Armada Medical MarketingAmanda Frank, 303-623-1190 ext. 236
, a leading provider of dialysis services for patients suffering from chronic kidney failure, is continuing a nationwide rollout of its highly successful RV CARE program to several clinics in and around Beaumont, Texas.
The Renal Ventures Coaching for Actions, Results and Empowerment (RV CARE) program being introduced in the Beaumont area marks the expansion of an already highly successful patient care initiative proven to improve the care, quality of life and overall outcomes of in-center dialysis patients.
The program was initially developed in 2009 to address the high complication and mortality rates experienced by kidney dialysis patients in the first year of treatment. Because many dialysis patients also suffer from additional health conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, there is an even greater need for intensive, personalized care.
“The first 120 days of treatment for a patient entering dialysis care are critical,” said Laura Schmidt, Director of the RV CARE Program and Director of Education at Renal Ventures. “That’s why it’s so important to engage patients in one-on-one interaction to facilitate patient education and care, and ensure coordination with facility staff. That level of interaction is what makes our program so successful.”
Once a patient is enrolled in RV CARE, they have immediate access to a Care Partner (CP), who provides one-on-one education and counseling, coordinates and monitors care and communicates regularly with the patient’s other health care providers. CPs have extensive experience with kidney disease and dialysis and advise patients about proper nutrition, types of treatment and even provide emotional support.
The pilot RV CARE program was first implemented in the Dallas market in 2009. Schmidt said the goal of the pilot program was to reduce the hospitalization and mortality and morbidity risk for newly diagnosed patients undergoing in-center hemodialysis, particularly in the first 120 days of treatment. Throughout 2010 and 2011, Renal Ventures expanded RV CARE to facilities in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and rural Texas, and then to rural clinics in Iowa and Arkansas in 2012.
The initial RV CARE programs reported impressive results. As reported in the June 2012 edition of , the program demonstrated significantly improved outcomes and mortality rates for patients who received intensive care at the beginning of dialysis and continuing for 120 days.
The annualized all-cause mortality rate for RV CARE patients was just 3.4 percent compared to the national average of 44 percent. The rate of hospitalization due to infection and heart complications was also dramatically lower at 18 percent compared to the national average of about 50 percent. There were also fewer overall complications and infections reported, boosting the permanent access rate to 95 percent.
“The importance of patient education can’t be overstated,” said Thomas F. Parker III, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Sr. Vice President and Chair of Quality Committee for Renal Ventures Management. “We’re exited to have a successful program that has made a difference in the lives of the people we care for.”
Renal Ventures’ RV CARE program demonstrates that through proactive education, intensive monitoring, nutrition management, and cardiac assessment and treatment, the risks associated with kidney dialysis can be dramatically improved.
For more information about RV CARE, visit .