HEREFORD, Texas (KVII) — Hereford Regional Medical Center is now offering inpatient treatment for kidney patients, a service that has been needed for years.
Candice Smith, CEO of the Deaf Smith County Hospital District, highlighted the importance of this development.
“Rural health is exceptional in many areas, but sometimes we’re limited on what we have available in our area, and we have to transfer to a higher level of care,” Smith said. “So, any time that we can add a service line within our organization that keeps our patients local and their families local, it’s a benefit to everybody.”
The center now has 8-10 certified nurses trained to serve patients hospitalized with kidney injuries, chronic kidney disease, kidney failure, and diabetes.
Smith explained, “If a patient has a history of chronic renal failure and is established to get outpatient dialysis locally and they become acutely ill and come into our emergency room, that’s when we assess them and recognize that they could benefit from an inpatient hospital stay to address their acute issues and then receive their hemodialysis while they’re here.”
Smith, who began as chief nursing officer in 2016, emphasized the significance of providing local care.
“Anything that we can provide locally, it’s beneficial to the patient, it’s beneficial to their family, to their healing, to eliminate having to be transferred and then try to find transportation back home, and limits your family’s availability to go see you while you’re away,” she said. “It’s important to have the family close to you whenever you’re hospitalized. It has been proven to help the healing process.”
For more information on HRMC’s nephrology services, click HERE.
Hereford Regional Medical Center expands kidney care services with inpatient dialysis (KVII)
