Fresenius Responds to Tornado in Louisville, Mississippi
Nation’s
Leading Dialysis Provider Assures Continued Patient Care for Affected Areas
WALTHAM, Mass. – May 2, 2014 – Although the Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA) clinic
located in Louisville, Miss., was severely damaged by this week’s tornado, the
company is pleased to report that all of its patients and employees at the
facility are accounted for and safe, even though some were personally impacted
by the tornado, which caused power outages and significant property damage.
FMCNA, the nation’s leading network of
dialysis facilities, is working overtime to respond to the tornado and begin
the rebuilding process. The clinic will be temporarily closed for repairs, but
patients will continue to be cared for at other nearby facilities by the same
physicians and nurses that they regularly see at Fresenius Medical Care Winston
County.
“The staff members at our facility have
shown to be truly invaluable in the wake of the tornado,” said Thomas J. Dunn,
D.O., medical director of Fresenius Medical Care Winston County. “Their efforts
to ensure that all our patients have been accounted for and transported to
nearby clinics in a timely manner illustrate the commitment each of them has to
helping others.”
All calls have been routed to Fresenius
Medical Care Noxubee County. Patients with questions can call 662-726-9866.
“We’re doing everything we can to ensure
uninterrupted dialysis treatments for patients,” said Lisa Fontenot, FMCNA’s
regional vice president for Mississippi and the Northeast Louisiana region.
“Fortunately, our advance preparation for situations like this gives us a head
start in planning how to respond quickly and effectively.”
While storms and other natural disasters can
be inconvenient and even life-threatening for entire communities, they pose an
especially serious health threat to dialysis patients whose treatments are
delayed by electrical power outages, flooding or an inability to access their
normal treatment locations. Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD)
typically need dialysis treatment every two days to clean waste products from
their blood, remove extra fluids and control their bodies’ chemistry after
their kidneys have failed.
For more information on FMCNA’s disaster
response efforts and important tips to help patients prepare for any emergency,
visit FMCNA’s Disaster Response website.
About
Fresenius Medical Care North America
Through its leading network of more than
2,150 dialysis facilities in North America and vascular access centers,
laboratory, pharmacy and affiliated hospitals and nephrology practices,
Fresenius Medical Care provides renal services to hundreds of thousands of
people throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada. It is also the
continent’s top producer of dialysis equipment, dialyzers and related
disposable products and a major supplier of renal pharmaceuticals.