Enrollment in Satellite WellBound Home Dialysis Program Tops 1,000 Patients

Growth of the first healthcare services company in the U.S. to specialize in self-care training for dialysis patients bolstered by increased awareness of home dialysis benefits

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Satellite Healthcare, one of the nation’s first and leading not-for-profit kidney dialysis service providers, announced today that its Satellite WellBound division now serves more than 1,000 patients.

“The 1,000-patient mark is a real milestone for Satellite”

WellBound, the first healthcare services company in the United States to focus on personalized self-care training for home dialysis patients and wellness education for pre-dialysis patients, currently operates out of 18 centers in California, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey and Texas. Each home dialysis patient is trained to perform their treatments independently by a specialty-certified nurse and has access to registered dieticians, social workers, 24-hour telephone assistance, and other patients, thru Care Connections™, who voluntarily serve as mentors.

Numerous studies have shown that home dialysis patients generally live longer, benefit from better overall health, and enjoy a higher quality of life than patients on other methods of dialysis. Once considered the standard method of care for patients with end stage renal disease, home dialysis is currently utilized by only about eight percent of dialysis patients nationally; by comparison, about 23 percent of Satellite’s patients opt for this method of treatment.

One aspect of home dialysis many dialysis patients enjoy is the increased freedom and flexibility it enables. Ed Henderson, who receives care from the WellBound of Mercer center in Hamilton, New Jersey, recently enjoyed an 8-day camping trip during which he dialyzed in his tent using his portable equipment. “Being on home dialysis – or camp-site dialysis, as the case may be – allows me to continue doing the things I love,” said Henderson, who has been on home dialysis for 1 ½ years. (Note: Photos from Mr. Henderson’s camping trip are available upon request.)

“The 1,000-patient mark is a real milestone for Satellite,” said Ann Robar, Vice President of Clinical Operations for WellBound. “While in-center dialysis remains the treatment of choice for many patients, Satellite has been an enthusiastic proponent of home dialysis since our founding in 1973 because we believe it can enable more productive and independent living. We opened our first Satellite WellBound center in 2003 with the aim of introducing more patients to home dialysis and we’re proud that our rate of patients on home dialysis is now nearly three times the national average and continuing to rise.”

In addition to overseeing patients on home dialysis, WellBound also offers a range of free Better LIFE™ Wellness Education classes to pre-dialysis CKD patients and their families. The classes provide practical information on topics such as chronic kidney disease, diabetes management, hypertension, cardiovascular health, kidney transplants, exercise, nutrition and stress management. An information brochure describing WellBound in detail can be downloaded here, or interested parties may contact [e-mail].

About Satellite Healthcare

Satellite Healthcare, Inc., founded in 1973, is one of the nation’s first and leading providers of dialysis services and kidney disease care. With its affiliated services – Satellite WellBound, Satellite Dialysis and Satellite Research, Satellite Healthcare provides early patient wellness education, personalized clinical services and a complete range of dialysis therapy choices. This comprehensive offering allows Satellite Healthcare to advance the standard of chronic kidney disease care so patients can achieve a better life.

Better care. Better life. Better choice.(R)

For more information about Satellite Healthcare and its mission to make life better for those with Chronic Kidney Disease, please visit www.SatelliteHealth.com.