Dialysis Clinic, Inc.

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Dialysis Clinic, Inc. is a nonprofit medical corporation founded in 1971 and chartered as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization under IRS regulations.

Contents

It was founded for care and research of patients with kidney disease and supports activities in kidney transplant and dialysis across the US. It is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee.

History

Inception

Dialysis Clinic, Inc. (DCI) was founded in 1971 by Dr. Keith Johnson.

In December 1970, things were beginning to take shape. Upon incorporation, the decision had to be made whether DCI would be for-profit or nonprofit. Dr. Johnson and his team unanimously decided on the non-profit status and also determined that any excess revenues generated would be used for research and education in the field of kidney disease or in other ways that would benefit people with kidney disease. Just five months later, in April 1971, Dialysis Clinic, Incorporated, was established, a location was secured for the first clinic, negotiations were held with the hospital to move the patients over to the new facility, and patients began dialyzing. [1]

The first DCI clinic was housed in a 1,000 square foot, refurbished home on 21st Avenue in Nashville, Tennessee. In 1971, with DCI’s first clinic already operating, there was no Medicare funding and most patients still did not have insurance to cover the cost of treatment. Dr. Johnson and his staff asked Kentucky Fried Chicken for KFC buckets to collect donations. Then the staff placed pictures of patients on their red and white buckets. On Saturday and Sunday afternoons, the staff made their way to the busiest intersections in Nashville. On a good weekend, they could raise $10,000 to help pay for treatments, but it would only last for so long and then they would be out conducting road blocks again. In 1973, the Medicare ESRD Program began, and thousands of dialysis patients across the U.S. were able to receive treatment that was and still is paid for by that program. [1]

In 2016

In 2016, DCI operated more than 235 dialysis clinics, not including the acute facilities within hospitals. It is the fourth largest dialysis provider in the US. [2] DCI employed more than 5,000 people and served more than 15,000 patients across 28 states. DCI is the only leading dialysis provider to have remained under its own control since its founding. [3] It has successfully remained non-profit and has had the lowest standard mortality rates and standard hospitalization rates among large dialysis providers for the past 13 years. [4] DCI today operates under the mission: "We are a Non-Profit Service Organization. The Care of the Patient is Our Reason for Existence."

DCI Donor Services

Facilitating kidney and other organ and tissue donation was the logical next step in the vertical integration of DCI as the comprehensive care provider for those in need of organ and tissue transplants. To accomplish this purpose, DCI established DCI Donor Services (DCIDS) as an independent nonprofit company. [5] In 2016, it operated three organ procurement organizations: Tennessee Donor Services, New Mexico Donor Services, and Sierra Donor Services, in California, and one tissue bank: DCI Donor Services Tissue Bank.

DCI Laboratory

DCI Laboratory, founded in 1988 as a division of Dialysis Clinic, Inc., is a laboratory responding specifically to the needs of dialysis patients. DCI's laboratory division was established in response to nephrologists’ request for personnel and instrumentation in tune with the dialysis community. DCI Laboratory provides services and testing technologies for health care providers and their ESRD patients, including:

DCI Partnership with Tufts Medical Center

Location

The Dialysis Clinic, Inc.'s partner location with Tufts Medical Center is located adjacent to Tufts Medical Center and their Nephrology division at 35 Kneeland St, 5th floor, Boston, MA 02111.

Mission

The care of the patient is the reason for Dialysis Clinic, Inc.'s existence. The values of non-profit, quality, integrity, service, and leadership drive Dialysis Clinic, Inc. towards this goal. The group looks to be the quality leader in the kidney community, save lives, and reduce hospitalizations, and empower each patient to live their best possible life. [7]

Patients and Communities Served

Tufts Medical Center and the Dialysis Clinic, Inc. provide care to patients with chronic kidney disease in the Boston area. Patients undergoing dialysis at Tufts Medical Center suffer from End-State Renal Disease.

