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NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 10, 1999--Renal Care Group, Inc. today announced that it was partnering with the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) in an effort to provide information and educational materials to a greater number of pre-dialysis and dialysis patients.
The two organizations will collaborate on this partnership, using many of the educational tools developed by NKF such as People Like Us, Live!, an interactive educational workshop, PALS, a patient mentoring program, and RISE, a program to encourage rehabilitation and empowerment, as well as other educational tools and customer service programs developed by Renal Care Group. The two organizations will provide to the dialysis-dependent patients and their families information on optimal dialysis dose, nutritional facts, anemia management and coping. For patients with chronic renal insufficiency prior to their initiation on dialysis, the educational program will highlight the various treatment options available and, in particular, home therapies and transplantation as well as the timely placement of dialysis access. These programs should increase the awareness of choices and increase the number of patients who will receive their therapy of choice.
In order to standardize the educational process, all the professionals who will serve as faculty for the six-part educational workshop series will be trained by NKF as program providers. These programs will be made available to all interested parties.
In commenting on the collaboration, Raymond M. Hakim, M.D., Ph.D., Renal Care Group's Chief Medical Officer, said, ``In our search for a patient education program, we have found NKF's education and information programs to be a dynamic offering of unbiased information to patients. Patients who have completed the program have reported less anxiety and depression and a feeling of empowerment in terms of where to turn for resources, support and information. Several studies have also shown that with pre-dialysis education, a higher proportion of patients chose home therapies which encourage patient independence, rehabilitation and empowerment.''
John Davis, National Kidney Foundation Executive Director, added, ``We were looking to increase the exposure and access to our educational programs and know that working together with Renal Care Group will afford us that opportunity. We believe that this partnership will provide a standard of quality patient education and emphasize patient choice and that ultimately, patient outcomes will be improved.''
The first series of programs will be held in Portland, Oregon, where the two organizations have a strong dynamic presence; subsequent programs will be tailored based on feedback from these experiences and will be propagated to the other regions where Renal Care Group and NKF have a strong presence, over the next two years.
The National Kidney Foundation is dedicated to preventing kidney and urinary tract diseases, improving the health and well-being of individuals and families affected by these diseases and increasing the availability of all organs for transplantation.
Renal Care Group, Inc. is an organization that serves approximately 14,000 dialysis patients in 22 states across the U.S. It is governed by nephrologists committed to optimal care, with an emphasis on continual quality improvement, staff education and encouraging patient empowerment through education and information. Renal Care Group seeks to achieve superior patient outcomes and to provide the best value in patient care.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, including business and economic conditions and availability of financing. These and other risks and uncertainties are detailed in the Company's reports filed with the SEC.
Contact:
Renal Care Group Inc., Nashville
Dr. Raymond M. Hakim, 615/345-5541
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