Dialyze Direct Expands Dialysis Services Into Maryland

Leading kidney care innovation company continues rapid nationwide growth

Brooklyn, NY /PRNewswire/ - On the heels of its recent expansion into Indiana, Dialyze Direct today announced the official expansion of its proprietary geriatric in-home dialysis model to the state of Maryland. Dialyze Direct has already expanded to three new states this year due to demand for a revitalized dialysis model to serve costly and medically complex geriatric patients, which currently make up half of all dialysis patients.

"As we continue to respond to the significant need for an improved dialysis experience for geriatric patients, it was clear that Maryland's growing elderly population would strongly benefit from the application of our compassionate care model," said Henry Kauftheil, Chairman and Co-Founder of Dialyze Direct. "A new standard for geriatric patients is emerging from our gentler and more individualized process, resulting in overall improved patient health outcomes, and a significant reduction in the burden of kidney disease related costs for nursing homes, insurance payors, hospitals and taxpayers."

Dialyze Direct provides comprehensive, turn-key home dialysis solutions that allow patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) to take advantage of the latest in patient-centric dialysis care. The company's initial focus in the home dialysis market is on skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), in which many of the most medically challenging subset of dialysis patients reside. Dialyze Direct's team of physicians, nurses, technicians, renal dietitians and social workers implement personalized plans of care in coordination with a patient's primary medical team. This gentler five-day treatment plan (pursuant to physicians' orders) consists of meticulously crafted protocols and procedures, that specifically tackle the unique fluid management challenges of geriatric dialysis patients, resulting in increased overall patient health and reduced hospitalizations. Dialyze Direct's care model significantly reduces recovery time following dialysis treatments and eliminates the burden of transportation to dialysis clinics, thereby improving patients' quality of life.

"Due to a variety of factors, the geriatric end stage renal disease population is growing significantly, and dialysis remains an incredibly taxing medical treatment for these patients," said George Burkley, Chief Strategy Officer of Signature Healthcare. "Integrating Dialyze Direct's innovative care model into our skilled nursing facilities in Maryland will allow us to improve our dialysis care offering, and eliminate travel time, missed therapies and disrupted meals, allowing our residents to live happier, healthier lives."

Recently, Dialyze Direct also launched DD Innovation Labs, an initiative to create industry-shifting solutions to challenges and inefficiencies associated with traditional dialysis methods. DD Innovation Labs is in the midst of a collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) which is aimed at developing alternative nanomaterials to facilitate improvements in the dialysis process at the molecular level.

Dialyze Direct's expansion into Maryland is part of its current aggressive growth strategy as it continues to build its patient capacity to meet the expected significant increase in demand for SNF home dialysis driven by the switch in SNF reimbursement model to PDPM as well as the overall push in the industry toward home dialysis. Maryland marks the 9th state in which Dialyze Direct is active, with expansion slated for four additional states within the next two quarters.

Dialyze Direct is a leading kidney care innovation company, pioneering breakthrough solutions for patients suffering from kidney disease. Dialyze Direct has created a staff-assisted home hemodialysis model resulting in significantly improved patient outcomes and quality of life while substantially decreasing costs for payors. With a mission to build the next generation of kidney care, Dialyze Direct works with the world's leading nephrology talent to develop new methods and technology to evolve the treatment options nephrologists have at their disposal. Dialyze Direct has operations in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas, and is in the process of launching operations in an additional four states.