In anticipation of Tropical Storm Karen, Fresenius
Medical Care North America (FMCNA), the nation’s leading network of dialysis
facilities, has activated its Incident
Command Team to begin implementing plans to ensure continued patient
care throughout the Gulf Coast, which may be affected by the storm.
While storms and other natural disasters can be inconvenient and even
life-threatening for entire communities, they pose an especially serious
health threat to dialysis patients whose treatments are delayed by
flooding, electrical power outages or an inability to access their
normal treatment locations. Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD)
typically need dialysis treatment every two days to clean waste products
from their blood and remove extra fluids because their kidneys have
failed.
The Fresenius Medical Care Incident Command Team, assisted by
divisional, technical and regional employees, works closely with local
governments and community organizations such as the Kidney
Community Emergency Response (KCER) Coalition to prepare for and
respond quickly to a variety of disasters. FMCNA is ready to deliver a
variety of supplies, including generators, fuel, bottled water and
meals, to facilities and employees affected by this storm. FMCNA staff
are also providing extra treatment shifts for patients at clinics
anticipated to be affected by the storm, including clinics that
may be required to close.
Patients seeking help with emergency plans or more information about
arranging treatment at alternate dialysis clinics should call their
local facility.
FMCNA recommends that dialysis patients have the following plans in
place:
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Phone numbers. Keep an emergency contacts list, and call
your dialysis facility when bad weather threatens.
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Disaster plan. Talk to your dialysis care team and family ahead
of time about what to do in a disaster. Monitor local weather
forecasts.
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Emergency supplies. Pre-pack a first-aid kit, flashlight and
batteries, blankets, radio, cell phone, food, can opener and
medications.
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Transportation. In-center patients should arrange with a
friend, neighbor or family member for backup transportation to their
clinic.
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Power outages. Home dialysis patients should follow the
directions given during home training for continuing dialysis in an
emergency.
-
Adjust insulin. Diabetics should ask their doctor how to adjust
their insulin dosage if severe flooding or storms are forecast for
their area.
FMCNA dialysis clinics are equipped with emergency backup electrical
generators to ensure that critical patient care continues in the event
of a power outage. If necessary, dialysis treatments also can be
provided at alternate facilities for patients – including those from
other dialysis companies – whose regular clinics are temporarily
unavailable.
“Advance preparation helps us to ensure uninterrupted dialysis
treatments for our patients,” said Bill Numbers, Vice President of
Operations Support and Incident Commander for Disaster Response and
Planning. “FMCNA’s resources and national partnerships give us the
ability to coordinate the delivery of resources from across the country
to any locale within hours of a disaster.”
FMCNA’s natural disaster response plan has been tested and validated
many times in recent years, from Hurricanes Sandy, Ike and Katrina, to
last year’s series of severe thunderstorms, which left a trail of
property destruction and power outages stretching from Illinois to New
Jersey. As part of its business plan for continuous quality improvement,
the company has incorporated the lessons learned from each of these
events to improve its processes, resulting in very effective disaster
response capabilities.
For more information on FMCNA’s disaster response efforts and important
tips to help patients prepare for any emergency, visit FMCNA’s
Disaster Response website.
About Fresenius Medical Care North America
Through our
leading network of more than 2,150 dialysis facilities in North America
and our vascular access centers, laboratory, pharmacy and affiliated
hospitals and nephrology practices, Fresenius Medical Care provides
renal services to hundreds of thousands of people throughout the United
States, Mexico and Canada. We are also the continent’s top producer of
dialysis equipment, dialyzers and related disposable products and a
major supplier of renal pharmaceuticals.
For more information about the company, visit www.fmcna.com;
for information about patient services, visit www.ultracare-dialysis.com.
Copyright Business Wire 2013