DCI Supports Initiatives to Improve Kidney Care in U.S

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - July 10, 2019 - PRLog -- President Trump will announce changes to improve the care for people with kidney disease on Wednesday, July 10, at 11am. Key DCI and REACH Kidney Care individuals have been invited to attend the press conference including Doug Johnson, MD, DCI Vice-Chairman; Lauren Stone Hollingsworth, REACH Kidney Care Director of Operations; Robert Taylor, MD, ESCO Chief Medical Officer; and Tayla Satkwich, REACH Kidney Care Program Analyst.  These individuals participated in prior meetings with Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar and CMS Innovation Chief Adam Boehler to discuss reshaping the future of kidney care.

Most recently, Johnson participated in a conversation with the White House health policy team on kidney disease, July 1.

"DCI and REACH Kidney Care have enjoyed the opportunity to exchange ideas with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid innovation team," stated Johnson. "Over the past four years we have been able to test new models of care and share the results of our efforts in the hope that the delivery of kidney care can be improved nationwide."

DCI has demonstrated success with the innovative REACH Kidney Care program, which focuses on going upstream and improving the care for people with chronic kidney disease, not on dialysis.

Compared to the national average, REACH patients:

·      22.9% start dialysis at home; 10% is the national average

·      51.3% start using a permanent access; 20% is the national average

·      55.2% avoid hospitalization before the start of dialysis; 33% is the national average

·      6.6% get a pre-emptive transplant; 2.8% is the national average

(data from 3,017 patients in 8 locations)

"The current administration has demonstrated an interest in changing the status quo of kidney care. We trust that the changes in care announced today will provide solutions for individuals living with kidney disease by improving care for people with chronic kidney disease, before they need dialysis; increase access to transplantation; and increase access to home therapies," stated Johnson. "People with kidney disease deserve the best care and hope for a better life. At DCI, we work for patients each day to transform kidney care."

DCI, founded in 1971, is the nation's largest non-profit dialysis provider addressing a person's kidney care needs from early detection, intervention, dialysis treatment, transplantation and end of life care. Headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, DCI operates more than 250 dialysis clinics in 28 states. DCI clinics offer in-center hemodialysis, home hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and support to hospital programs around the U.S. DCI founded REACH Kidney Care to provide strategies to manage chronic kidney disease to help delay the progression of kidney disease and provide education and care coordination to those transitioning into kidney failure. DCI started DCI Donor Services to save and enhance lives through organ and tissue donation and transplantation.

Learn more about Dialysis Clinic, Inc., at https://www.dciinc.org/
Learn more about REACH Kidney Care at https://www.reachkidneycare.org/