Va pittsburgh creates first dialysis program for long-term care unit | va pittsburgh health care | veterans affairs

Va

Va pittsburgh creates first dialysis program for long-term care unit | va pittsburgh health care | veterans affairs"


Play all audios:

Loading...

VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System in April created a dialysis program at its community living center (CLC) to safeguard Veterans against exposure to the coronavirus. The CLC-based dialysis


program is the first of of its kind among VA's 170 medical centers nationwide. It eliminates the need for Veterans in long-term care at the CLC to travel across town to the health care


system's dialysis center at the University Drive Campus.  Staff had discussed the idea previously, but in late March began exploring ways to turn the idea into a reality as soon as


possible. “Within days, we submitted an equipment proposal and leadership approved it,” said Dr. Paul Palevsky, chief of VA Pittsburgh’s renal section. “We submitted the order on a Friday


and the machines were delivered that next Monday.” The dialysis machines chosen are specifically designed for disasters and home use. They’re easy and safe for patients to use without


clinical help, making them perfect for Veterans living in the CLC on VA Pittsburgh’s H.J. Heinz III campus in O’Hara Township. “We did this for patient safety,” said Marlene Van Buskirk,


dialysis nurse manager. “There shouldn’t be any reason Veterans have to go out for dialysis, especially with the statewide stay-at-home order.” Seven patients received dialysis on the first


day of operation in April, and the program has since expanded to nine patients. Depending on each Veteran’s needs, some patients dialyze in their rooms and others in designated areas.


Patients receive the same level of care they would receive in the main dialysis unit at University Drive. VA Pittsburgh nephrologists, or kidney specialists, provide a face-to-face visit


once per week and are available daily through telehealth. “I can’t tell you how fabulous the staff have been,” said Van Buskirk. “It has been a whirlwind. Everybody’s on edge. It’s exciting


and people are really stepping up to the plate to make things work.” The new dialysis unit is also more convenient for Veterans – especially in winter – and saves on transportation costs.


When VA drivers are unavailable, for instance, the cost for non-VA transportation services is $1,000 per round trip, said Van Buskirk. Palevsky sent plans to another VA medical center so it


can develop a similar solution for its own patients. “Kudos to all the staff who are responsible for the remarkable feat of standing up this program in less than four weeks and to the entire


dialysis unit staff,” said Palevsky.


Trending News

cooktalk | designboom.com

DESIGNER'S OWN WORDS: `The kitchen is the heart of the home´ - Cooking and eating in one place or “gathering round ...

Newcastle boss steve bruce defended with surprising rafa benitez claim

Newcastle manager Steve Bruce has been heavily criticised just seven games into his first season at the club, and Sam Al...

Utopia web series: review, trailer, star cast, songs, actress name, actor name, posters, news & videos

SYNOPSIS This series is a slightly improvised, American retelling of British writer Dennis Kelly’s 2013 hit drama by the...

Javascript support required...

Igniting the spread of ferroptotic cell death

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent mode of cell death driven by lipid peroxidation, capable of explosively propagating thr...

Latests News

Va pittsburgh creates first dialysis program for long-term care unit | va pittsburgh health care | veterans affairs

VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System in April created a dialysis program at its community living center (CLC) to safeguard Ve...

Arrah election result 2024 live updates: cpiml's sudama prasad has won this lok sabha seat

ARRAH LOK SABHA ELECTION RESULT 2024 LIVE UPDATES: With the counting of votes for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections underway,...

Programmable design of orthogonal protein heterodimers

ABSTRACT Specificity of interactions between two DNA strands, or between protein and DNA, is often achieved by varying b...

Home security camera works 'flawlessly day and night' now 46 per cent off

Keeping your home safe and secure from intruders shouldn’t be overly expensive, but unfortunately home security systems ...

13 best adult colouring books for unleashing your creativity

Adult colouring books offer something for everyone – and we mean everyone. Golfer Tyrrell Hatton chose colouring to deco...

Top