Healthcare Company Makes it Easy For Dialysis Patients to Travel
July 29 2011 - 9:00AM
Business Wire
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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