Clarian/IU Home Dialysis Center - first of its kind in Indianapolis

NDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – On Tuesday, August 19 at 11 a.m., Clarian Health and Indiana University School of Medicine officials will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house for the new Clarian/IU Home Dialysis Center located at 8803 North Meridian Street, Indianapolis, Ind. 46260. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will honor Richard J. Hamburger, MD, and Stuart A. Kleit, DDS, MD – two local physicians who have been revolutionary pioneers in the field of nephrology – and will feature testimonials from patients who have benefited from home dialysis treatments. Speakers will include State Senators Jean Breaux (D-District 34) and Teresa Lubbers (R- District 30) and representatives from Clarian Health, Indiana University School of Medicine, The National Kidney Foundation of Indiana and The Renal Network. The open house will last until 7 p.m. and will allow the general public to get a first look at the new facility.

The new Clarian/IU Home Dialysis Center will be the first practice of its kind in Indianapolis and the largest of its kind in the state that will exclusively offer treatments and training with home hemodialysis technology, as opposed to conventional hemodialysis which usually takes place in clinics or hospitals.

“The Clarian/IU Home Dialysis Center is the nation’s largest, single provider of short, daily home dialysis treatment,” says Dr. Michael A. Kraus, MD, clinical coordinator, division of Nephrology, medical director of Home and Acute Dialysis, professor of Clinical Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine and Clarian Health. “There is an important need to continue to increase awareness of this therapy and the availability of this therapy for Hoosiers who suffer from end stage renal disease.”

Clarian Health and the IU School of Medicine have played an essential role in the development and growth of this home dialysis treatment on both the local and national levels. In 2006, Kraus became the first physician in the United States to treat a dialysis patient with NxStage Medical Inc.’s PureFlow SL device, a new home dialysis product that made it easier for patients to take control of their own therapy within the comfort of their own homes. Since that time, the Clarian/IU Home Dialysis Center has grown to become the largest of the 300 home dialysis centers throughout the United States using home dialysis technology.

“Our nurses have the most experience with this technology than any other location in the state and country,” says Kraus. “People come to us to learn how to use these devices.”

With the new, more spacious 6,000 sq. ft. facility, Kraus and his clinical staff will greatly increase the practice’s capacity and expand training significantly to better meet the needs of the hemodialysis patient population in the Indianapolis Metropolitan area. The new 6,000 square foot facility will house 6 training rooms, 4 clinic rooms and 2 conference centers. Staff will devote 5,000 sq. ft. to clinical use and reserve 1,000 sq. ft. for administrative and storage needs.

With such an increase in space, Kraus and his clinical staff could potentially triple their impact.

“We presently train 3 patients per month at our current location and anticipate that over the next year we will train 7-10 new patients per month and care for 200 patients from this facility,” says Kraus.

Currently, the state of Indiana has 136 patients using NxStage’s daily home dialysis device with approximately 50 percent of those patients having been trained by the staff that will soon practice at the new Clarian/IU Home Dialysis Center.

Officials at the Clarian/IU Home Dialysis Center anticipate being able to open the doors for patients in September 2008 pending the completed review and approval of the Indiana State Board of Health.

The National Kidney Foundation estimates 1 in 8 people have chronic kidney disease, which puts them at risk for end stage renal disease- a condition which causes persons to experience a total and irreversible loss of kidney function. End stage renal disease is most commonly treated by conventional hemodialysis, a process that artificially separates toxins and excess water from the patient's blood. Over 6,400 Hoosiers are presently on dialysis and this number is expected to increase to 15,000 - 20,000 over the next decade. The problem is further compounded by the fact that the transplantation of kidneys cannot meet the continued growth and patients continue to suffer on conventional dialysis while awaiting transplant with a growing waiting list.

Home dialysis treatments help to remedy this growing problem by offering Hoosiers the opportunity to take more responsibility for their own healthcare and decrease hospitalizations, medications and overall costs. Home dialysis also improves the quality of patients’ lives by enabling them to continue working and expanding their freedom to travel.

Facts about the new Clarian/IU Home Dialysis Center:

Where will the center be located? 8803 N. Meridian St. Indianapolis, Ind. 46260

When will doors open for first patients? Anticipated September 2008

Size of facility? 6000 square feet. Staff will devote 5,000 square feet to clinical use and reserve 1,000 sq. ft. for administrative and storage needs.

How many rooms will it contain? The facility will house 6 training rooms, 4 clinic rooms and 2 conference centers.

How many patients can it accommodate? “We plan to train 10 patients per month and accommodate over 700 home patients with either peritoneal dialysis or home dialysis per year,” says Dr. Michael Kraus.

How many Hoosiers do you expect to be treated and trained at the new facility this year? “We presently train 3 patients per month and anticipate that over the next year we will train 7-10 new patients per month and care for 200 patients from this facility,” says Dr. Michael Kraus.
Additional fact:

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has recently proclaimed Tuesday, August 19 to be “Home Dialysis Awareness Day.”