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Book details the beginnings of organized kidney care
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Christopher R. Blagg, MD, world-renowned nephrologist, narrates the evolving story of the early years of the Northwest Kidney Center in his recently released book From Miracle to Mainstream: Creating the World’s First Dialysis Organization. We are there as Blagg details the many challenges he faced with his medical team and first patients in the early 1960s. The emerging dialysis setting included the involvement of the community, particularly hospitals, locally and nationally.
As we walk alongside Blagg, he narrates the background of the famous Patient Selection Committee. In 1962, Shana Alexander, a journalist from Life magazine, was sent to learn about this committee. After extensive research, her article was published and was titled “Who lives, who dies.” It was accompanied by a photograph of the committee members in silhouette to protect their identity. The article sparked a national interest in what today is bioethics.
Along with the effort involved in starting the first dialysis center, Blagg provides a comprehensive history of the scientific processes that develop dialysis treatment. The art of medicine is often hidden behind the science and excitement of learning to treat patients’ ailments. News headlines celebrated the advances and breakthroughs. The setbacks are mentioned and addressed in different ways by different practitioners from the West Coast to the East Coast. Thus, we see brilliant minds offering solutions in an emerging field. This developing area of medicine provided fertile ground for nourishing the talents and education of upcoming nephrologists.
Rarely do we think about how creative and innovative our medical teams need to be to address ongoing clinical issues, ranging from medical devices to policies. Resources and funding options loomed overhead in the early years as they continue to do today.
Even new medical directors and their teams are constantly competing for resources and designing ways to effectively address a burgeoning patient population. We eavesdrop on the early professional meetings of the 1960s and early 1970s through conference summaries and papers presented on yearly accomplishments that document the advances in renal care.
The mission of restoring renal consumers to a better quality of life is the main focus of this compelling narrative. Not all patients are able to return to work, yet most find satisfaction with their new lifestyles and treatment routines. Blagg supports returning to as normal a life as possible by participating in family and community activities through employment or volunteerism.
Blagg, a long-time, staunch supporter of dialysis care at home, maintains this is the most effective modality. Whether treatment is peritoneal dialysis or hemodialysis, home care contains the cost of providing care while addressing the patient’s autonomy, independence, involvement and education. This includes a network of family and friends. Blagg emphasizes the participation of regional foundations in the dialysis process, from funding to overall support. This approach encourages patients and health care providers to work together in treating this chronic illness.
From Miracle to Mainstream: Creating the World’s First Dialysis Organization is an all-encompassing history of dialysis. It serves as a reference handbook for today’s nephrologists and health care teams continuing the herculean task of providing life-support and quality of life to the renal consumer.
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- Jennifer Castillo is a member of Nephrology News & Issues Editorial Advisory Board and is on peritoneal dialysis. She lives in San Francisco.