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

Victor F. Politi, MD, FACP, FACEP                                                                                          Michael B. Mirotznik, Esq.,

President/CEO                                                                                                                              Chairman Board of Directors
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 6, 2016

PRESS CONTACT:

Shelley Lotenberg

shelley@numc.edu

516-572-6055

East Meadow, NY…..Victor Politi, MD, FACP, FACEP, President/CEO of the NuHealth System/NUMC, announced that the Nassau University Medical Center’s dialysis program has been recognized as a “Five Diamond Patient Safety Facility” for the third year in a row 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 “Five 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 Dr. Politi. “In addition, our program received recognition of excellence for maintaining a long term catheter rate below 10%. Congratulations to the dialysis staff for working so diligently to better implement patient safety principles among both patients and staff.”

NUMC received five diamonds out of five diamonds for participating in the patient safety initiative. Staff successfully completed three modules to maintain NUMC Dialysis’ “Five Diamond” status, which includes patient safety principles, patient healthcare literacy and hand hygiene modules.   Victor Scarmato, MD, NuHealth/NUMC’s acting chief medical officer, 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 proud to have achieved this recognition from the ERSD network and are committed to maintain 5 Diamond Status.”

It is important to note that out of 249 facilities in the ESRD network; only 38 facilities achieved or maintained 5 Diamond Status in 2013 which is in the top rating a facility can achieve for this initiative.  According to Cecile Lewis, RN, dialysis administrator, “This is the fourth year that we are participating in this NYS initiative and third year in a row that we achieved 5 Diamond Status.    Our staff is very pleased to receive this state wide recognition and acknowledgement of their commitment to provide quality care to their patients.”

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.

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