The new partnership delivers care for hemodialysis patients
at their local hospital, who previously had to travel nearly 100
miles for care, eliminating the need to be transferred to a more
urban hospital.
WALTHAM,
Mass., Aug. 9, 2023 /PRNewswire/
-- Fresenius Medical Care, the world's leading provider of
products and services for individuals with renal diseases has
launched an on-site dialysis program with Sarah Bush Lincoln,
a regional health system in Mattoon,
IL. This program now provides dialysis services with the
NxStage VersiHD home hemodialysis system to patients in the local
community who previously had to travel 100 miles to receive care.
By keeping patients at the local hospital, the doctors and nurses
have visibility to all other diagnostics and treatments.
"Rural communities across the country struggle with providing
access to high quality health care, especially when more complex
procedures like dialysis are needed. Utilizing the smaller, simpler
NxStage system makes it possible to provide dialysis to
hospitalized patients in their own community, closer to their home
and loved ones. This is an added benefit of the NxStage VersiHD in
rural hospitals as patients who choose home dialysis have better
outcomes than those who require dialysis in an outpatient
facility," said Dr. Timothy
Pflederer, Medical Director of the dialysis program at Sarah
Bush Lincoln and former President of the Renal Physicians
Association.
When Sarah Bush Lincoln first implemented the NxStage VersiHD in
partnership with Fresenius Medical Care in September of 2022, they
quickly discovered their dialysis volumes grew significantly higher
than anticipated, resulting in several hundred treatments thus
far.
"It is incredible to see the immediate impact Sarah Bush Lincoln
and the local community are experiencing since launching an on-site
dialysis program," said Joseph Turk,
Executive Vice President and Global Head of Home Therapies at
Fresenius Medical Care. "Now the patients can receive treatments,
work on their rehabilitation and have family visits all in one
location. We always strive to make a positive impact on patients'
lives. It is very rewarding to see how our system helps dialysis
providers and hospitals improve efficiency and patient
experience."
The NxStage VersiHD was chosen by Sarah Bush Lincoln for its
ease of use and flexibility, which enabled the care team to start
offering dialysis services quickly without a significant capital
outlay. The simplicity of the device was designed to have web-based
setup and troubleshooting guidance which also made it easy for
dialysis nurses to learn and use the system with only one and a
half days of training. The product has a home-like feel, so when
their patients are discharged, they may easily transition into
continuing their dialysis treatments at home.
Alexandra Boyer, RN, BSN, MBA,
CDN, CNML, Procedural Services Director for Sarah Bush Lincoln, and
Dr. Pflederer led the team who selected the NxStage VersiHD
hemodialysis system for Sarah Bush Lincoln. "We evaluated three
dialysis machines and opted for NxStage. All three devices appeared
easier to use than conventional systems, but the NxStage system
rose to the top for a few key reasons.
- NxStage does not require us to purchase or lease-to-own the
equipment. We opted for a month-to-month license which allows us
greater flexibility if the needs of our program change over the
years.
- The NxStage service model sends us a replacement device
right away when the machine needs service. This gave us peace of
mind that delay in care would not be an issue, as well as
eliminated the need for biomedical staff to be trained on the
system.
- The blood tubing and dialyzer cartridge are
self-contained, which eliminates the need for heat or chemical
disinfection of the system. We also chose to use its pre-mixed
dialysate bags, which eliminates the need for water testing. This
feature is the safest option for our patients and would help reduce
our regulatory risk as water testing and decontamination are
heavily regulated. Our first concern is always patient
safety.
A few patients now choose to continue home hemodialysis instead
of going in-center when they saw how easy NxStage is to use. This
has made our outpatient dialysis partners happy since insurance is
pushing them to increase home dialysis use," said Boyer.
Patients and family members credit Sarah Bush Lincoln for
exposure into a flexible modality to their dialysis treatments. "It
is our mission to improve our patients' lives, and it's been
powerful to see these patients have the opportunity to remain
on-site and then transition home," said Dr. Brigitte Schiller, Senior Vice President, Chief
Medical Officer, Home Therapies at Fresenius Medical Care.
To hear more patients' stories or more information about
VersiHD, please visit
https://www.nxstage.com/hcp/products/nxstage-versihd
Disclaimer:
Despite the health benefits that home hemodialysis may
provide to those with chronic kidney disease, this form of therapy
is not for everyone. The reported benefits of home hemodialysis may
not be experienced by all patients. The risks associated with
hemodialysis treatments in any environment include, but are not
limited to, high blood pressure, fluid overload, low blood
pressure, heart-related issues, and vascular access complications.
The medical devices used in hemodialysis therapies may add
additional risks including air entering the bloodstream and blood
loss due to clotting or accidental disconnection of the blood
tubing set. Certain risks are unique to the home. Treatments at
home are done without the presence of medical personnel and on-site
technical support. Patients and their partners must be trained on
what to do and how to get medical or technical help if
needed.
© 2023 Fresenius Medical Care. All Rights Reserved. Fresenius
Medical Care, the triangle logo, NxStage, and Versi are trademarks
of Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc. or its affiliated
companies. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners. APM4899 Rev. A
Fresenius Medical Care is the world's leading provider of
products and services for individuals with renal diseases of which
around 3.9 million patients worldwide regularly undergo dialysis
treatment. Through its network of 4,050 dialysis clinics, Fresenius
Medical Care provides dialysis treatments for approximately 344,000
patients around the globe. Fresenius Medical Care is also the
leading provider of dialysis products such as dialysis machines or
dialyzers. Fresenius Medical Care is listed on the Frankfurt Stock
Exchange (FME) and on the New York Stock Exchange (FMS).
For more information visit the Company's website
at www.freseniusmedicalcare.com.
Media Contact:
Emanuela Cariolagian
T +1 800 723-2384
media@freseniusmedicalcare.com
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SOURCE Fresenius Medical Care Holdings, Inc.
