April 16, 2026
Joanna Neumann was born and raised in Hong Kong, where she became a registered nurse in 1983. While she always had a passion for healthcare, she never imagined she would spend nearly four decades in nephrology (kidney care). But when the opportunity presented itself to specialize in this field, she didn’t hesitate. She said yes. That decision shaped the rest of her life.
This National Volunteer Month, Joanna’s story is a powerful reminder that making a difference doesn’t always start with a plan. Sometimes, it starts with simply showing up and saying yes.
For the Love of Learning
Joanna received intensive classroom instruction taught by physicians and nurse educators, followed by a closely supervised clinical practice. She practiced procedures repeatedly until they became second nature.
“But getting into a healthcare specialty in Hong Kong was highly competitive and very difficult,” Joanna said.
Most people work 10 to 15 years before receiving an offer to train in a specialty. Joanna was resting after a shift in her second year as a registered nurse when her nursing director called.
“She asked if I wanted to start a nephrology program,” Joanna said. “I didn’t even know what nephrology was, but thirty minutes later, I was back in the hospital to start training.”
What Joanna discovered was a love and fascination for kidney care.
“I once overheard a patient say that no one saw them as a whole person,” she said. “In nephrology, we have to treat the whole person. The kidneys affect the heart. Diabetes and high blood pressure affect the kidneys. Everything is interconnected.”
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Moving to the US
In 1991, Joanna was ready for her next adventure–moving to the US. She got a job with a healthcare company quickly but faced a bit of a learning curve.
“In Hong Kong, nursing was very hierarchical. You did what the doctor said. In the U.S., I learned to collaborate with physicians and patients to build care plans together. It was very empowering. I also think it improves the quality of care patients in the U.S. get.”
With this new job, Joanna was also able to take on many different roles and continue learning.
“I worked in dialysis centers. I was a home dialysis manager, helping people learn home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis,” she said. “I helped develop education, better compliance, policy, and regulatory quality.”
Joanna also gave presentations and volunteered with organizations like the National Kidney Foundation (NKF).
“My very first volunteer event with NKF was KEEP Healthy, a free kidney disease screening program. It was freezing, but people lined up anyway,” she said. “I knew from that moment on I wanted to keep volunteering with NKF.”
Today, she continues volunteering at local church events and community programs, distributing educational materials and encouraging people to visit the NKF website to learn more.
“Education is critical. Even if they’re not ready to hear it that day, maybe one day they’ll pull out that flyer and say, ‘Let me take a look,” Joanna said. “Every single opportunity counts.”
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A Passion for Professional Education
Joanna also loves teaching professionals just as much as patients.
“If we can build a good structure to train nurses and empower them, they can ultimately take better care of patients,” she said, “To me, that’s joy.”
Over the years, Joanna has presented at conferences and helped organize educational programs. Today, she is the Co-Chair for an upcoming Spring Clinical Meetings (SCM), helping shape sessions for nurses, physicians, fellows, and patient care technicians.
“Being a nurse myself, I know what they need,” said Joanna. “I know what they want to learn and what they might not get much experience with in their daily routine.”
She hopes attendees of the 2026 SCM will gain practical knowledge about home dialysis therapies, hands-on experience they can bring back to their practices, and insight into the growing role of artificial intelligence in healthcare.
Giving Back to the Field That Gives Her Purpose
With nearly 40 years dedicated to nephrology, alongside her late husband, who was also a dialysis nurse, Joanna decided to include NKF in her estate planning.
“We dedicated our lives to kidney care,” she said. “Including NKF in my estate planning felt natural. It’s a way to honor the life and work my husband and I shared.”
NKF’s mission, education, prevention, and patient support align with everything she believes in.
“We at NKF do great things,” Joanna said. “I treasure that.”
Because of Joanna’s planned gift, her legacy with NKF will help improve lives long into the future.
Include a gift to NKF in your will or trust to build a legacy that advances kidney research.
