WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fresenius Medical Care, the world’s largest provider of dialysis products and services, announced today five clinics to receive honors as Centers of Distinction for their leadership in increasing awareness of home hemodialysis (HHD) as a treatment option for kidney failure patients in the United States. Developed to showcase dialysis providers with growing home therapy programs, the Centers of Distinction Program will award several clinics in the U.S. annually, based on criteria surrounding patient care and education.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, more than 400,000 patients with chronic kidney disease require dialysis treatment. Although home hemodialysis is not a new treatment option, many patients and physicians are not aware of the benefits it can have on patients’ lives. Patients looking for independence and more control of their healthcare find that HHD allows them to maintain their normal lifestyle. In-center dialysis may need to be performed three times a week and treatments can take 3 to 5 hours, in addition to the time it takes to travel to and from the clinic. With HHD, patients can achieve adequate dialysis in as few as 3 treatments per week at home, allowing for more freedom and flexibility.
Fresenius Renal Therapies of Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) is a leading manufacturer of home hemodialysis therapy products and pharmaceuticals in the United States. The organization created a selection committee comprised of medical professionals, clinicians and patient advocates to choose the Centers of Distinction. Clinics will be selected as Centers of Distinction using the following criteria: proactively screening patients in its HHD program, effectively training and allocating staff time to support the needs of current HHD patients, providing a dedicated training infrastructure, promoting patient adoption and retaining patients in its HHD program and providing superior patient care. Any dialysis provider in the United States can qualify for the award, and will be chosen by the Renal Therapies Group based on its exemplary success in growing adoption of home treatments for its qualified dialysis patients.
“Each of these home therapy programs is a champion of home hemodialysis, and we’re proud to honor them with this designation,” said Maureen Lyden-Green, R.D., MBA and vice president of marketing, Fresenius Renal Therapies of Fresenius Medical Care. “Programs like those at our Centers of Distinction allow Fresenius Medical Care North America to demonstrate its commitment to helping patients stay in their home.”
Below are the 2014 Centers of Distinction winners:
1. Fresenius Medical Care Tupelo Home Dialysis located in Tupelo, MS
2. Fresenius Medical Care South Rainbow located in Las Vegas, NV
3. Fresenius Medical Care South Pecos Home Dialysis located in Las Vegas, NV
4. Fresenius Medical Care Northeast Las Vegas located in Las Vegas, NV
5. Fresenius Medical Care Springfield Midwest located in Springfield, MO
About the Centers of Distinction Program
Fresenius Medical
Care created the Centers of Distinction Program in 2013 to recognize
dialysis clinics for leading the way in fostering adoption of home
hemodialysis in the United States. Any dialysis clinic that offers home
therapies can be considered for the award, and several centers per year
will be chosen based on criteria related to home hemodialysis patient
programs. A Center of Distinction is chosen for proactively screening
patients in its HHD program, effectively training and allocating staff
time to support the needs of current HHD patients, providing a dedicated
training infrastructure, retaining patients in its HHD program and
providing superior patient care
About Fresenius Renal Therapies
Fresenius Renal Therapies is
North America’s top producer of dialysis equipment, dialyzers and
related disposable products and a major supplier of renal
pharmaceuticals. Fresenius Renal Therapies is a division of Fresenius
Medical Care North America, the continent’s leading provider of renal
care, and designated as Forbes Magazine’s World’s Most Innovative
Companies in 2011, 2012 and 2013. For more information about Fresenius
Renal Therapies and Fresenius Medical Care North America, visit www.fmcna.com.
Disclaimer
This release contains forward-looking statements
that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Actual results
could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking
statements due to certain factors, including changes in business,
economic and competitive conditions, regulatory reforms, foreign
exchange rate fluctuations, uncertainties in litigation or investigative
proceedings, and the availability of financing. These and other risks
and uncertainties are detailed in Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA's
reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA does not undertake any
responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release.