Dr. Kurt Tarwater, MD
Not yet claimedNephrologist, Hypertension specialist · Physician (MD)
Columbia, MO
Kurt Tarwater is a kidney doctor with MU Health Care in Columbia, Missouri. His listed areas of care include high blood pressure and kidney disease.
About Dr. Kurt Tarwater, MD
Updated Sep 20, 2026Dr. Kurt Tarwater (also listed as Kurtis or Kurt Daniel Tarwater) is a kidney doctor, or nephrologist, in Columbia, Missouri. He practices at University of Missouri Health Care and is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. His MU Health Care profile lists his clinical focus as diabetic kidney disease, high blood pressure, and kidney (renal) disease.
He did all of his training at the University of Missouri-Columbia: medical school (Class of 2003), internal medicine residency (2003-2006), and a nephrology fellowship (2006-2008). His MU Health Care page lists certification through the American Board of Internal Medicine in nephrology. Alongside his clinical work, he is listed as a "Physician IT Strategist," and Doximity records health information technology certifications tied to Cerner systems between 2013 and 2017.
His published work is small and older, from 2008 to 2011, including a case report on a hemodialysis patient and an article explaining estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a common kidney blood test, written for Missouri Medicine. Doximity indexes 5 PubMed citations for him. He has a low public profile: no personal or professional social media accounts, and no news coverage from 2023-2025, were found.
In CMS Open Payments data for 2021-2025, he is associated with $340.45 across 18 records. Top payers include Travere Therapeutics, Novartis, Mallinckrodt Hospital Products, Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, and Amgen. Payments from industry to doctors are common and legal, and this total is small.
- Trained entirely at Missouri
- He completed medical school (2003), internal medicine residency (2003-2006), and nephrology fellowship (2006-2008) at the University of Missouri-Columbia. doximity.com
- Board certification listed
- His MU Health Care profile lists certification under the American Board of Internal Medicine in nephrology. muhealth.org
- Academic faculty role
- He is listed as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Missouri School of Medicine, in the Nephrology division. medicine.missouri.edu
- Kidney and blood pressure focus
- His practice profile lists diabetic nephropathy, hypertension (high blood pressure), and kidney disease as his clinical areas. muhealth.org
- Health IT leadership role
- He is listed as a "Physician IT Strategist" in addition to his clinical appointment, and holds CMS Meaningful Use Stage 2 certifications for several Cerner systems (2013-2017). muhealth.org
- Published on kidney testing
- He wrote "Estimated glomerular filtration rate explained" in Missouri Medicine (2011), an article later cited in a nephrology overview for primary care doctors. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Hospital affiliations
- Listings show affiliation with University of Missouri Health Care-Columbia and Harry S. Truman VA Medical Center. health.usnews.com
- Industry payments total
- CMS Open Payments shows $340.45 across 18 records for 2021-2025, with top payers including Travere Therapeutics, Novartis, Mallinckrodt, Otsuka, and Amgen. openpaymentsdata.cms.gov
Worth knowing
- Public records searches did not find any license discipline, malpractice suits, or criminal matters. However, the Missouri Board of Registration for the Healing Arts license-verification and disciplinary databases were not directly checked, so this category is unverified rather than confirmed clear. Patients can check directly at the state board site. pr.mo.gov
- Sources describe his certification slightly differently: his MU Health Care page lists "American Board of Internal Medicine/Nephrology," while a third-party directory states he is "board certified in Nephrology." Certification can be confirmed at certificationmatters.org. providers.sharecare.com
- His published research is limited in volume and dates from 2008 to 2011; no guideline panel work, society leadership, or awards were found in the sources reviewed. doximity.com
Industry payments (CMS Open Payments)
Open the CMS recordFederal law requires drug and device companies to report what they pay clinicians: meals, travel, speaking, consulting, and research. Payments are common and legal; the point is that you can see them.
2021 to 2025
$340
18 payments
| 2021 | $0 |
| 2022 | $0 |
| 2023 | $39 |
| 2024 | $119 |
| 2025 | $182 |
Top payers
- Travere Therapeutics, Inc.$64
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation$55
- Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc.$39
- Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc.$39
- Amgen Inc.$26
Payment types
- Food and Beverage$340
A word of caution about these numbers
A payment does not mean your doctor is compromised or acting unethically. Most of these entries are drug samples left for patients, or lunch brought in for the office staff, and the amounts are usually small. Research funding and speaking at medical meetings are also normal parts of a clinical career.
As a rough guide, a total under $15,000 a year is usually not a concern. Much larger sums, especially from one company whose product your doctor recommends to you, are worth asking about. You are allowed to ask.
Sources: muhealth.org · medicine.missouri.edu · npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov · doximity.com · providers.sharecare.com · health.usnews.com · onlinelibrary.wiley.com · pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
Summary prepared with AI assistance from the public sources linked above. It is not a review, a rating, or an endorsement.
Practice location
MU Health Care
1020 Hitt St
Columbia, MO 65212
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