Meet Our Providers
Dr. Rene Mackay
Dr. Mackay was born in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, where he graduated from medical school. He completed his internal medicine training at Metropolitan Hospital, as well as his nephrology fellowship at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, both part of New York Medical College in New York City. He is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine.
Dr. Mackay and his family moved to Athens, GA in 2006, where he has been serving the community and surrounding areas in both nephrology and internal medicine ever since.
Dr. Julio E. Pena
Dr. Pena joined Georgia Kidney Consultants on July 18, 2016. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Dr. Pena finished his nephrology studies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has extensive knowledge in both nephrology and internal medicine.
Education:
Pontifica Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra – Doctor of Medicine
Yale New Haven Hospital – Internal Medicine Residency
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center – Nephrology Fellowship
Dr. Sudha Lagudu
Dr. Lagudu, MD, was born in India where she attended medical school. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at Saint Michael Medical Center, NJ-New York Medical College. Later, she moved to Houston, TX to complete a fellowship in Nephrology at The University of Texas Health. She has rotated at Memorial Health Hospital, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Harris County LBJ Hospitals where she treated a wide range of complex Kidney diseases including rare Onco-Nephrology conditions.
Emily K. Waldron, NP-C
Emily Waldron joined Georgia Kidney Consultants in June of 2018. She graduated from The Pennsylvania State University in 2002 and relocated to Athens a short time later. She started her career on the nursing staff at St. Mary’s Hospital. She completed her Family Nurse Practitioner degree at Frontier Nursing University in Hyden, Kentucky.
Mary H. Brown, NP-BC
Mary Brown joined Georgia Kidney Consultants in November 2021. She attended Athens Technical College, and Augusta University for her undergraduate nursing degrees. Mary has worked locally at Piedmont Athens Regional Hospital, and St. Mary's Hospital as an RN. Mary completed her Adult Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 2020. She is board certified by the ANCC.
Halee Griffith, NP-C
Halee Griffith joined Georgia Kidney Consultants in March of 2022. She graduated from The Medical College of Georgia in 2012. She started her nursing career at Piedmont Athens Regional. She completed her Family Nurse Practitioner degree at Columbus State University. She is a life-long resident of Watkinsville, GA where her extended family lives as well.
