The Kidney Care Council
1760 Old Meadow Road
Suite 500
McLean, VA 22102
Phone: (703)442 -2080

Cherilyn T. Cepriano, Executive Director
ccepriano@kidneycarecouncil.org

The Kidney Care Council (KCC) is a nonprofit national health care trade association representing the leading kidney dialysis provider companies in the United States. Collectively, the KCC members provide End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) services to more than 85 percent of the dialysis patients in the United States. The membership includes large, small, nonprofit and for-profit provider companies. The KCC is the strongest and most consistent voice for the dialysis provider community in Washington and in state capitals.

The Kidney Care Council (KCC) is a dues-based membership organization representing dialysis providers. If you are a dialysis provider and interested in learning more about the benefits of membership in The Kidney Care Council please contact:

Cherilyn T. Cepriano, Executive Director
ccepriano@kidneycarecouncil.org

Interested dialysis providers may complete and forward the KCC Membership Request to:

The Kidney Care Council
11654 Plaza America Drive #878
Reston, VA 20190
Phone: (202) 744-2124

KCC Membership Form

KCC Statement on the End Stage Renal Disease Prospective Payment System Proposed Rule
July 1, 2013

KCC Statement on Transition Interim Final Rule
April 5, 2011

KCC Transition Data Press Release
November 3, 2010

Kidney Care Council Welcomes Cherilyn Cepriano as Executive Director
August 12, 2009

The KCC Applauds House Action on ESRD Reform
June 24, 2008

Statement Regarding the Kentucky House Banking and Insurance Committee Passage of H.B. 433
March 6, 2008

Kidney Disease

Kidneys perform crucial functions. They filter blood and remove toxins and extra fluids from the body. The wastes come from a breakdown of the food that someone consumes that normally is filtered through urine. When kidneys do not remove the toxins and extra fluids, the wastes build up in the blood. This can become a life threatening situation. Common causes of chronic kidney disease are diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. When kidneys fail, the blood must be regularly cleansed of toxins and extra fluids by:

• Hemodialysis
• Peritoneal Dialysis, or by receiving a
• Kidney Transplant

Hemodialysis (HD):

This treatment involves cleaning the patient’s blood of harmful toxins and excess fluids using an artificial kidney (dialyzer)) and a hemodialysis machine. Hemodialysis must be done at least three times a week for about 3 to 4 hours each time. Hemodialysis is generally done at a dialysis clinic but can be done at a patient’s home if the patient is trained to do the dialysis.

Peritoneal Dialysis (PD):

Peritoneal dialysis uses the patient’s own peritoneal membrane, which surrounds the intestines to act as a filter. A tube (catheter) is placed into the peritoneal cavity and then a special solution (dialysate) flows through the catheter into the abdomen, where harmful toxins and excess fluids move the blood to the dialysate. The solution is then drained and discarded. Done at home, the treatments are continuous with 4 to 6 exchanges of fluid being required daily. Each exchange takes about 30 minutes to complete.

Kidney Transplant:

Kidneys for transplant can come from either deceased or living donors. Patients who receive a transplant must have special drugs to prevent their bodies from rejecting the kidney. They also must be careful to avoid exposure to infections since the drugs they take to prevent transplant rejection also diminish the body’s ability to fight infections.

Kidney Disease Educational Resources – Organizations

American Kidney Fund
National Kidney Foundation
Forum of End Stage Renal Disease Networks
Kidney Cancer Association
Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation
United Network for Organ Sharing
American Diabetes Association
American Nephrology Nurses Association
National Renal Administrators Association

Kidney Disease Educational Resources – Government Agencies and Materials

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
National Kidney Disease Program
Medicare – Dialysis and Kidney Information
Medicare Booklet on Medicare Coverage of Kidney Dialysis and Kidney Transplant Services
CMS ESRD Fact Sheet

U.S. Renal Care (USRC) was founded in 2000 by an experienced team of healthcare executives. Its senior management team and board of directors include individuals who have worked in a variety of healthcare segments during their careers, including many years of service to dialysis patients.

From its beginnings in Arkansas, USRC has grown to include a network of 35 clinics in Arkansas and Texas, caring for approximately 2,500 dialysis patients.

The company provides patients with a choice of a full range of quality care, including in-center or at-home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis services. In addition, the company also manages several acute setting dialysis programs in conjunction with local community hospitals. USRC’s clinical results consistently exceed national averages. We support dialysis centers with experienced operations management, strong clinical leadership, and well-trained clinical and support staff.

USRC works in partnership with nephrologists to develop, acquire, and operate outpatient treatment centers for persons suffering from chronic kidney failure, also known as end stage renal disease. We support dialysis centers with experienced operations management, state-of-the-art technology, well-trained facility staff, patient and family education, strong financial resources, and by dedicating ourselves to clinical excellence in the centers. For more information, visit www.usrenalcare.com

The Satellite Healthcare companies are comprised of a family of leading nephrologists and healthcare professionals. Built on a legacy spanning more than 30 years, Satellite is a nonprofit organization recognized for its clinical excellence, delivering innovative services and therapies and fostering research and charitable giving.

