HRMC now offers inpatient dialysis
HRMC offers inpatient dialysis treatment; service eliminates costly travel time for patients receiving medical treatments at HRMC.
(Varnville, SC)-Hampton Regional Medical Center, of Varnville, SC, has begun offering inpatient dialysis treatment to patients who need admission to the hospital.
Prior to HRMC offering this new service, patients would have to be transferred to another facility. This resulted in additional expense and burdens to the patient's family who would have to travel to be with their loved one.
Since the hospital began providing the service during the first week of December, 2017, several inpatients have been able to stay close to their home and family while receiving the medical treatment they need.
Patients are examined via tele-medicine by Dr. Sanjay Kumar, MD, a Nephrologist operating in Walterboro, SC. After examination, doctors determine the proper treatment of dialysis patients admitted to HRMC and continue to administer treatment until the patient is released from HRMC to continue regularly scheduled treatment at their normal outpatient dialysis center.
According to Jason Crosby, ER and lead dialysis nurse at HRMC who was instrumental in organizing and currently operates the service, the inpatient program has been well-received by patients who have utilized the hospitals cutting-edge technology and expert care.
"Here, they stay in their bed. I take them to their treatment and take them back [to their hospital room]. So it is a lot more comfortable and convenient for the patients, said Crosby. "And we are here seven days a week to provide service to our patients."
Dialysis patients admitted to the HRMC now have the opportunity to stay at the hospital while receiving treatments for other medical needs and receive dialysis without the hassle of being transported far from home to another facility.
"It's maintenance dialysis, which means that the patients already have to be on dialysis. So it's not for new patients suffering acute renal failure," said Jarrell.
As part of an ongoing commitment to provide the highest quality healthcare, HRMC continues to invest in tele-medicine technology, allowing patients to receive specialized care from doctors practicing away from Hampton County.
As well as benefitting dialysis patients, tele-medicine technology allows specialists to remotely examine HRMC patients believed to be suffering from other medical conditions, including neurological complications, stroke and mental health issues.
In the very near future, HRMC will begin a program in conjunction with MUSC Children's Hospital to provide Pediatric Intensivist services to critically ill children in the Emergency Room.
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