Fresenius Medical Care North America Significantly Reduces Mortality and Hospitalization for Dialysis Patients

FMCNA TO PRESENT FINDINGS AT THE NATIONAL KIDNEY FOUNDATION 2016 SPRING CLINICAL MEETINGS | FMCNA

WALTHAM, Mass. — April. 25, 2016 — Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA), the continent’s leading provider of kidney care products and services, announced today that the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) accepted a significant number of abstracts authored by FMCNA clinicians and caregivers for presentation at the 2016 Spring Clinical Meetings and publication in the journals affiliated with NKF. The general meeting is scheduled from April 28th to May 1st in Boston and is expected to attract more than 3,000 leading kidney professionals.

These presentations are efforts aimed to enhance quality of life and outcomes of care delivered to patients with chronic kidney diseases and fall into eight categories:

• Leveraging coordinated care paradigms to improve patient outcomes
• Seeking methods to help patients who dialyze at home
• Customizing therapies to patients’ geographic locations
• Using technology and science to improve patient care
• Decreasing hemodialysis catheter exposure
• Obtaining a holistic view of patients to better their outcomes
• Discerning patient profiles during transition from CKD to ESRD
• Understanding how Hepatitis C affects dialysis patient characteristics and hospitalizations

Our clinical research and pilot programs continue to result in improved quality of life, fewer hospitalizations, reduced health care complications, better patient outcomes, and more efficient care delivery,” said Dr. Frank Maddux, FMCNA Chief Medical Officer and Executive VP, Clinical and Scientific Affairs. “These initiatives help to fulfill our mission to improve the lives of every patient, every day and to lead the industry in advancing the care that’s provided to patients with chronic illnesses.

Highlights of key presentations involving FMCNA’s staff at the NKF 2016 Spring Clinical Meetings include:

• Vascular Access Process Metrics as a Novel Identifier in the Dialysis Access Care Continuum; This study investigated how a vascular access care coordination program and novel tracking metrics can assist in increasing fistula rates, decreasing catheter exposure, and identification of rate limiting steps in the dialysis access care continuum. This poster (number 297) will be presented by Walead Latif, DO, MBA, Medical Director, Fresenius Vascular Care.
• The Impact of Urbanicity and Geography on Nutritional Status in Dialysis Patients; This study investigated how dialysis patients’ nutritional status is associated with differences in geographical residence and urban and non-urban settings. This poster (number 375) will be presented by Yue Jiao, PhD, Senior Statistical Scientific Liaison, FMCNA.
• Association between Sleep Quality and Health Related Quality of Life in Hemodialysis Patients Enrolled in a Social Worker Quality Improvement Program; The Social Worker Quality Improvement program enrolls patients identified to benefit from enhanced social worker care and this study investigated the associations between sleep quality and quality of life outcomes in this cohort of patients. This poster (number 243) will be presented by Nien-Chen Li, Biostatistician, FMCNA.

Fresenius Medical Care presents the results of research endeavors at the National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meetings each year to further the advancement of the quality of kidney care and improve patient outcomes.

About Fresenius Medical Care North America
Fresenius Medical Care North America is the premier health care company focused on providing the highest quality care to people with renal and other chronic conditions. Through its industry-leading network of dialysis facilities, outpatient cardiac and vascular labs, and urgent care centers, as well as the country’s largest practice of hospitalist and post-acute providers, Fresenius Medical Care provides coordinated health care services at pivotal care points for hundreds of thousands of chronically ill customers throughout the continent. As the world’s largest fully integrated renal company, it offers specialty pharmacy and laboratory services, and manufactures and distributes the most comprehensive line of dialysis equipment, disposable products, and renal pharmaceuticals. For more information, visit the FMCNA website at www.freseniusmedicalcare.us. For information about patient services, visit www.freseniuskidneycare.com.

About the National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meetings
For 25 years, nephrology healthcare professionals from across the country have come to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Spring Clinical Meetings to learn about the newest developments related to all aspects of nephrology practice, network with colleagues, and present their research findings. The NKF Spring Clinical Meetings is designed for meaningful change in the multidisciplinary healthcare teams’ skills, performance, and patient health outcomes. It is the only conference of its kind that focuses on translating science into practice for the entire healthcare team. For more information about the society, visit https://www.kidney.org.