CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OPENS NEW, EXPANDED DIALYSIS CENTER, AS THE ONLY JOINT COMMISSION-ACCREDITED, CMS-APPROVED PEDIATRIC DIALYSIS PROGRAM IN LOUISIANA

The new, 2,000 square foot Dialysis Center at Children’s Hospital New Orleans provides lifesaving therapies that help treat kidney failure in pediatric patients across Louisiana and the Gulf South.

NEW ORLEANS – Children’s Hospital New Orleans celebrates another important milestone in its campus transformation effort, with the opening of its new Dialysis Center this month. The center offers outpatient therapies including hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis, and continuous renal replacement therapy for patients with acute and chronic renal failure in the inpatient setting.

The all new, expanded Dialysis Center includes six private treatment rooms where the parent or caregiver can stay with his or her child during both hemodialysis and apheresis treatments. The space also provides convenient access for families, located on the first floor of the clinic building at Children’s Hospital, and is staffed by a team of eight dedicated pediatric nephrology providers and nurses who have extensive training in pediatric dialysis and apheresis.

“Our new Dialysis Center provides a spacious and comforting environment, along with state-of-the-art equipment, that will allow Children’s Hospital to continue to improve the lives of our patients suffering with kidney failure for many years to come, in a space designed just for kids and their families,” says Diego Aviles, MD, Service Line Chief for Nephrology at Children’s Hospital New Orleans.

Each treatment room features a new, state-of-the-art Baxter Phoenix Hemodialysis machine with components that mimic the work of a real kidney and is designed to meet the individualized needs of each patient. In addition, the space provides access to a new Central Water Processor that produces purified water to dialyze a patient multiple times a week.

“As the only pediatric dialysis center serving the state of Louisiana, I am incredibly proud of the lifesaving care provided by our nephrologists and dialysis team, in a space that now matches our expert level of care,” says John R. Nickens IV, President and Chief Executive Officer at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “These vital services give families hope when they are challenged with a difficult diagnosis, and we are honored to provide a spacious and bright new center that offers optimal care for our patients and their families.”

With the opening of the new space, the Children’s Hospital Dialysis Center has also expanded its hours of operation to allow more scheduling options for families, including children who are on the road to transplant. Since 1995, Children’s Hospital New Orleans has helped 175 children transition from being dialysis dependent to regaining their quality of life through kidney transplant.

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About Children’s Hospital New Orleans

Children’s Hospital New Orleans is a 257-bed, non-profit academic pediatric medical center that offers comprehensive healthcare services, including over 40 pediatric specialties, delivered just for children. With more than 400 physicians trained in more than 40 pediatric subspecialties, Children’s offers a comprehensive array of pediatric healthcare services in Louisiana and the Gulf South. In addition to its main campus located in New Orleans, the hospital operates a network of specialty clinics across Louisiana and in Southern Mississippi, including in Covington, Baton Rouge, and Lafayette. Children’s Hospital offers primary care services at 15 convenient locations throughout Southeast Louisiana and remotely via its Virtual Care app. Children’s Hospital is a proud member of LCMC Health, a Louisiana-based, not-for-profit hospital system which also includes New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, University Medical Center New Orleans and West Jefferson Medical Center. Learn more at chnola.org.