New dialysis center opens in Downey

DOWNEY — Fresenius Kidney Care, the dialysis division of Fresenius Medical Care North America and the nation’s leading network of dialysis facilities, opened a dialysis center in Downey to offer people living with kidney failure more convenient access to quality. The center will hire up to 30 healthcare professionals.

Fresenius Kidney Care, which has capacity to treat up to 150 patients a week, opened on Sept. 4 and offered an open house on Nov. 7 where prospective patients, healthcare providers and members of the community toured the center and learned about chronic kidney disease and the various treatment options.

“We are excited for the opportunity to bring state-of-the-art equipment and the highest quality care to people in Downey in need of dialysis,” said Director of Operations Vedamay Bradford. “At Fresenius Kidney Care, we are committed to providing comprehensive care to people living with chronic kidney disease so that our patients can lead fuller lives.”

The new center will expand health services in the community. In California, there are nearly 95,000 patients on dialysis.

Dialysis is a treatment for kidney failure that rids the body of unwanted toxins, waste products and excess fluids by filtering the blood, essentially replacing some of the lost kidney function. When kidneys fail, they are no longer able to filter the blood. Patients must either receive a kidney transplant, perform their dialysis treatments at home or receive in center dialysis treatment three times a week.

About 1 in 7 adults in the U.S. have chronic kidney disease, with many not detecting the condition until they have lost more than 96 percent of their kidney function. Symptoms and warning signs for late-stage kidney disease include changes in urination, fatigue, swelling in hands or feet and pain in the small of the back. Physicians recommend that people who are at risk for CKD are screened at least once a year. More than 600,000 Americans live with kidney failure, which requires either a transplant or dialysis to remove waste from the blood, maintain safe levels of potassium and sodium and control blood pressure.

Fresenius Kidney Care is hiring care team members at this new location, which is at 7700 Imperial Hwy. Job listings are posted online at jobs.fmcna.com.