Northwest Kidney Centers

Growing support for people on home dialysis in the Seattle area

To serve increasing numbers of people with kidney disease, Northwest Kidney Centers has opened a new home dialysis support hub in the northeast Seattle suburb of Kirkland, Wash. The 17,000-square-foot facility provides more room for people to train for home treatments and for peritoneal and home hemodialysis patients to check in with their health care team at monthly clinics. The home hub shares space with a community dialysis center.

Northwest Kidney Centers is a Seattle-based not-for-profit dialysis provider, founded in 1962 as the first out-of-hospital dialysis program in the world. From the early days it has been a strong promoter of home treatments, given that patients often feel better and live longer if they are able to do self-dialysis.

National figures currently show people who give themselves dialysis at home have a survival rate 62 percent better than those who receive dialysis in a center.

Among Northwest Kidney Centers patients, 17 percent dialyze at home, compared to 8.5 percent nationally.

To support them, the organization offers free classes that help prospective patients and their family members evaluate treatment options and plan their diets. Home patients can get individualized training and regular monitoring at six of the nonprofit's 15 facilities in the Seattle metropolitan area.

The home dialysis program and charity care will be the beneficiaries of money raised at Northwest Kidney Centers' 12th annual Breakfast of Hope, scheduled for May 8 at the Westin Seattle. More than 800 people are expected at the breakfast, which raised $325,000 last year. The event showcases the organization's work and allows supporters to make contributions. If you are in the Seattle area, please make a reservation to join. Everyone is welcome to attend.