood and dialysate, at which point the fluid can be drained. The fluid can then be passed through a machine called a cycler, which removes waste and allows for the dialysate to be reused. This process is repeated about four times per day. Dialysis patients must limit the amount of fluid they consume prior to receiving dialysis and should also avoid eating salty foods. The cycler cannot filter more than a certain amount of waste products from the blood.

Kidneys are important organs, and dialysis treatments are vital for those with renal dysfunction. For many, dialysis is not so much a medical procedure but a part of their normal life.

Peritoneal Dialysis

Peritoneal dialysis is a procedure that imitates renal (kidney) function by filtering patients' blood. When the kidneys do not work properly, waste can accumulate in the blood and unbalanced chemicals can impair the body's critical functions. In order to stay healthy, a person without proper kidney function must receive dialysis. There are two forms of dialysis treatment: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Both forms of dialysis are recurring treatments that in many cases last throughout the lifetime of the affected patient.

Peritoneal dialysis can be performed at home by oneself after an initial surgery. To start, a physician (generally a surgeon) will make a small incision in the lower abdomen and insert and surgically attach a catheter (thin tube). At home, the patient connects a pump to the abdomen catheter, delivering dialysate (dialysis fluid) from a bag hanging on a wheeled stand. This fluid enters the peritoneal cavity (greater abdomen area containing the stomach, liver, and intestines) and collects waste through osmosis, where waste in the blood moves across a membrane and into the dialysate. This process continues for several hours until the fluid concentration is equal between the blood and dialysate, at which point the fluid can be drained. The fluid can then be passed through a machine called a cycler, which removes waste and allows for the dialysate to be reused. This process is repeated about four times per day. Dialysis patients must limit the amount of fluid they consume prior to receiving dialysis and should also avoid eating salty foods. The cycler cannot filter more than a certain amount of waste products from the blood.

Kidneys are important organs, and peritoneal dialysis can be vital for those with renal dysfunction. Peritoneal dialysis may be a more convenient alternative to hemodialysis, which requires going into a clinic.

hospital care	183
inpatient care	184

**Gender**
Male	57
Female	60

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	75
Black	21
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	33
From 75 to 84	30
85 and over	17
Less than 65	37

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	64
Stroke	10
Ischemic Heart Disease	53
Depression	38
Chronic Kidney Disease	73
Asthma	14
Osteoperosis	0
Atrial Fibrilation	24
Heart Failure	47
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	28
Diabetes	50
Dementia	21
Cancer	0

dialysis	42
doctor visit	78
hospital care	455
inpatient care	421
outpatient care	34

**Gender**
Male	164
Female	164

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	214
Black	49
Hispanic	49
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	93
From 75 to 84	73
85 and over	53
Less than 65	109

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	72
Stroke	11
Ischemic Heart Disease	57
Depression	44
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	17
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	20
Heart Failure	48
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	30
Diabetes	53
Dementia	23
Cancer	14

dialysis	76
doctor visit	123
hospital care	277
inpatient care	278

**Gender**
Male	258
Female	252

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	306
Black	82
Hispanic	92
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	160
From 75 to 84	84
85 and over	68
Less than 65	198

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	73
Stroke	12
Ischemic Heart Disease	60
Depression	43
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	22
Osteoperosis	5
Atrial Fibrilation	20
Heart Failure	59
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	31
Diabetes	64
Dementia	16
Cancer	11

dialysis	126
doctor visit	138
hemofiltration	24
hospital care	339
inpatient care	340

**Gender**
Male	161
Female	134

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	162
Black	53
Hispanic	63
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	102
From 75 to 84	57
85 and over	32
Less than 65	104

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	67
Stroke	11
Ischemic Heart Disease	65
Depression	38
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	29
Osteoperosis	5
Atrial Fibrilation	20
Heart Failure	56
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	22
Diabetes	61
Dementia	19
Cancer	11

dialysis	42
doctor visit	120
hospital care	220
inpatient care	221

**Gender**
Male	122
Female	101

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	150
Black	24
Hispanic	36
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	74
From 75 to 84	47
85 and over	28
Less than 65	74

