FMCNA Emergency Response Plans Ensure Access to Dialysis Treatments
Company
Offers Tips to Help Patients Prepare for Severe Winter Storms
WALTHAM,
Mass. – Dec. 15, 2014 – Weather forecasters aren’t
expecting another “Polar Vortex” to create widespread sub-zero temperatures
across the United States this winter. But they are expecting a weak “El Nino”
ocean-warming pattern over the eastern Pacific Ocean to contribute to
above-average precipitation across the southern and eastern states, as well as
colder-than average temperatures along the eastern seaboard and Gulf Coast.
When severe weather hits, access to
treatment can be a matter of life and death for dialysis patients, who require
life-sustaining treatment typically three times a week to remove waste products
and extra fluids from their blood after their kidneys have failed.
In anticipation of the coming winter’s
blizzards, flooding and other weather-related emergencies, some of which could
potentially interrupt treatments for its more than 174,000 North American
dialysis patients, Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA), continues to
update and refine its extensive disaster-response plans. FMCNA, the nation’s
leading network of dialysis facilities, works closely throughout the year with
local governments and community organizations such as the Kidney Community
Emergency Response (KCER) Coalition to ensure that patients will be able to
continue receiving uninterrupted treatments, medical supplies, medicines and
lab services during emergencies.
To ensure that the needs of both patients
and FMCNA clinical staff are met in times of emergency, the company’s Incident
Command Team maintains a fleet of fully-equipped recreational vehicles and
tractor trailers, as well as generators, fuel, food and medical supplies that
can be quickly deployed following a natural disaster. It also activates an
Emergency Hotline during disasters to help affected patients with emergency
plans or information on arranging treatment at alternate facilities.
“Our emergency response plans have helped
thousands of Fresenius Medical Care patients and staff prepare for, and
successfully weather the impacts of hurricanes, floods, tornados and the most
severe winter storms,” said Bill Numbers, FMCNA senior vice president of
operations shared services and incident commander for disaster response and
planning. “Our ultimate goal is always to ensure our patients’ welfare, even in
the most difficult circumstances.”
Weathering
Winter Emergencies
FMCNA recommends that dialysis patients
prepare for winter storms and weather emergencies with:
Planning: Create a disaster
preparedness plan ahead of time with your dialysis care team and family.
Contacts: Keep a list of emergency
contacts and personal information with you at all times, including ID,
insurance, type of dialysis treatment
you’re on and a list of medications and allergies.
Forecasts: Monitor local weather
forecasts, and be in touch with your dialysis facility when bad weather
threatens.
Supplies: Pre-pack a bag with
first-aid kit, flashlight and batteries, blankets, radio, cell phone and
medications.
Food: Store three days of food
that is compliant with your dialysis diet.
Transport: Arrange backup transport
(for in-center dialysis patients) to your treatment clinic with friends,
neighbors or family members.
Training: Review the directions given
during training (for home dialysis patients) on how to continue dialysis when
the power is out.
Insulin: Adjust insulin dosage (for
diabetics) as directed by a doctor if severe storms or flooding are imminent.
Patients seeking emergency help should call
FMCNA’s toll-free Patient Emergency Hotline (activated during disasters) at:
1-800-626-1297.
About
Fresenius Medical Care North America