MURRAY, Utah - To help patients with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain Healthcare has created a new comprehensive kidney services program and clinic.
Chronic kidney disease is a condition characterized by a gradual loss of kidney function over time. More than 37 million American adults have chronic kidney disease and millions of others are at increased risk.
Chronic kidney disease includes conditions that damage your kidneys and decrease their ability to keep you healthy by doing the jobs listed. If kidney disease gets worse, wastes can build to high levels in your blood and make you feel sick. You may develop complications like high blood pressure, anemia (low blood count), weak bones, poor nutritional health and nerve damage.
The new program, along with the new clinic located at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, will ensure patients receive state-of-art, fully-integrated and coordinated experience throughout the continuum of their kidney care.Until now, Intermountain didn’t have a department of nephrology or a coordinated kidney services program.
The new Intermountain program and clinic will enable clinicians to better manage the health of patients by developing new care models, standardizing care processes, and overseeing implementation of best practices. Kidney care navigators will coordinate care of patients with chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease — ensuring they have been connected to a nephrologist, receive disease-specific education, and receive coordinated care.
Intermountain Kidney Services Program will also feature a tele-enabled care model that will cut unnecessary hospital admissions by up to 50 percent, with a special focus on early detection and coordination of patients to help avoid trips to the emergency department. Other parts of the program include a home-first dialysis model, pre-emptive transplant with living donors, genomic testing and customized recommendations.
A grand opening of the new Kidney Services Clinic at Intermountain Medical Center will be held on Sept. 5 from 4-7 p.m. The public is welcome to come tour the new clinic, ask questions, take a free kidney screening test, and learn more about the treatment options offered there.
