Dori Schatell
February 24, 1960 - October 8, 2026
Dori Schatell, Executive Director of the Medical Education Institute (MEI), died on October 8, 2026, at the age of 66.
Schatell dedicated nearly four decades to improving education and resources for people living with kidney diseases. She began her career at MEI as a freelance medical writer before joining the organization as an employee and advancing to Senior Project Manager. She later succeeded MEI co-founder Edith Oberley as Executive Director, leading the organization for nearly three decades.
Throughout her career, Schatell contributed as a writer, editor, and collaborator to several initiatives in kidney care, including the original DOQI anemia guidelines, every edition of the Core Curriculum for the Dialysis Technician, and the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (DOPPS) Patient Quality of Life Task Force.
Under her leadership, MEI developed and expanded educational resources for patients, families, and kidney professionals, including Life Options, Kidney School, Home Dialysis Central, and My Kidney Life Plan. Her work helped make complex medical information accessible and provided people living with kidney diseases with resources to understand their treatment options and participate in decisions about their care.
Schatell's contributions to patient education and kidney care have left a lasting impact on the kidney community.
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