Satellite companies include: Satellite Dialysis with a history of achieving superior clinical outcomes; Satellite Laboratory Services delivering specialty ESRD lab services to more than 20,000 ESRD patients; WellBound guiding patient wellness from early stage CKD through the full spectrum of home dialysis therapies through its centers of excellence; Satellite Research advancing medicine through clinical research; and Satellite Philanthropy providing charitable giving to improve the lives of kidney patients. For more information, visit www.satellitehealth.com

Renal Ventures Management, LLC provides nephrologists the opportunity to collaborate with a premiere niche dialysis provider whose management team has more than 200 years of renal care experience.  The Company’s value proposition for its physician partners is to provide a proven management and customer service strategy that allows them to compete effectively in the market place while maintaining autonomy over patient care. The Company partners with nephrologists to build and manage new dialysis centers and selectively acquire existing ones.

Renal Ventures creates cost-efficiencies in securing equipment, technology, supplies, employee benefits and administrative services, and it is an expert in back-office operations, including accounting, billing and collection activities.  In de novo development opportunities, the Company also provides expertise in financing and all aspects of pre-operational planning. RenalServ, the management services arm of Renal Ventures, provides and manages a well- trained staff for an existing program.

RenalServ specializes in keeping the staff highly motivated and trained to meet Renal Ventures’ standards of customer service and care for its management contract customers.  The Company makes a commitment to enhancing all components of a patient’s life through the RV Difference Program.  The program differentiates Renal Ventures from its competitors by systemizing its customer service culture and quality care programs.  For more information, visit www.renalventures.com

The Northwest Kidney Centers (NKC) is a model for saving and sustaining the lives of people with chronic kidney disease and focuses on improving the quality of patients’ lives. A nonprofit organization staffed by a skilled, knowledgeable team of 525, NKC provides personalized care for patients in the Puget Sound region and is the central community resource for kidney disease prevention, treatment and education. A world pioneer in home dialysis, NKC is dedicated to developing innovative treatment options and promoting research to find the cure for Chronic Kidney Disease.

Founded in 1962, NKC holds the distinction of being the first out-of-hospital dialysis center in the world. Serving the state of Washington, NKC operates 12 community dialysis centers, including a 21-bed outpatient unit for patients with exceptional needs. NKC also provides hospital-based dialysis and related therapies in many Seattle-area hospitals.

Since 1964, more than 2,500 NKC patients have dialyzed successfully at home. The NKC Home Program offers frequent (five to six days per week) and nocturnal dialysis, continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis as treatment choices. Nearly 14% of NKC patients chose this form of independent dialysis for their lifestyle.

NKC educates nephrology renal fellows, nursing students, pharmacy and dietary interns from the University of Washington and other Seattle schools. The organization operates an extensive outreach and public education program. The NKC Foundation secures donations and other support to advance the mission of optimal patient care, education and research.

NKC has a budget of approximately $70 million per year. The President and CEO is Joyce F. Jackson.

More information about the Northwest Kidney Centers can be found on the web site: www.nwkidney.org

Fresenius Medical Care is the world’s largest integrated provider of products and services for individuals undergoing dialysis because of chronic kidney failure, a condition that affects more than 1,400,000 individuals worldwide. Through its network of 2,085 dialysis clinics in more than 100 countries in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Africa, Fresenius Medical Care provides dialysis treatment to 161,433 patients around the globe.

Fresenius Medical Care North America operates 1,540 clinics treating nearly 120,000 patients.

Fresenius Medical Care is also the world’s leading provider of dialysis products such as hemodialysis machines, dialyzers and related disposable products. Fresenius Medical Care is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FME, FME3) and the New York Stock Exchange (FMS, FMS-p).

For more information about Fresenius Medical Care, visit the Company’s websites at www.fmc-ag.com or www.fmcna.com

Diversified Specialty Institutes, Inc. (DSI) is a healthcare company that was formed in 2003 to acquire, develop, and/or operate hospitals, imaging centers and dialysis/renal centers. In 2005 DSI grew to become a major corporation in the care of dialysis patients with the acquisition of over 100 dialysis centers following the merger between Fresenius Medical Care and Renal Care Group. The renal community is very familiar with the heritage of DSI. The founder is Jerome S. Tannenbaum, M.D., Ph.D., and FACP. Dr. Tannenbaum, the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer works with a team of senior management that have assisted him in building two national dialysis chains in the past. The first was REN Corporation-USA, the second, National Nephrology Associates, which was acquired by Renal Care Group in 2004.

The mission of each of the prior companies was to make a difference in the lives of our patients by providing personalized, streamlined, high quality healthcare. The team at DSI is continuing this tradition by building state-of-the-art dialysis centers, equipped with advanced information technology and dialysis machines, and the addition of services which will enhance patient care, both inside and outside of the dialysis clinic. We are focused on early adoption of innovative dialysis techniques and technology as well as committed to processes that improve communication and result in safe environments where our patients feel physically and mentally comfortable.

We believe that the most important ingredient for a successful healthcare facility is the quality of the admitting physician staff. The leadership of our Company also recognizes the enormous value of a well-trained and dedicated support staff. Our business models include acquisitions, de novo dialysis units, often utilizing our pre-engineered building modules, and joint-venture relationships with nephrologists. The starting point for developing a DSI facility is a collegial relationship with selected premier physicians in a community.

In summary, the DSI concept is designed to provide excellent patient care and improve the quality of life for the patients, patients’ families, employees, and physicians at a DSI facility. You can learn more about DSI on our web site www.dsi-corp.com