Dialysis providers assess damage from Hurricane Ian
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Dialysis providers deployed disaster response teams this past week along the coast of Florida to assess the damage from Hurricane Ian while watching its path into Georgia and the Carolinas.
“Hurricane Ian impacted multiple U.S. Renal Care dialysis clinics along the west coast of Florida from Tampa to Naples, leaving many clinics without power, water, internet or phone access,” Mary Dittrich, MD, chief medical officer of U.S. Renal Care, told Healio. “Before the storm, the U.S. Renal Care emergency preparedness team worked to procure access to emergency generators and water tankers to continue providing dialysis treatment for all our patients in western Florida.”
Dittrich said the company anticipated having all the impacted clinics back open during the weekend except for one in Cape Coral “due to water access issues,” she said. “Those [patients] we regularly care for at the Cape Coral location have been contacted and will receive treatment at another local clinic.”
Hurricane Ian hit the southwestern coast of Florida on Sept. 28 as a Category 4 hurricane. Cities and towns from Tampa to Orlando faced high winds, storm surges and mandatory evacuations. More than 1.8 million customers in Florida were without power this past weekend, according to news sources.
Disaster funds
The American Kidney Fund (AKF) has activated its Disaster Relief Program to provide emergency grants to dialysis and post-transplant patients impacted by the storm.
“This funding provides essential, lifesaving support during disasters, such as this one, and it will help ease the financial burden on Floridians who are affected by Hurricane Ian,” LaVarne A. Burton, AKF president and CEO, said in a press release.
Emergency grants of $250 are available for dialysis and post-transplant patients from Orlando southward, according to the AKF. The organization may expand the area for grants as needed, Burton said.
Dialysis before the storm
U.S. Renal Care, Fresenius Kidney Care and DaVita Kidney Care told Healio they provided dialysis treatment to patients before the storm hit so that the impact of service disruption would be minimized.
“Our priority is the health and safety of our patients and colleagues,” Bill Valle, CEO of Fresenius Medical Care North America and acting president of Fresenius Kidney Care, said in a press release. “Natural disasters like this storm can have dire consequences for patients needing life-sustaining dialysis care and it’s critical we take care of our colleagues so they can take care of our patients.”
Disaster response team members brought in gasoline, diesel, generators, trucks, water and supplies, and tested generators, secured facilities and created sandbags where necessary, according to FMCNA. Staff have also delivered necessary supplies to patients on home dialysis and offered check-in as needed.
“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,” Bob Loeper, vice president for operations support and business continuity at FMCNA, said in the release.
At DaVita Kidney Care, company spokesperson Matthew Clyburn told Healio, “our primary focus right now is accounting for our patients and teammates, assessing our facilities, as well as identifying safe shelters. We are constantly assessing and evaluating the area for additional centers that can reopen and treat patients the minute they come back online,” he said.
DaVita also communicated evacuation information to patients and coordinated with other dialysis and health care providers to help ensure continuity of care for all patients. “Our local teammates provided patients with relevant medical information (prescription, dietary instructions and fluid restrictions) should they need to dialyze at a different center, and we are tracking where patients are currently and where they will receive their next treatment,” Clyburn said.
Dittrich said the company is also making sure dialysis staff are offered needed services for themselves and their families. “We are incredibly grateful and humbled by the compassion and resilience shown by the U.S. Renal Care team, particularly those in the storm’s path who are also personally impacted,” she told Healio. “It is a credit to the entire kidney community that so many have pulled together to ensure continuation of care during this crisis despite unprecedented conditions.”
References:
- American Kidney Fund activates Disaster Relief Program to support dialysis and post-transplant patients affected by Hurricane Ian in Florida. www.kidneyfund.org/article/american-kidney-fund-activates-disaster-relief-program-support-dialysis-and-post-transplant-patients-4. Published Sept. 28, 2022. Accessed Sept. 30, 2022.
- Fresenius Medical Care North America to support patients, colleagues as Hurricane Ian heads toward Florida. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fresenius-medical-care-north-america-to-support-patients-colleagues-as-hurricane-ian-heads-toward-florida-301635751.html. Published Sept. 28, 2022. Accessed Sept. 30, 2022.
- More than 1.8 million Florida customers without power. https://www.wuft.org/news/2022/09/28/more-than-1-3-million-florida-utility-customers-without-power/. Published September 28, 2022. Accessed Sept. 30, 2022.
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