Fresenius Medical Care North America to Present Range of Clinical Findings Focused on Improving Renal Patient Care and Health Outcomes at the National Kidney Foundation 2016 Spring Clinical Meetings

WALTHAM, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA), the continent’s leading
provider of kidney care products and services, announced today that the
National Kidney Foundation (NKF) accepted a significant number of
abstracts authored by FMCNA clinicians and caregivers for presentation
at the 2016 Spring Clinical Meetings and publication in the journals
affiliated with NKF. The general meeting is scheduled from April 28^th
to May 1^st in Boston and is expected to attract more
than 3,000 leading kidney professionals.
These presentations are efforts aimed to enhance quality of life and
outcomes of care delivered to patients with chronic kidney diseases and
fall into eight categories:

• Leveraging coordinated care paradigms to improve patient outcomes
• Seeking methods to help patients who dialyze at home
• Customizing therapies to patients’ geographic locations
• Using technology and science to improve patient care
• Decreasing hemodialysis catheter exposure
• Obtaining a holistic view of patients to better their outcomes
• Discerning patient profiles during transition from CKD to ESRD
• Understanding how Hepatitis C affects dialysis patient characteristics
  and hospitalizations

“Our clinical research and pilot programs continue to result in improved
quality of life, fewer hospitalizations, reduced health care
complications, better patient outcomes, and more efficient care
delivery,” said Dr. Frank Maddux, FMCNA Chief Medical Officer and
Executive VP, Clinical and Scientific Affairs. “These initiatives help
to fulfill our mission to improve the lives of every patient, every day
and to lead the industry in advancing the care that’s provided to
patients with chronic illnesses.”
Highlights of key presentations involving FMCNA’s staff at the NKF 2016
Spring Clinical Meetings include:

• Vascular Access Process Metrics as a Novel Identifier in the
  Dialysis Access Care Continuum; This study investigated how a
  vascular access care coordination program and novel tracking metrics
  can assist in increasing fistula rates, decreasing catheter exposure,
  and identification of rate limiting steps in the dialysis access care
  continuum. This poster (number 297) will be presented by Walead Latif,
  DO, MBA, Medical Director, Fresenius Vascular Care.
• The Impact of Urbanicity and Geography on Nutritional Status in
  Dialysis Patients; This study investigated how dialysis patients’
  nutritional status is associated with differences in geographical
  residence and urban and non-urban settings. This poster (number 375)
  will be presented by Yue Jiao, PhD, Senior Statistical Scientific
  Liaison, FMCNA.
• Association between Sleep Quality and Health Related Quality of
  Life in Hemodialysis Patients Enrolled in a Social Worker Quality
  Improvement Program; The Social Worker Quality Improvement program
  enrolls patients identified to benefit from enhanced social worker
  care and this study investigated the associations between sleep
  quality and quality of life outcomes in this cohort of patients. This
  poster (number 243) will be presented by Nien-Chen Li,
  Biostatistician, FMCNA.

Fresenius Medical Care presents the results of research endeavors at the
National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meetings each year to further
the advancement of the quality of kidney care and improve patient
outcomes.
About Fresenius Medical Care North America
Fresenius Medical Care North America is the premier health care company
focused on providing the highest quality care to people with renal and
other chronic conditions. Through its industry-leading network of
dialysis facilities, outpatient cardiac and vascular labs, and urgent
care centers, as well as the country’s largest practice of hospitalist
and post-acute providers, Fresenius Medical Care provides coordinated
health care services at pivotal care points for hundreds of thousands of
chronically ill customers throughout the continent. As the world’s
largest fully integrated renal company, it offers specialty pharmacy and
laboratory services, and manufactures and distributes the most
comprehensive line of dialysis equipment, disposable products, and renal
pharmaceuticals. For more information, visit the FMCNA website at www.freseniusmedicalcare.us.
For information about patient services, visit www.freseniuskidneycare.com.
About the National Kidney Foundation Spring Clinical Meetings
For 25 years, nephrology healthcare professionals from across the
country have come to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) Spring
Clinical Meetings to learn about the newest developments related to all
aspects of nephrology practice, network with colleagues, and present
their research findings. The NKF Spring Clinical Meetings is designed
for meaningful change in the multidisciplinary healthcare teams’ skills,
performance, and patient health outcomes. It is the only conference of
its kind that focuses on translating science into practice for the
entire healthcare team. For more information about the society, visit https://www.kidney.org/.