Tufts Medical Center Division of Nephrology History

Tufts Medical Center has been providing kidney care in Boston since 1971. [8] William B. Schwartz founded the Division of Nephrology at Tufts University School of Medicine and the New England Medical Center's division of Nephrology in 1950. Schwartz was an integral part of the Division of Nephrology at Tufts Medical Center, remaining involved with the group until 1976. Between 1976 and 1986, Tufts Medical Center began several programs within the Nephrology division and engaged in multiple affiliations at a variety of hospitals including St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Brighton, MA. [9] Tufts University School of Medicine and the Division of Nephrology have been extremely influential since the group's inception in the research space, specifically in relation to diet and other affects human habits have on kidney health. In 1986 Tufts Medical Center partnered with Dialysis Clinic, Inc. to extend its efforts of providing care to patients with chronic kidney disease. [8]

Tufts Medical Center's Impact on DCI's Development of Kidney Care

One of the most notable practices that Tufts Medical Center engaged in after 1976 was the publishing of the "Nephrology Forum" in Kidney International. Nephrology Forum was the most widely-recognized global nephrology update and continued for 27 years with 326 forums being held.

In 1986, Tufts Medical Center formally announced their partnership with the Not-for-profit dialysis provider, Dialysis Clinic, Inc. Since 1986, Tufts Medical Center and Dialysis Clinic, Inc. have been able to achieve several remarkable milestones.

One of the most beneficial aspects of the partnership has been Tufts Medical Center's ability to conduct numerous studies on Chronic Kidney Disease treatments and their effects on the health of patients with Chronic Kidney Disease. In 1991, Tufts Medical Center and Dialysis Clinic, Inc. studies the transmission of the Hepatits C virus by organ transplantation. From 1992-2003, Tufts Medical Center in conjunction with Dialysis Clinic, Inc. was able to study the effect of dialysis dose and membrane flux in maintenance of hemodialysis. By having the opportunity to study how varying dialysis doses along with permeability of the dialyzer membrane (membrane flux), Dialysis Clinic, Inc.'s partnership with Tufts Medical Center allowed them to provide more effective care to patients undergoing hemodialysis. The ability for Tufts Medical Center to perform nephrology research and other areas of kidney care has allowed Dialysis Clinic, Inc. to provide its patients with Chronic Kidney Disease with a higher level of care.

In 1994, Tufts Medical Center and Dialysis Clinic, Inc. were able to implement patients based outcome assessments. The partnership monitored and studied both dialysis patient's health status and their patients satisfaction with their hemodialysis treatment, further elevating the level of care being provided.

In 1995, Tufts Medical Center began the practice of comprehensive electronic medical record for Dialysis Clinic, Inc. nationally. The establishment of a national electronic health record system allowed for a standardization of medical records for Dialysis Clinic nationally, increasing interoperability between practice locations.

In 1998, Tufts Medical Center published research on the effects of Chronic Kidney Disease as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The findings of research have noticed impacts Chronic Kidney Disease can have on increasing risks for Cardiovascular disease. Because of this, Dialysis Clinic, Inc. now provides recommendations for nutritional habits to mitigate potential risks for Cardiovascular disease as a result of Chronic Kidney Disease

In 2000, Tufts Medical Center published research on pre-dialysis care and how optimized care prior to beginning dialysis can improve dialysis results.

Since 2000, Tufts Medical Center has conducted numerous studies in the Nephrology space. As a result of this, Dialysis Clinic, Inc. has been able to implement research findings to provide a superior product of care for its dialysis patients. [9]

Office of Clinical Research

DCI’s Office of Clinical Research was established in 2007 to review all studies (industry or investigator-initiated) being proposed to be conducted in DCI facilities to ensure the research is scientifically rigorous and valid and that the appropriate procedures for human protections are being followed. In 2016, the Office of Clinical Research now played a major role in facilitating multisite projects through identifying and confirming participation from the clinics and investigators that are best suited to a particular project, preparing budgets and IRB documents, orchestrating data transfers from the Medical Information System (MIS) and serving as a liaison between study Sponsors, individual investigators/research sites, and the dialysis staff. [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nephrology</span> Medical study concerned with the kidneys

Nephrology is a specialty of adult internal medicine and pediatric medicine that concerns the study of the kidneys, specifically normal kidney function and kidney disease, the preservation of kidney health, and the treatment of kidney disease, from diet and medication to renal replacement therapy. The word "renal" is an adjective meaning "relating to the kidneys", and its roots are French or late Latin. Whereas according to some opinions, "renal" and "nephro" should be replaced with "kidney" in scientific writings such as "kidney medicine" or "kidney replacement therapy", other experts have advocated preserving the use of renal and nephro as appropriate including in "nephrology" and "renal replacement therapy", respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kidney dialysis</span> Removal of nitrogenous waste and toxins from the body in place of or to augment the kidney