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	67
Stroke	9
Ischemic Heart Disease	67
Depression	41
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	13
Osteoperosis	5
Atrial Fibrilation	18
Heart Failure	56
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	24
Diabetes	61
Dementia	21
Cancer	11

dialysis	184
doctor visit	166
hemofiltration	76
hospital care	463
inpatient care	464

**Gender**
Male	199
Female	142

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	286
Black	14
Hispanic	17
Asian	11
Other	13
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	123
From 75 to 84	86
85 and over	54
Less than 65	78

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	69
Stroke	11
Ischemic Heart Disease	64
Depression	41
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	12
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	34
Heart Failure	60
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	26
Diabetes	55
Dementia	21
Cancer	12

dialysis	172
doctor visit	301
hemofiltration	81
hospital care	544
inpatient care	545

**Gender**
Male	265
Female	169

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	374
Black	20
Hispanic	13
Asian	13
Other	14
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	139
From 75 to 84	150
85 and over	66
Less than 65	79

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	71
Stroke	12
Ischemic Heart Disease	58
Depression	38
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	10
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	31
Heart Failure	51
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	23
Diabetes	55
Dementia	20
Cancer	13

dialysis	105
doctor visit	65
hemofiltration	54
hospital care	459
inpatient care	460

**Gender**
Male	183
Female	138

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	266
Black	23
Hispanic	18
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	128
From 75 to 84	94
85 and over	51
Less than 65	48

Hypertension	75
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	11
Ischemic Heart Disease	65
Depression	40
Chronic Kidney Disease	75
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	7
Atrial Fibrilation	27
Heart Failure	57
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	24
Diabetes	63
Dementia	25
Cancer	13

dialysis	14
doctor visit	155
hospital care	384
inpatient care	385

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2013 - 2021

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Eric Scott Kerns, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Eric Scott Kerns, MD treated as a nephrologist in East Providence, RI were hospital care, inpatient care, dialysis and hemofiltration.

dialysis	95
doctor visit	146
hemofiltration	58
hospital care	370
inpatient care	366
outpatient care	34

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2013 - 2021

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Eric Scott Kerns, MD.

**Gender**
Male	140
Female	116

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	28
Asian / Pacific Islander	2
Non-Hispanic White	183
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Hispanic	28
Other	2

**Age**
85 and over	36
75 to 84	62
Less than 65	72
65 to 74	85

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Eric Scott Kerns, MD From 2013 - 2021

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Eric Scott Kerns, MD treated were chronic kidney disease, hypertension, high cholesterol and ischemic heart disease.

Hypertension	60
High Cholesterol	55
Stroke	8
Ischemic Heart Disease	48
Depression	32
Chronic Kidney Disease	59
Asthma	12
Osteoporosis	4
Heart Failure	43
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	20
Diabetes	46
Atrial Fibrillation	19
Dementia	16
Cancer	8

Education & Training

Dr. Eric Scott Kerns, MD graduated from Boston University School of Medicine. He completed residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He has a state license in Massachusetts.

Medical School: Boston University School of Medicine

Residency: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Licensed In: Massachusetts

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Eric Scott Kerns, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

The Miriam Hospital

Brown Medicine

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Brown Physicians Incorporated

Rhode Island Hospital (RIH)

SILVER SPRING HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT INC

Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center

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General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Eric Scott Kerns, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.	$105 Pradaxa $105

**Types of Payments**
Food and Beverage	$105

Research Payments

Dr. Eric Scott Kerns, MD has received 1 research payments totaling $50,406.

Biography

Dr. Eric Kerns' specialty is adult nephrology. In his practice, he is particularly interested in hypertension (high blood pressure), kidney problems, and peritoneal dialysis. His professional affiliations include Brown Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, and Rhode Island Hospital (RIH). Dr. Kerns is a graduate of Boston University School of Medicine and a graduate of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center's residency program.