Wednesday, December 16, 2015 | By William Tinker | No Comments
A recent Modern Healthcare website article by Lisa Schencker and Sabriya Rice deals with the ongoing investigation by the Justice Department of a DaVita Health Care subsidiary.
The False Claims Act investigation centers on the medical necessity of the procedures performed at two Florida centers that are part of RMS Lifeline, a DaVita subsidiary that provides vascular access management services for dialysis patients, according to the filing. The Justice Department has asked for medical records for 10 patients, among other documents, from January of 2008 through the present.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015 | By William Tinker | No Comments
A recent article at the website Futurism.com shed light on the progress toward an Artificial Kidney for those suffering kidney failure and presently undergoing traditional kidney dialysis.
Taken from Futurism article: Now, scientists from the University of California, San Francisco and Vanderbilt University have developed a prototype device that mimics the function of a human kidney. Amazingly, using a silicon nanofilter to remove toxins, salts, some small molecules, and water from the blood, the device, which is only the size of a cup, is designed to function without a pump or electrical power. It solely works on blood pressure.
For the whole story go to: http://futurism.com/links/goodbye-dialysis-nanotechnology-used-to-make-artificial-kidney/
Sunday, September 13, 2015 | By William Tinker | 2 Comments
Dr. Mark Davis is the author of “Irresponsible; What Surgeons Won’t Tell You and how to Protect Yourself” (2015 Amazon.com), a must read for a member of every family. Sooner or later, everyone, or a family member, will face surgery or an invasive medical procedure, such as dialysis or colonoscopy. 
Author of over 40 medical articles and several books, he will discuss how patients can empower themselves and take charge of their own treatment, by learning how best to identify a safe surgeon and a safe facility.
Continue reading “Radio Show with Dr. Mark Davis on how to protect yourself and family from infection during medical procedures.” »
Tuesday, March 24, 2015 | By William Tinker | No Comments
John Rider will discuss how patients can empower themselves and take charge of their own treatment. His insight will help listeners and callers process the difficulties faced by Dialysis Patients and their family. He presently works with Out Patients at High Point Treatment Center in Brockton, Boston.
John is a past National Advocate for the Committee of Ten Thousand which deals with the hemophilia community, living with HIV/AIDS and HCV. He helped get national legislation passed and supported litigants in a national class lawsuit.
Show will be on Thursday March 26 at 9:00 PM Eastern, 8:00 Central and 6:00 PM Pacific
You can listen on line at: blogtalkradio.com/dialysisadvocates or call into the show no earlier than 10 minutes before airtime at: 347-857-3961
Dialysis Talk is supported by Dialysis Advocates dialysisadvocates.com
Sunday, March 15, 2015 | By William Tinker | No Comments
Dr. Robert A. Bear, is the author of “Sorrow’s Reward” -interrelated tales from a fictional dialysis unit. While fictional, the stories are too close to the real day to day, lives of patients, Doctors and families. Dr. Bear, author of over 150 medical articles will discuss his reasons for these compelling stories told through the eyes and thoughts of his fictional characters.
After many years in Nephrology as a Physician, Educator and Administrator he began to have questions about how Dialysis Care has evolved. Now that many clinics are run by large “For Profit” companies; are the patients, nursing staff and Doctors better off? What can and should be done to improve dialysis care. What are the responsibilities of patients in their care?
This book is a must read for anyone involved with Dialysis from Doctors, Technicians, Counselors, Patient and their families.
Show is on live Thursday March 19, at 9:00 Eastern, 8:00 Central and 6:00 Pacific.
Listen live on line at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dialysisadvocates/2015/03/20/lessening-the-suffering-of-dialysis-patients-through-engagement
Call in at: (347) 857-3961 Thursday March 19,2015.
