Gulf Coast Dialysis Caregivers, Volunteers Brace for Hurricane Ike; Prepare to Maintain Power, Continued Access for Patients to Life-Saving...( National Dialysis Providers Patie...),Health

National Dialysis Providers, Patient Advocates Work with Local Kidney Community to Prepare for Storm's Impact

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the highest per capita population of kidney failure patients in the nation, the Gulf Coast region is bracing to avoid a potential healthcare crisis as Hurricane Ike nears, threatening to disrupt the administration of life-saving dialysis treatments to area dialysis patients. These individuals' lives depend on three dialysis treatments a week, which involve water, electricity and a highly trained medical staff to perform the treatment.

In order to prepare for the effects of the storms, the Gulf Coast kidney community is working vigorously with area doctors, nurses, dialysis technicians and others through the national Kidney Care Partners (KCP) network to ensure that any patients in need of care as the storm potentially hits are quickly located, identified and prepared for their treatments. This includes working with hundreds of local volunteers to:

-- Secure high-capacity generators with the capability to fully power area dialysis machines

-- Ensure that sufficient medical supplies are available in case of vendor transportation problems

-- Provide information to patients about facility locations in surrounding areas and identify alternate dialysis locations for any potentially damaged centers

-- Move fuel, generators and mobile homes to affected areas to serve as temporary housing for facility staff if necessary

-- Coordinate transportation for patients and dialysis facility staff in need of assistance

-- Arrange for volunteer staff to temporarily relocate to affected areas as needed

"We are impressed by and proud to be involved with the Gulf Coast kidney community's advance readiness efforts to ensure that its kidney patients will be well cared for during this potential weather crisis," said Dr. Ed Jones, a practicing nephrolog
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