A national operator of dialysis centers is starting its first Northeast Ohio location.
U.S. Renal Care Inc. is opening a 13-station dialysis center this month on Third Street Southeast in Barberton.
According to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ website, the facility will be the only Medicare-approved dialysis center in Barberton, pending approval from the federal agency.
Patients in the community now travel to existing facilities in Akron, Green or Wadsworth for the life-saving treatments.
Dialysis takes the place of patients’ kidneys by cleansing the body of waste products and excess fluid. Patients with renal failure typically need to have dialysis three times a week, said Dr. Datinder Deo, medical director of the Barberton location.
“Barberton has had a long-term need for dialysis,” he said. “Barberton patients were traveling a good 7 to 10 miles. A lot of these patients are older, and they need a lot of help to get to the facilities. Especially during the wintertime, it’s difficult for families to get them out.”
Deo said the new center features a fireplace, calming colors and heated chairs with massagers and personal TV displays for the patients, who spend about four hours undergoing dialysis treatments.
“We’re trying to be patient-sensitive,” he said.
The investment in the new Barberton location was not disclosed.
U.S. Renal Care, headquartered in Dallas, operates 96 dialysis centers, home and specialty hospital dialysis programs and facilities in Ohio, Arkansas, Texas, Georgia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, Oklahoma, New York, Illinois and Missouri. Other Ohio locations include facilities in Bowling Green, Cincinnati and Columbus.
U.S. Renal Care works in partnership with local nephrologists in the markets it serves to develop, acquire and operate outpatient dialysis centers. The physicians are partial owners of the units, according to a company spokeswoman.
Along with the outpatient facility, U.S. Renal Care is opening a home therapies program in Norton to provide education and training for patients who opt to undergo dialysis treatments at home.
Both services are expected to begin seeing patients this month, Deo said.
U.S. Renal Care is hosting a free open house to celebrate the opening of the Barberton location at 9 a.m. Tuesday The facility is located at 33 Third St. SE, Suite 100.
Cheryl Powell can be reached at 330-996-3902 or cpowell@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow Powell on Twitter at twitter.com/abjcherylpowell.