Saturday, February 21, 2015 | By William Tinker | No Comments
Dialysis Talk will interview Author, Dori Schatell
Dori is Executive Director of the non-profit Medical Education Institute, which conducts research and develops evidence-based educational materials to help people with kidney disease live as fully as possible. She has worked in the renal field for 25 years, during which she has written and edited hundreds of educational pieces for patients and professionals, including the original DOQI anemia guidelines, the Core Curriculum for the Dialysis Technician, Kidney School, and many others, and directed development of the Home Dialysis Central website. She is co-author, with Dr. John Agar, of the book, Help, I Need Dialysis! and worked with Dr. Agar and Beth Witten to develop a decision aid for dialysis called My Life, My Dialysis Choice.
Show airs on Thursday February 26th at 9:00 Eastern, 8:00 Central, 6:00 Pacific.
To listen on the internet go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dialysisadvocates
Call in to listen or speak to host at (347) 857-3961
For more information on Dialysis go to dialysisadvocates.com
Monday, February 9, 2015 | By William Tinker | No Comments
John Rider will discuss how patients can empower themselves and take charge of their own treatment. His insight will help listeners and callers process the difficulties faced by Dialysis Patients and their family. He presently works with Out Patients at High Point Treatment Center in Brockton, Boston.
John is a past National Advocate for the Committee of Ten Thousand which deals with the hemophilia community, living with HIV/AIDS and HCV. He helped get national legislation passed and supported litigants in a national class lawsuit.
Show will be on Thursday February 11 at 9:00 PM Eastern, 8:00 Central and 6:00 PM Pacific
You can listen on line at: http://tobtr.com/s/7340373 or call into the show no earlier than 10 minutes before airtime at: 347-857-3961
Dialysis Talk is supported by http://dialysisadvocates.com
Monday, February 2, 2015 | By William Tinker | No Comments
Dialysis Advocates radio show “Dialysis Talk” on Blogtalk Radio will interview Josh Morrison who in 2011 donated a kidney without knowing who the recipient would be.
Josh Morrison is a co-founder and Executive Director of Waitlist Zero a non-profit founded by kidney donors, whose mission is to expand support for living kidney donations.
Josh donated a kidney to a stranger in December 2011. He will explain his reason for his donation along with the process and recovery after the gift of his kidney. He and his group are bringing awareness to the lack of funds available to assist in the living donor transplant process.
He was a life sciences attorney at Ropes & Gray, a law firm in Boston, He received his B.A. from Columbia University and his J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review.
Show is on Thursday February 5th at 9:00 pm Eastern, 6:00 pm Pacific.
To listen to the show go to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dialysisadvocates
To call (347) 857-3961
Wednesday, January 28, 2015 | By William Tinker | 1 Comment
Dialysis Advocates visited New York where they held discussions with individuals and companies interested in solving the problems within dialysis for patients and health care workers. Topics covered were patient abuse, bullying, and wrongful termination of care, along with blackballing. The subject of technician training and number of patients per technician were also addressed.
Round table meetings were held with Lawyers, Physicians, Patients, Technicians and those working for a Living Organ Donor system.
Dialysis Advocates Founders William Tinker, and Arlene-Mullin-Tinker were interviewed for an upcoming documentary on Dialysis presently being filmed by Gordon Skinner.
For more information listen to Dialysis Talk tomorrow Thursday January 29th at 9:00 Eastern and 6:00 Pacific at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/dialysisadvocates
Call in to the show at (347) 857-3961
Saturday, December 13, 2014 | By William Tinker | 1 Comment
This is report 1 of 3 sent to CMS/MEDICARE detailing the problems patients are having with harassment, retaliation and termination of care after questioning their level of care or reporting staff abuse at clinics. Termination of Dialysis care is undertaken with no hearing, or appeal. These reports are also sent to the corporate office of the clinics involved.
