TUSKEGEE, Ala. (WSFA) – The only kidney dialysis facility in Macon County is on the verge of closure. Now, Tuskegee Mayor Chris Lee is urging immediate action to keep the life-saving service available to residents.
Fresenius Kidney Care Tuskegee, located on East Martin Luther King Highway, will close its doors on March 18. The mayor says the decision is being made by the facility’s corporate parent, Massachusetts-based Fresenius.
Reached for comment, a representative for Fresenius confirmed the pending closure to WSFA 12 News and said the company was working to minimize disruption.
“We recognize that changes in care settings can be difficult for patients, families, and employees, and we are working closely with them to minimize disruption and ensure continuity of care. Our teams have worked quickly with our patients, and have already identified availability for uninterrupted dialysis care for all of the Tuskegee center’s patients at centers as close as 15 miles away. This includes securing transportation for those who require it.
Fresenius Medical Care acknowledges the inconvenience this may cause to patients and staff members and we remain committed to providing our patients with safe, high-quality, and life-sustaining dialysis care.
Stratton did not give a reason for the facility’s closure.
“We cannot afford to lose this center,” Lee wrote, saying it currently serves the medical needs of “nearly 50 patients who depend on it multiple times a week for life sustaining dialysis treatment.”
Lee says he’s reached out to U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures, D-District 2, state Rep. Pebblin Warren, D-District 82, state Sen. Billy Beasley, D-District 28, as well as other local, state and federal officials in an effort “to help protect access to this critical care for our residents.”
“For these patients, many of our friends, family members and elders in the community, missing treatment and traveling long distances several times a week is not realistic and puts their health at risk. For them, having a facility locally is the difference between life and death.”
Dialysis allows for filtering of the blood in those with chronic kidney disease.
According to the American Kidney Fund, Alabama ranks among the nation’s highest for kidney failure, per capita, meaning there is a high need for dialysis or kidney transplant.
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