Northwest Kidney Centers to Host Community Open House May 30

Northwest Kidney Centers’ new dialysis clinic in Enumclaw will host a community open house from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, May 30, 2013. The public is invited to attend the free event, which will include tours and refreshments. A short program featuring U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert (R-8th District) will begin at 5 p.m.

Northwest Kidney Centers Enumclaw, at 857 Roosevelt Ave. E., includes five dialysis stations that can serve up to 30 patients. The new center brings dialysis services closer to the residents of Enumclaw, who previously had to drive at least 18 miles to the nearest dialysis centers in Auburn, Puyallup, Tacoma or Federal Way.

Northwest Kidney Centers invested more than $2 million in the building, which was vacated by the U.S. Forest Service.

Dialysis patients visit the center three times a week for a three- to four-hour dialysis treatment. Dialysis replaces the function of healthy kidneys for those with chronic kidney failure – using a machine to filter wastes and extra fluid from the bloodstream. Without dialysis or a kidney transplant, the patients would not survive more than a week or two. With dialysis, many live well indefinitely.

Northwest Kidney Centers also offers a renal specialty pharmacy and free prescription delivery to patients. It provides an array of classes for people who have just learned their kidneys are failing, to help them delay or avoid the need for dialysis. Patients at the new Enumclaw clinic may choose to participate in studies at the Kidney Research Institute, a collaboration between Northwest Kidney Centers and UW Medicine. Those who are interested may sign up in advance to be contacted for a study looking at conditions that affect them.

For more information about the open house or Northwest Kidney Centers Enumclaw, call 360-825-2050.

About kidney disease: The leading causes of kidney disease are diabetes and high blood pressure. Certain ethnic groups are at higher risk, especially African Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, Hispanics and Native Americans. Also at risk are people with a family history of chronic kidney disease, and those who are obese or older than 60. People with a risk factor should see their doctor and get tested. A simple blood pressure check, urine test and blood test will indicate how well the kidneys are working.

Kidney disease often has no symptoms until it’s in a late stage and kidneys have been damaged. Among all adult Americans, 1 in 7 has the disease and many don’t realize it. Kidney disease has increased 30 percent in the last decade.

Northwest Kidney Centers keeps people in western Washington alive with dialysis therapy, educates the public about kidney health, and collaborates with UW Medicine in the Kidney Research Institute.

It provided 233,000 dialysis treatments last year to patients in 14 centers (Enumclaw makes 15) and 11 local hospitals. Of its 1,503 patients, 246 people give themselves dialysis treatments at home.

Northwest Kidney Centers is one of very few community-based, nonprofit dialysis providers in the country. Founded in 1962 in Seattle, it was the first out-of-hospital dialysis program in the world, and it is still a model in the field. For more information, visit www.nwkidney.org.

Information provided by Northwest Kidney Centers.