Spokane

Kidney centers plan open house
Health notes

Carla K. Johnson
Staff writer

A national company with two new Spokane kidney dialysis centers will hold an open house Tuesday from 3 to 7 p.m.

Fresenius Medical Care operates more than 1,100 dialysis centers nationally. It also makes and distributes dialysis products.

The open house will take place at the North Side center, 7407 N. Division. The company also recently started taking dialysis patients at its Spokane Valley site, 12610 E. Maribeau Parkway, Suite 100.

Each site now has eight patient stations, with room to expand, said area manager Rita Gregory.

For people whose kidneys no longer function well, dialysis is a life-saving treatment. The majority of dialysis patients have diabetes. Most need the treatment three times a week, for three to four hours each time.

The company says its equipment is different because it continuously monitors how well the blood is being cleaned. Patients and staff can watch the progress of dialysis on a traffic light system that signals "green" when the treatment is working well.

The system will be demonstrated, without a patient, during the open house.

Pills vs. prevention

Controversial issues involving the pharmaceutical industry will be discussed May 9 at the Spokane Health Care Leaders Group meeting.

Bruce Howard, regional account manager for Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, will speak about how prescription drugs get from manufacturer to consumer.

The discussion, scheduled for 5:30 to 7 p.m., will be held in room 110C of the Health Sciences Building on Washington State University Spokane's Riverpoint campus, 310 N. Riverpoint Blvd. It is free and open to the public.

The discussion will include how the national marketing of drugs affects their use and cost, and how the health insurance system favors pills over preventive therapies such as diet and exercise.

The presentation is co-sponsored by the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce Health Care Committee and the department of health policy and administration at Washington State University Spokane.

The Health Care Leaders Group is chaired by Dr. Deb Harper and chiropractor Kelli Pearson. Melissa Ahern, associate professor in the department of health policy and administration at WSU Spokane, will facilitate.

Caregivers conference

Registration is due Tuesday for a daylong conference for caregivers.

The conference will be May 8 at The Commons at Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute, 4000 W. Randolph Road.

Morning sessions will focus on the specific needs of patients with Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, AIDS, Parkinson's disease and brain injuries.

Keynote speaker Gail Goeller will talk about finding balance and lightening the load. Afternoon sessions will deal with medications, legal issues and communicating with doctors.

For more information, call Aging and Long Term Care of Eastern Washington, 458-2509.

The cost is $20 for individual caregivers and $30 for those who work for care agencies.

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