As reported by patients to Dialysis Advocates
| Case # |
Clinic/Doctor |
Reported Problem |
|
Present Status |
| 21 |
FreseniusNorth Carolina |
Clinic care was questioned by patient. After that bullying was order of the day. Claims they treated her mean. She just got tired of the NP complaining about her husband straying. She told the NP that she should not take it out on the patients. She was terminated for that. Patient has had no help relocating to a new clinic and has been denied by everyone. |
|
Terminated and blackballed from other clinicsLetter was given to her by CAN Capital Nephrology and Fresenius. Letter stated that they cannot give her dialysis without a Physician and of course no one will take her as she is written up in her charts that Hannibal Lector is a better risk. |
| 31 |
DaVitaMaryland |
Bullied and terminated by worker. All she wanted was to be able to dialyze safely. She was terminated as the worker got into her face. Two witness said she did nothing. Is now in the Emergency room situation, being harassed at the hospital and told to come in and then denied her after waiting for hours. |
|
Terminated and blackballed by any clinic in the area. |
| 41 |
DaVita |
Patient complained about worker to DaVita Corporate, they did nothing. Worker retaliated had patient terminated for violence against another patient even though she knew it was horse play with a strawberry. ESRD Networks talked to the other patient, who admitted he did it first and they were kidding around. Patient tried to get information on their investigation but was denied a copy. |
|
Terminated and blackballed from nearby clinics. Has to travel hour and a half for treatment |
| 61 |
DaVitaMinnesota |
Retaliated against for complaining about a worker. Clinic retaliated by changing his dialysis hours so he could not work. After contact by Dialysis Advocates and made aware of rules on dialysis hours patient got original dialysis schedule back. |
|
Patient is able to work and has original dialysis hours back. |
| 71 |
Rubin DialysisNew York |
Terminated from Home Hemo, Patient is afraid that the doctor will stop a transfer to another clinic and he will be blackballed with nowhere to go. |
|
|
| 81 |
DaVitaDallas, TX |
Complaining about poor care and the fact that they ignored an infection, almost bled out at home and was hospitalized almost dying needed 4 or 5 units of blood.Infection and poor care/ does not want to lodge a complaint now. Hoping they will listen to her when she has a need or infection |
|
No action needs to be taken at this time. She will call back if things get worse. |
| 91 |
DaVitaIllinois |
Patient and family complain of verbal abuse. Staff calls him names. Taking off too much fluid causing dehydration and cramps. Has begged to have settings lowered on machine, after they do, this nurse walks behind him and changes it back.Dr. has called them several times and staff told my dad he was a liar. Doctor never called? The main RN who is spiteful and verbally abusive, as are other staff. During several treatments the nurses have been talking about male private parts and who they have been sleeping with.Clinic out of control; harassment, retaliation, is escalating after any complaint.
|
|
Reported to CMS/Medicare-no response |
| 92 |
Neomy DialysisBrooklyn, NY |
Terminated due to conduct. Family believes it was a set up and unable to locate another center. No one will take her. Feels like she was blackballed. Another patient was involved and nothing was done is my understanding. |
|
Terminated |
| 93 |
No clinic named |
Terminated since July and has been turned down by every local clinic |
|
Terminated blackballed from other clinics has to go to E.R. |
| 94 |
DaVitaHarlan, CO |
The patients has a trained Seizure dog. The dog was not allowed to be with her during dialysis even though she provided the staff with the name of the trainer. There is no certificate in Colorado. |
|
After contacting ADA and getting certified letter stating dog is trained for seizures dog is allowed with her during dialysis |
| 95 |
St. Peter’s HospitalAlbany, NY |
He states he has been terminated and blackballed for “Behavioral issues” but no one will give him information or records of the evidence or information on what they terminated him for.Turned down by 8 emergency rooms. |
|
No clinic will take him; but they will not tell him what the reason is other than a statement of behavioral. He has not been allowed to see the reason. |
| 96 |
DaVitaSan Antonio, TX |
Claims DaVita said the PD was a privilege which can be taken away if he doesn’t cooperate or stop complaining. He wanted to transfer to another company, but the new clinic decided not to take him citing no chairs. Forcing him back to DaVita. He is constantly harassed and retaliated against and stuck. |
|
Harassed, Intimidated and told he is not going anywhere. He feels stuck and to keep his mouth shut and does not complain. |
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