Second graph, first sentence of release should read: "About 20 million people in the United States have kidney disease, and approximately 355,000 of them are on dialysis." (sted "About 20 million people in the United States have kidney disease, according to the National Kidney Foundation, and approximately 355,000 of them are on dialysis.").
The corrected release reads:
After responding to a busy hurricane season in 2008, Fresenius Medical Care North America, operator of the nation’s leading network of dialysis facilities, is gearing up for the start of hurricane season on June 1, and urging all kidney failure patients to begin making hurricane preparations now.
About 20 million people in the United States have kidney disease, and approximately 355,000 of them are on dialysis. Most of these patients need dialysis every two days, so any substantial delay in dialysis care can be life-threatening. During natural disasters, dialysis patients are vulnerable because storms can disrupt electrical power and make routine travel to treatment facilities impractical.
“Last year, Fresenius Medical Care responded to five significant storms, making sure our patients could receive dialysis right before and after the severe weather hit,” said Bill Numbers, vice president of Operations Support and incident commander for Disaster Response and Planning at Fresenius Medical Care. “It’s important that patients know what to do and where to go during a hurricane or tropical storm. We encourage them to follow the advice of their local facilities, and not to wait until a storm is approaching, but to start planning now.”
Fresenius Medical Care Offers Five Disaster Preparedness Tips for Dialysis Patients:
| 1. | Keep your emergency phone numbers handy. When bad weather threatens, contact your local facility and follow instructions they may provide. Fresenius offers a patient hotline at 1 (800) 626-1297, which is staffed by customer service specialists 24 hours a day who can provide locations and contact numbers for alternate facilities if necessary. | |
| 2. | Carry your up-to-date personal information with you at all times (ID, medication and allergy lists, insurance, emergency contact information, type of dialysis treatment). | |
| 3. | Talk to your doctor and family about your evacuation plan — what you should do and where you should go if a disaster strikes. Keep track of local weather forecasts. | |
| 4. | Create a disaster kit with emergency supplies and at least one extra three-day supply of medicines. Many patients find it convenient to keep medicines and medical supplies in an easy-to-carry fanny pack or backpack. | |
| 5. | Store a three-day supply of food based on your emergency meal plan. Begin this special diet plan as soon as a disaster is predicted or occurs and remain on it until you receive dialysis treatment. Limit fluid intake to two cups per 24 hours and avoid fresh fruit or vegetables. |
Over the course of the 2008 hurricane season, Fresenius Medical Care responded to five major storms in the South. The company had backup generators so dialysis facilities could continue operating safely in areas that lost electricity, along with arrangements to receive water and fuel if necessary. In many cases, facilities ran extended hours so patients could get dialysis before and after the storm.
Following Hurricane Ike, the largest storm of 2008, Fresenius Medical Care cared for patients who evacuated from the hurricane areas and set up a village of RVs in the parking lot of a facility in northwest Houston, which allowed volunteers and displaced workers to continue meeting the needs of patients. More than 100 additional staff volunteered from all over the country to support local employees.
Since 1995, most tropical seasons have been more active than long-term averages, due to warmer Atlantic Ocean temperatures. Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
About Fresenius Medical Care North America
Fresenius Medical Care North America is a subsidiary of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA, 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 1,600,000 individuals worldwide. Through its network of 2,388 dialysis clinics in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Africa, Fresenius Medical Care provides dialysis treatment to approximately 184,080 patients around the globe. 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's U.S. network of more than 1,700 dialysis facilities, visit the Company's website at www.ultracare-dialysis.com (in English and Spanish). For more information about Fresenius Medical Care, visit the Company’s websites: www.fmcna.com or www.fmc-ag.com.
Contacts:
Nicole Gustin, 617-638-0022 / office
gustinn@loomisgroup.com
or
Fresenius
Medical Care
Rosemary Heinold, 781-699-4171 / voice
rosemary.heinold@fmc-na.com
