Black and Hispanic Patients on Dialysis Have Higher Rates of Staph Bloodstream Infections

2023-06-14T14:10:31-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Diagnosis of Kidney Disease, Dialysis, Early Intervention, Stages of Kidney Disease, Staying Healthy, The Kidney Citizen|

Actions to Reduce Inequities Can Save Lives CDC Newsroom Media Statement – Originally published February 6, 2023 Contact: Media Relations, (404) 639-3286 Adults on dialysis treatment for end-stage kidney disease were 100 times more likely to have a Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bloodstream infection than adults not on dialysis during 2017–2020, according to a new Vital Signs report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). More than half of people in the U.S. receiving dialysis belong to a racial or ethnic minority group—about 1 in every 3 people receiving dialysis is Black and 1 in every 5 [...]

8 Ways to Be a Safe Patient

2023-06-14T14:08:23-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Immunizations, Medication, Physical Health, Resources, Staying Healthy, The Kidney Citizen|

When you have surgery, receive dialysis, or visit your doctor, you deserve safe care. Everyone plays a role in patient safety and quality health care. CDC and its partners provide expertise, data, and programs for safe health care to support public health, healthcare workers, patients, and caregivers. How Can I Be a Safe Patient? Speak up. Talk to your healthcare provider about any questions or worries. Ask what they’re doing to protect you from infections. Keep hands clean. Make sure everyone, including friends and family, cleans their hands before touching you. If you don’t see your healthcare providers clean their [...]

Ask the Doctor

2023-06-18T15:44:42-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Costs for Treatment, Dialysis, Hemodialysis, Home Hemodialysis, In-Center Hemodialysis, Kidney Transplant, Medication, The Kidney Citizen|

Velma Scantlebury, MD, DPC Education Center Health Care Consultant 1. Four hours is too long for me to sit in dialysis. Do I have to attend every treatment? Answer: Think of dialysis as being the only way to get the toxins out of your body from the food that you consume everyday - three times a day. When you lose kidney function and are on dialysis, you are usually then only cleansing your body every other day. Those toxins will build up and can cause your body to deteriorate over time. Missing dialysis is harmful to your body. [...]

The DPC Education Center is Pleased to Welcome Velma Scantlebury, MD, to the Team!

2023-06-18T15:42:08-04:00June 14th, 2023|Categories: Staying Healthy, The Kidney Citizen, Treatment|

Velma Scantlebury, MD, the first African-American female transplant surgeon in the United States, has joined Dialysis Patient Citizens as a healthcare consultant. Dr. Scantlebury served as a kidney surgeon for over 30 years, dedicating her life’s work to educating and raising awareness for the health disparities people in the Black community face from kidney disease. Born in Barbados, Dr. Scantlebury’s family moved to New York City when she was 15. She attended Long Island University on a full academic scholarship, obtaining a biology degree with a pre-med focus. Dr. Scantlebury then earned her medical degree from Columbia University, completed her [...]

Building Legacy Through Advocacy

2022-11-02T22:12:52-04:00October 27th, 2022|Categories: Quality of Life, Support, The Kidney Citizen|

By Yolonda Brisbane, DPC Grassroots Manager As the Grassroots Manager for Dialysis Patients Citizens (DPC) Yolonda recruits and coaches new DPC patient advocates, helps plan and execute our Annual Advocacy Day, and hosts Patient Ambassador training calls. She came to DPC having led youth ambassador programs for the New York State Office of Children and Family Services and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. For her, elevating the voices of dialysis patients is personal work. "When I was fourteen, I lost my father to kidney failure when he refused to go on dialysis. I had no clue about [...]

Supreme Court Erases Kidney Patients’ Insurance Protections

2022-11-02T22:09:11-04:00October 27th, 2022|Categories: Costs for Treatment, The Kidney Citizen, Treatment|

By Megan Hashbarger, DPC Vice President of Government Relations and Jackson Williams, DPC Vice President of Public Policy A U.S. Supreme Court ruling has nullified the law that protects dialysis patients from discrimination by insurers, threatening the system of financing kidney care that has stood for 40 years. The Court ruled that employer health plans may limit dialysis benefits. For four decades, employers understood the law as prohibiting limitations that only applied to dialysis. Some health benefit consultants encouraged a few small employers to disregard the law by paying no more than Medicare rates for dialysis. DaVita [...]

The Social Worker – Patient Relationship: One Social Worker’s Reflections

2022-11-02T22:02:24-04:00October 27th, 2022|Categories: The Kidney Citizen|

By Jean Carosella, LCSW In April 2021, I retired from dialysis social work after working in the same clinic for almost 44 years. I had actually planned to retire a year earlier but the pandemic played a major role in my staying on another year. I just couldn’t leave knowing the stress and worry that COVID was creating for everyone in the clinic, patients and staff alike. But now a year into retirement, I can see one positive outcome for me as a result of the pandemic. COVID forced me to slow down and take the time to reflect [...]

Anemia in People with Chronic Kidney Disease

2022-11-02T21:45:32-04:00October 27th, 2022|Categories: Physical Health, Stages of Kidney Disease, Staying Healthy, The Kidney Citizen|

By Jay Wish, MD Anemia is defined as a lower-than-normal level of hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to all tissues and allows those tissues to carry on their functions, including the creation of building blocks for energy. Hemoglobin is what makes red blood cells red, and this explains why people with low hemoglobin levels may appear pale. Hemoglobin levels less than 13 in men and less than 12 in women is considered anemia. Anemia is common in people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and may have many causes. It [...]

Navigating a Renal Diet: Decoding the Mystery

2022-11-02T21:39:30-04:00October 27th, 2022|Categories: Dialysis, Kidney Transplant, Nutrition, Staying Healthy, The Kidney Citizen|

By Fanny Sung Whelan, MS, RDN, LDN How to navigate a renal diet based on your kidneys’ needs No matter what stage of kidney disease you’re in, all of the different diet recommendations can cause your head to spin. Pair it with other conditions you may have, and you’ve got a real recipe for confusion! So how can you sort out all of the differences in what you can and can’t eat? Here we are going to outline the diet guidelines for the different stages of kidney disease. Disclaimer: it is important to discuss any diet changes with your [...]

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