Kidney dialysis is the process of removing excess water, solutes, and toxins from the blood in people whose kidneys can no longer perform these functions naturally. This is referred to as renal replacement therapy. The first successful dialysis was performed in 1943.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kidney failure</span> Disease where the kidneys fail to adequately filter waste products from the blood

Kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease, is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney failure is classified as either acute kidney failure, which develops rapidly and may resolve; and chronic kidney failure, which develops slowly and can often be irreversible. Symptoms may include leg swelling, feeling tired, vomiting, loss of appetite, and confusion. Complications of acute and chronic failure include uremia, hyperkalaemia, and volume overload. Complications of chronic failure also include heart disease, high blood pressure, and anaemia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uremia</span> Type of kidney disease, urea in the blood

Uremia is the term for high levels of urea in the blood. Urea is one of the primary components of urine. It can be defined as an excess in the blood of amino acid and protein metabolism end products, such as urea and creatinine, which would be normally excreted in the urine. Uremic syndrome can be defined as the terminal clinical manifestation of kidney failure. It is the signs, symptoms and results from laboratory tests which result from inadequate excretory, regulatory, and endocrine function of the kidneys. Both uremia and uremic syndrome have been used interchangeably to denote a very high plasma urea concentration that is the result of renal failure. The former denotation will be used for the rest of the article.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemodialysis</span> Medical procedure for purifying blood

Hemodialysis, also spelled haemodialysis, or simply dialysis, is a process of purifying the blood of a person whose kidneys are not working normally. This type of dialysis achieves the extracorporeal removal of waste products such as creatinine and urea and free water from the blood when the kidneys are in a state of kidney failure. Hemodialysis is one of three renal replacement therapies. An alternative method for extracorporeal separation of blood components such as plasma or cells is apheresis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chronic kidney disease</span> Medical condition

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a type of kidney disease in which a gradual loss of kidney function occurs over a period of months to years. Initially generally no symptoms are seen, but later symptoms may include leg swelling, feeling tired, vomiting, loss of appetite, and confusion. Complications can relate to hormonal dysfunction of the kidneys and include high blood pressure, bone disease, and anemia. Additionally CKD patients have markedly increased cardiovascular complications with increased risks of death and hospitalization.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Home hemodialysis</span>

Home hemodialysis (HHD) is the provision of hemodialysis to purify the blood of a person whose kidneys are not working normally, in their own home. One advantage to doing dialysis at home is that it can be done more frequently and slowly, which reduces the "washed out" feeling and other symptoms caused by rapid ultrafiltration, and it can often be done at night, while the person is sleeping.

Renal osteodystrophy is currently defined as an alteration of bone morphology in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). It is one measure of the skeletal component of the systemic disorder of chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder (CKD-MBD). The term "renal osteodystrophy" was coined in 1943, 60 years after an association was identified between bone disease and kidney failure.

Artificial kidney is often a synonym for hemodialysis, but may also refer to the other renal replacement therapies that are in use and/or in development. This article deals mainly with bioengineered kidneys/bioartificial kidneys that are grown from renal cell lines/renal tissue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calciphylaxis</span> Medical condition

Calciphylaxis, also known as calcific uremic arteriolopathy (CUA) or “Grey Scale”, is a rare syndrome characterized by painful skin lesions. The pathogenesis of calciphylaxis is unclear but believed to involve calcification of the small blood vessels located within the fatty tissue and deeper layers of the skin, blood clots, and eventual death of skin cells due to lack of blood flow. It is seen mostly in people with end-stage kidney disease but can occur in the earlier stages of chronic kidney disease and rarely in people with normally functioning kidneys. Calciphylaxis is a rare but serious disease, believed to affect 1-4% of all dialysis patients. It results in chronic non-healing wounds and indicates poor prognosis, with typical life expectancy of less than one year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northwest Kidney Centers</span>

Northwest Kidney Centers is a regional, not-for-profit community-based provider of kidney dialysis, public health education, and research into the causes and treatments of chronic kidney disease. Established in Seattle in 1962, it was the world's first out-of-hospital dialysis provider. It offers dialysis throughout the greater Seattle area in 20 free-standing clinics, eight hospitals and its home dialysis program. It opened its first clinic in Everett in 2020, the organization's first in Snohomish county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Provenzano</span> American physician

Robert Provenzano is an American nephrologist. He is also an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at Wayne State University School of Medicine.

The Rogosin Institute is an independent, not-for-profit treatment and research center with facilities throughout New York City that treat patients with kidney disease, including dialysis and kidney transplantation; lipid disorders; and hypertension. It is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical College and is a leader in research programs for cancer and diabetes.

