Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA), the nation’s leading fully integrated provider of kidney disease-related products and services, announced today that it has dramatically improved patient outcomes over the last decade. During the 10-year period from 2005 to 2015, it reduced mortality per patient-year and hospitalizations among all of its permanent dialysis patients by 27 and 22 percent, respectively. These outcomes, which are detailed in the company’s 2016 Annual Medical Report, are a product of the company’s expansion beyond traditional renal services into care coordination, as well as its continued industry-leading technological and clinical innovation and quality improvement activities.

For example, through Dialysis Hospitalization Reduction (DHR), local FMCNA interdisciplinary teams use an internally developed predictive model to identify dialysis patients at risk of needing frequent hospital care. As part of DHR, dialysis clinic teams intervene to address the issues that cause health vulnerabilities for these at-risk patients, resulting in significantly reduced hospital admissions and hospital days for them.

In addition, FMCNA’s Timely Catheter Reduction focuses on achieving a usable permanent access for patients who dialyze with a central venous catheter. The use of a permanent access, such as a fistula or graft, is associated with better patient outcomes and a reduction in infections. FMCNA care teams coordinate their services and follow a clinical pathway that leads to more timely removal of the catheters.

Through these and other proprietary quality improvement activities, the company’s clinical teams provide dialysis and chronic kidney disease patients with care that is most appropriate for their unique needs, whether they are receiving care in a dialysis facility, a hospital, an urgent care center, or a vascular access clinic. The 2016 Annual Medical Report details FMCNA’s suite of businesses, services, and research, all of which are designed to provide patients who have renal and other chronic diseases with the highest level of care and quality of life as possible. In addition, the report profiles the company’s clinical leaders who are developing care models and integrating their efforts to promote holistic patient care, which maximizes clinical quality, safety, and efficiency.

“This group of talented and dedicated clinical leaders is fundamentally changing the way in which we are delivering care for chronically ill individuals,” said Dr. Frank Maddux, FMCNA Chief Medical Officer and Executive VP, Clinical and Scientific Affairs. “As a result, we are better able to address our patients’ physical and psychological needs while being good stewards of health resources. I am proud that this year’s Annual Medical Report highlights how the commitment and passion of these leaders across our entire organization and their teams are driving our clinical activities toward the highest level of patient outcomes.”

Download the 2016 Annual Medical Report here and visit the FMCNA Newsroom for more information.

About Fresenius Medical Care North America

Fresenius Medical Care North America is the premier health care company focused on providing the highest quality care to people with renal and other chronic conditions. Through its industry-leading network of dialysis facilities, outpatient cardiac and vascular labs, and urgent care centers, as well as the country’s largest practice of hospitalist and post-acute providers, Fresenius Medical Care provides coordinated health care services at pivotal care points for hundreds of thousands of chronically ill customers across the continent. As the world’s largest fully integrated renal company, it offers specialty pharmacy and laboratory services, and manufactures and distributes the most comprehensive line of dialysis equipment, disposable products, and renal pharmaceuticals. For more information, visit the FMCNA website at www.freseniusmedicalcare.us. For information about patient services, visit www.freseniuskidneycare.com.