Dr. Darwish is the founder of Kansas City Kidney Specialists. He earned his medical degree from the University of Damascus, Syria, then he completed an Internal Medicine residency at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC).

Dr. Darwish has served as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at UMKC for several years.  In 2011, he went on to complete a nephrology fellowship at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. He holds certifications with the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Nephrology. 

Dr. Darwish has received many awards throughout his education and career. He has also co-authored several medical publications and presentations. 

Dr. Darwish and his wife have 2 children and reside in Overland Park.  

Dr. Richard Capling grew up in Lenexa, KS, He completed his Nephrology Fellowship at St. Louis University, then he joined the United States Air Force. He was honorably discharged after serving as the Chief of Nephrology at the rank of Major. 

Dr. Capling joined Kansas City Kidney Specialists in 2019 where he provides nephrology care and general internal medicine needs.  He has served as assistant professor of medicine at the University of Missouri, past president and board member of the National Kidney Foundation, Medical Director of several dialysis facilities.  

Dr. Capling and his wife Amy have three children and reside in Overland Park.  He loves spending time with his family, exercising, participating in triathlons, and playing golf. 

Dr. Brandon Calhoun, DO is a full time practicing General Nephrologist. Dr. Calhoun received his undergraduate degree in Cell and Molecular Biology at Missouri State University with an emphasis in biochemistry. He then completed his Doctorate of Osteopathy training at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2017. Following this, he completed his Internal Medicine training at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City in 2020. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Calhoun completed his subspeciality training in General Nephropathy at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City in 2022.

Dr. Calhoun's hobbies outside of medicine include custom woodworking, exercise and fitness. His medical related passion, other than Nephrology, includes longevity and preventative medicine. He enjoys teaching medical students and residents' basic nephrology related information within the academic internal medicine program at the Kansas City Veterans Hospital.

Of note, Dr. Calhoun was awarded Americas Best Doctor in 2023 and IM Resident of the Year award in 2022 for the KUMC Internal Medicine residency program. Dr. Calhoun's future life goals include building a successful nephrology practice, and most importantly, raising a family in the Kansas City area.

Danielle Shockley, APRN, AANP-C is a board-certified adult gerontology nurse practitioner that specializes in acute and chronic management of renal disease.

Danielle earned her MSN from Maryville University in Saint Louis. She has experience working with complex patients in an inpatient setting where she previously worked as a critical care nurse for over seven years before becoming a nurse practitioner in 2017. Since that time she has worked as a pulmonology critical care nurse practitioner before finally finding her passion with nephrology.

Danielle is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners and the American Nephrology Nurses Association.

In her spare time, Danielle enjoys spending time with her three children and traveling.

Catherine Cheshire, APRN, AANP-C Cathy Cheshire is a board-certified family nurse practitioner who specializes in the acute and chronic management of renal disease.

Cathy earned her MSN from Research College of Nursing in Kansas City, Missouri. Cathy previously worked as an RN on a cardiac telemetry unit for 10 years before earning her Master's degree. She then continued her career managing complex cardiac conditions with a local cardiology practice before finding a new career interest in nephrology.

Cathy is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She is a lifelong resident of Kansas City and enjoys spending her free time watching her kids play sports and participating in local fairs and festivals.