Nathan W. Levin is an American physician and founder of the Renal Research Institute, LLC., a research institute dedicated to improving the outcomes of patients with kidney disease, particularly those requiring dialysis. Levin is one of the most prominent and renowned figures in clinical nephrology as well as nephrology research. He has authored multiple book chapters and over 350 peer-reviewed publications, including articles in leading journals such as Nature, the New England Journal of Medicine, and The Lancet.

Kamyar Kalantar-Zadeh is an Iranian-American physician doing research in nephrology, kidney dialysis, nutrition, and epidemiology. He is best known as a specialist in kidney disease nutrition and chronic kidney disease and for his hypothesis about the longevity of individuals with chronic disease states, also known as reverse epidemiology including obesity paradox. According to this hypothesis, obesity or hypercholesterolemia may counterintuitively be protective and associated with greater survival in certain groups of people, such as elderly individuals, dialysis patients, or those with chronic disease states and wasting syndrome (cachexia), whereas normal to low body mass index or normal values of serum cholesterol may be detrimental and associated with worse mortality. Kalantar-Zadeh is also known for his expertise in kidney dialysis therapy, including incremental dialysis, as well as renal nutrition. He is the brother of Kourosh Kalantar-zadeh, who is an Australian scientist involved in research in the fields of materials sciences, nanotechnology, and transducers.

The ÇOMÜ Hospital is the biggest research and teaching hospital in the Western Marmara region of Turkey which serves the area of north Aegean and South-West Marmara regions. The current president and chief executive officer is Dr. Murat Coşar. The hospital is a 160-bed facility that provides patients with a complete range of primary and specialty care services.

Symptom targeted intervention (STI) is a clinical program being used in medical settings to help patients who struggle with symptoms of depression or anxiety or adherence to treatment plans but who are not interested in receiving outpatient mental health treatment. STI is an individualized therapeutic model and clinical program that teaches patients brief, effective ways to cope with difficult thoughts, feelings, and behaviors using evidence-based interventions. Its individualized engagement process employs techniques from solution-focused therapy, using a Rogerian, patient-centered philosophy. This engagement process ensures that even challenging, at-risk, and non-adherent patients are able to participate.

Sree Bhushan Raju M.D., D.M., Diplomate of National Board, is a nephrologist from Telangana, India. He is currently Senior professor and Unit head, Dept of Nephrology, Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences Panjagutta, Hyderabad. Which is one of the largest Nephrology teaching Department in India having ten DM seats. He is one of the principal investigators of CKD task force by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to evaluate the prevalence of CKD in adult urban population in India. He is currently an associate editor of Indian Journal of Nephrology, Indian Journal of Organ Transplantation and Frontiers in Medicine. He is a popular advocator of Public Health and early detection of non-communicable disease. He frequency writes editorials in various Regional and National News papers about quality of care, public health, health care systems

CSL Vifor is a global specialty pharmaceuticals company in the treatment areas of iron deficiency, dialysis, nephrology & rare disease. It is headquartered in Switzerland and consists of CSL Vifor, Vifor Fresenius Medical Care Renal Pharma (VFMCRP) and Sanifit Therapeutics.

Diaverum is a Swedish multinational healthcare organisation that provides life-enhancing renal care to patients with chronic kidney disease. The company has over 440 clinics in 23 countries, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.

References

  1. 1 2 "Dialysis Clinic, Inc. - About Us".
  2. ↑ "The largest dialysis providers in 2016: Poised for change". www.healio.com. July 10, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Dialysis Clinic, Inc. - Press Kit".
  4. ↑ "USRDS Annual Data Report" (PDF). www.usrds.org. 2015. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  5. ↑ "History - DCI Donor Services, Inc". Dcids.org. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  6. ↑ "Dialysis Clinic, Inc. - Laboratory".
  7. ↑ "Dialysis Clinic, Inc. - Our philosophy". www.dciinc.org. Retrieved 2023-12-11.
  8. 1 2 Tufts Medical Center (October 4, 2023). "Tufts Medical Center Division of Nephrology - Overview".
  9. 1 2 Tufts Medical Center, Schwartz Division of Nephrology (October 4, 2023). "William B. Schwartz Division of Nephrology: A History of Excellence in Kidney Disease Clinical Care, Research and Teaching".
  10. ↑ "Dialysis Clinic, Inc. - Office of Clinical Research".
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