Fresenius Medical Care North America Prepares Dialysis Patients as Hurricane Laura Approaches Gulf Coast
24-hour Emergency Hotline Activated at 1-800-626-1297; All Dialysis Patients Welcome Regardless of Provider
WALTHAM, Mass. – August 26, 2020 - Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA), the nation’s leading provider of dialysis products and services, has activated its national disaster response team to ensure continuity of care as Hurricane Laura bears down on the Gulf Coast in Texas and Louisiana.
Any person in need of life-sustaining dialysis, or who may have questions about where to receive care before, during, or after the storm, should call Fresenius Kidney Care’s 24-hour Emergency Hotline at 1-800-626-1297. This service is available for any dialysis patient in the impacted region regardless of their care provider.
"We are committed to ensuring that every person in need of dialysis can receive care regardless of their usual provider and the impact of the storm,” said Bob Loeper, Vice President for Operations Support and Business Continuity at FMCNA. “Our patients are especially vulnerable due to kidney failure and the need for regular treatments. We have mobilized our response team to prepare for this storm and to respond immediately afterwards.”
Disaster response team members have brought in gasoline, diesel, generators, trucks, water, and supplies and are testing generators, securing facilities, and sandbagging where necessary. For patients who typically administer their own dialysis treatment at home, staff are prepared to deliver necessary supplies and check-in as needed.
Fresenius Kidney Care has been ensuring patients receive treatment prior to the storm by extending hours or moving patients to other clinics outside the evacuated areas. Patients are provided emergency kits and instructions for touching base with their care teams during and after the storm and for securing treatment should their normal dialysis center be severely damaged.
People living with kidney failure require dialysis treatment every two to three days to stay alive and healthy and are among the most vulnerable during a disaster. More than 78,000 people in Louisiana and Texas are living with kidney failure on dialysis.
Learn more about the company’s disaster relief efforts at https://fmcna.com/disaster.
About Fresenius Kidney Care
Fresenius Kidney Care, a division of Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA), provides dialysis treatment and support services to more than 200,000 people with kidney disease every year whether in their own homes or at more than 2,400 facilities nationwide. Fresenius Kidney Care’s dedicated teams help address the physical and emotional aspects of kidney disease through personalized care, education, and lifestyle support services. For more information about Fresenius Kidney Care, visit www.FreseniusKidneyCare.com.
About Fresenius Medical Care North America
Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) is the premier healthcare company focused on providing the highest quality care to people with renal and other chronic conditions. Through its industry-leading network of dialysis facilities and outpatient cardiac and vascular labs, Fresenius Medical Care North America provides coordinated healthcare 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 https://fmcna.com/.
