People on kidney dialysis need life-sustaining therapy typically three days a week, so many patients resist the urge to travel because of their uncertainty about their treatments away from home. Today it’s easy and safe to arrange for dialysis at a clinic near their destination.

Summer is quickly coming to an end and dialysis patients may want to squeeze in a trip to Cape Cod, the Jersey shore, or the Carolinas before the season is over. As fall approaches, they may be tempted to take in the foliage in New England or the Smokey Mountains, or plan a getaway to New Orleans, Las Vegas, or Orlando.

Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA), the nation's leading network of dialysis facilities, encourages all dialysis patients, whether they are FMCNA patients or not, to enjoy travel and take vacations across the U.S. and abroad by utilizing its free Patient Travel Service.

"As autumn approaches, we want to remind dialysis patients how easy it is to schedule treatments at their travel destinations,” said Patrick Henry, senior manager of the Fresenius Medical Care Patient Travel Service. “We set up everything so patients can focus on living life to the fullest without having to worry about where and how to get dialysis."

FMCNA’s Patient Travel Service provides free assistance in locating and scheduling dialysis treatment for all patients traveling in the United States, Puerto Rico and abroad. The Patient Travel Service is a specialized group that handles treatment reservations for dialysis patients who travel, and its services are available to all patients, whether or not their primary dialysis facility is part of the FMCNA network.

Patients, clinical staff or social workers can arrange dialysis by calling the Patient Travel Service at 1-866-4DIALYSIS (1-866-434-2597, Option 2) or visiting www.ultracare-dialysis.com to get help finding a convenient facility at their travel destination. They also can get answers to general questions about traveling as a dialysis patient. Spanish-speaking phone representatives are available. There is no charge for this service. For the best results, patients are encouraged to make their travel plans well in advance of their trip.

Dialysis patient Bill Young and his wife, Ann, recently used the Patient Travel Service before heading to Dallas, Puerto Rico and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

“The Patient Travel Service has been a big help for Ann and me as we plan our trips to visit family and friends by taking the worry out of getting my treatment,” Young said. “We encourage dialysis patients to use the service so they can continue traveling and not let a thing like dialysis stop them from enjoying the pleasures that travel offers.”

FMCNA said patients use the travel service primarily for vacations and family visits, but “snowbirds” also arrange treatment when they head to warmer climates for extended visits during winter. The company also has noticed an emerging trend in which more patients are taking road trips that are closer to home due to the rising costs of fuel and airfares.

Dialysis is a life-sustaining process that cleans waste products from the blood, removes extra fluids, and controls the body’s chemistry when a person’s kidneys fail. Dialysis patients typically require treatment on an ongoing basis unless they receive a kidney transplant.

About Fresenius Medical Care

Fresenius Medical Care (NYSE: FMS) is the world’s leading company devoted to patient-oriented renal therapy. Through more than 2,700 clinics in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Africa, we provide kidney dialysis treatments to approximately 210,000 patients worldwide. We are also the world's leading maker of dialysis products such as hemodialysis machines, dialyzers and related disposable products. Chronic kidney failure is a condition that affects about 1.9 million individuals worldwide.

For more information about the company’s more than 1,800 U.S. dialysis facilities, visit www.ultracare-dialysis.com (in English and Spanish). For more information about Fresenius Medical Care, visit www.fmc-ag.com or www.fmcna.com.

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