Recent Dialysis Report Grades Clinics Nationwide...What Does This Mean to You?

Aug. 29, 2012 - PRLog -- (Concord, MA) If you or a family member require dialysis care, you will face many questions. The first question may be how do you know what to look for in a dialysis provider to ensure the best quality care?

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) 2012 Dialysis Facility Report, Dialysis Clinic, Inc., (DCI) - Walden Pond in Concord, MA, had a lower infection rate than similar dialysis facilities in the state and the nation. The patients also had fewer hospitalizations and shorter hospital stays than would be expected. DCI Walden Pond patients are more likely to be listed for kidney transplantation than at other facilities.

The 2012 Dialysis Facility Compare report has been released to providers. It will be released publicly later this year at www.medicare.gov.

CMS also rates the quality of care at dialysis units. The Dialysis Center Performance Certificate, which must be posted in every unit, tells patients how many points the unit has earned by giving enough dialysis and by treating anemia well. For the first two years of the certificate program, DCI Walden Pond has earned the highest score: 30 out of a possible 30 points. The average score nationally is 26.  

Dialysis Clinic, Inc., (www.dciinc.org) is the largest non-profit dialysis provider in the United States, serving nearly 14,000 patients in 27 states. For nine years in a row, the United States Renal Data System (a national data system that collects, analyzes, and distributes information about end stage renal disease) has found that DCI’s patients live longer and are hospitalized less than patients treated by the two major for-profit dialysis providers.

While data may indicate that a facility provides quality care, the best way to truly know which dialysis center is the best for you is to visit. Is the clinic close to your home? As a patient, will you be encouraged to participate in decisions regarding your treatment?

DCI Walden Pond is situated in a quiet neighborhood with spacious parking conveniently located near the Route 2 rotary in Concord. Nurses, patient care technicians, a dietitian and social worker are able to devote time and attention to each patient and their family. The dedicated staff  have been with the clinic since it opened in 2003, bringing years of experience to each patient’s care.  Patients enjoy a bright, clean treatment room with individual flat screen TV’s at each chair. Wi-Fi internet access is also available.

DCI Walden Pond medical directors, Drs. Andrei Kouznetsov and Valerie Price, practice nephrology from their office adjoining the clinic.

DCI Walden Pond encourages every patient to participate actively in his or her treatment, joining the interdisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, dietitian and social worker in a patient care conference. The facility also provides a choice in treatment options through participation in a large and award-winning regional home dialysis program staffed by experienced nurses.

DCI operates under the mission, “We are a non-profit service organization. The care of the patient is our reason for existence.”

If you would like to speak with someone about your dialysis care needs, call DCI Walden Pond, 56 Winthrop Street, Concord at 978-369-1683.