NUMC’S DIALYSIS PROGRAM RECOGNIZED AS FOUR DIAMOND FACILITY BY IPRO’S END STAGE RENAL DISEASE PATIENT SAFETY INITIATIVE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 20, 2012

PRESS CONTACT:
Shelley Lotenberg
shelley@numc.edu
516-572-6055

NUMC’S DIALYSIS PROGRAM RECOGNIZED AS FOUR DIAMOND FACILITY BY IPRO’S END STAGE RENAL DISEASE PATIENT SAFETY INITIATIVE

East Meadow, NY…..Arthur A. Gianelli, President/CEO of the NuHealth System, announced that the Nassau University Medical Center’s dialysis program has been recognized as a “Four Diamond Patient Safety Facility” by the IPRO End-Stage Renal Disease Network of New York. IPRO is a national organization that provides a full spectrum of healthcare assessment and improvement services to foster a more efficient use of resources and enhance quality to achieve better outcomes. End-stage renal disease is a failure of the kidneys to function. Hemodialysis is a treatment that to some degree replaces the role of the kidneys. It removes toxins and excess fluid from the blood.

 “We are proud that the dialysis program at NUMC is being recognized by the IPRO End-Stage Renal Disease   Network of NY as a “Four Diamond Patient safety Facility” for participating in the “Five Diamond Approach to Patient Safety Program” and for maintaining high standards of care for end-stage renal patients,” said Gianelli. “Congratulations to the dialysis staff for working so diligently to better implement patient safety principles among both patients and staff.’

NUMC received four diamonds out of five diamonds for participating in the patient safety initiative. Staff successfully completed four modules to earn the “Four Diamond” status, which includes patient safety principles, emergency preparedness, hand hygiene and influenza vaccination. The dialysis staff expects to complete the last module needed to achieve the “Five Diamond” status in the very near future.

Steven J. Walerstein, MD, FACP, NuHealth’s executive vice president for medical affairs, added: “Congratulations to the dialysis staff for achieving this significant recognition and for their commitment to patient safety. It is important for a dialysis unit to incorporate patient safety on a day to day basis and to help promote patient safety values throughout the institution, helping to lead to better quality of care and outcomes for all our patients.”

The chief of nephrology at NUMC, Leah Balsam, MD, added her congratulations to the dialysis staff: “We are thrilled and very excited to achieve this recognition from the ERSD network and are committed to pursue and maintain 5 diamond status. It is important to note that out of 243 facilities in the ESRD network; only 90 facilities are active in the program.  That is 37% of NYS dialysis facilities are active in the 5 diamond program as of December 2011.  Out of 90 facilities, 10 facilities achieved 5 diamond status, 6 achieved 4 diamond status, of which NUMC is one of the six, 2 achieved 3 diamond status, 6 achieved 2 diamond status and 11 achieved at least 1 diamond status.”

ABOUT NUHEALTH
NuHealth is a Long Island health care organization delivering essential medical care and disease and lifestyle management to everyone at every stage of life.  Also known as Nassau Health Care Corporation, NuHealth is a public benefit corporation managing the operations of Nassau Medical Center, A. Holly Patterson Extended Care and a network of Family Health Centers that bring primary and specialty care out into the community.  By emphasizing wellness, cultural sensitivity and collaborative efforts with the North Shore-LIJ Health System, NuHealth is working to make good care more affordable and easier to access.

For more information about NuHealth or its Centers of Care, visit www.nuhealth.net.