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Initiative Aims to Address the High Risks for New Dialysis Patients
WALTHAM, Mass. – June 19, 2009 - Fresenius Medical Care, which operates the nation's leading network of dialysis clinics, today endorsed the Performance Excellence and Accountability in Kidney Care (PEAK) campaign recently launched by Kidney Care Partners (KCP) – a coalition of patient advocates, dialysis professionals, care providers and manufacturers working together to improve quality of care for individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The PEAK initiative is designed to significantly reduce the mortality rate for patients in their first year of dialysis.
"The PEAK initiative is consistent with our ongoing commitment to improving the quality of care," said Dr. J. Michael Lazarus, Fresenius Medical Care’s chief medical officer. "Fresenius Medical Care has always emphasized quality of care in our facilities, and one area of concern has been the increased risk of death in the first year after starting dialysis treatment. Through our RightStart™ program, we were able to demonstrate that a structured program of prompt medical and educational strategies focused on patients in their first three months on dialysis does improve morbidity and mortality rates. So while we know that high mortality rates are a significant problem, we also know that if the entire kidney care community works together toward a common goal, we can make progress in this critical area."
Many factors contribute to first-year mortality among dialysis patients. Individuals starting dialysis face complex challenges, such as control of anemia, dietary changes, and vascular access management. They must also adjust to a demanding regular treatment schedule. During this transition period, patients are most susceptible to complications. PEAK is a quality improvement campaign that seeks to mitigate these challenges, pledging to extend, even save, as many as 10,000 lives and reduce mortality among first-year dialysis patients by 20 percent by the end of 2012.
"Improvements in quality of care have been at the top of the kidney care community’s agenda over the past 15 years. Significant progress has been made, but the PEAK initiative raises the bar for the next 10 years," said Lazarus. "It says to patients, their families, and everyone concerned with kidney disease that there is a concrete effort in place to address real problems with actual solutions, using recommendations from leading researchers and experts. At a critical time in their lives, when the risks are greatest, dialysis patients and their families can be confident that the PEAK initiative is contributing to improving the chances for survival and a better life for all dialysis patients."
About Fresenius Medical Care North America
Fresenius Medical Care North America is a subsidiary of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA, the world’s largest integrated provider of products and services for individuals undergoing dialysis because of chronic kidney failure, a condition that affects more than 1,770,000 individuals worldwide. Through its network of 2,448 dialysis clinics in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Africa, Fresenius Medical Care provides dialysis treatment to approximately 187,470 patients around the globe. Fresenius Medical Care is also the world’s leading provider of dialysis products such as hemodialysis machines, dialyzers and related disposable products. Fresenius Medical Care is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FME, FME3) and the New York Stock Exchange (FMS, FMS-p).
For more information about Fresenius Medical Care’s U.S. network of more than 1,700 dialysis facilities, visit the Company’s website at www.ultracare-dialysis.com (in English and Spanish). For more information about Fresenius Medical Care, visit the Company’s websites: www.fmcna.com or www.fmc-ag.com.
