On October 21, 2020, Water’s Edge Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center announced the reopening of their new on-site, state-of-the-art Dialysis Unit. Now, individuals with end stage renal disease who reside near or at Water’s Edge Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center can utilize the new wing and its latest equipment.
In a joint effort, Water’s Edge is partnering with Physicians Dialysis, a dialysis company working throughout multiple states, to provide this on-site service.
“We reopened with them to really provide a service here in Trenton that is truly needed and benefits a large percentage of the population,” said Timothy Dallos, administrator at Water’s Edge. “(the new dialysis center) allows us to just really operate more cohesively since we’re under the same roof.”
Opened in 1993, Trenton’s Water’s Edge Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center offers rehabilitation, post-acute and long-term healthcare to residents in need of treatment. Water’s Edge offers over 30 types of treatment including oxygen therapy, hospice, speech therapy, pain management, dental services, occupational therapy and more.
Before partnering with Physicians Dialysis, Water’s Edge patients in need of dialysis treatment were made to leave the facility in order to get care. However, with the addition of this new wing, patients no longer have to leave the center for treatment.
“Instead of a dialysis patient having to wait for an ambulance to come pick him up to take him to a center elsewhere in the county, and then get dialysis, and then wait for the center to get the ambulance back to them and bring them back, you can just talk nurse to nurse, physician to physician and can talk directly to them and we can and we can coordinate the care,” said Mary Finn of Director of Nursing at Water’s Edge. “Logistically, it just works better.”
The new dialysis facility consists of seven treatment stations. Each station can be occupied at the same time. Within one day, 21 patients can be treated at the center.
Cindy Cano, Director of Clinical Operations for Physicians Dialysis said, “We have machines at each station where the patient goes on and gets their treatment, and they complete their treatment and return back to the floor in Water’s Edge.”
According to Water’s Edge, the elimination of travel this new wing offers provides dialysis patients multiple advantages. With the current COVID-19 pandemic, residence limit the amount of exposure to people and germs when travel is unnecessary.
In addition, patients save time on treatment when the dialysis wing is offered on-site. This time saved also accumulates to money saved for patients.
“There’s no financial burden on (patients) for transportation, which, every time under Medicare, you have to get transportation, it is a non covered component,” said Dallos. “For the two trips, three days a week, they usually run about a couple hundred dollars one way. So it’s a money saver for the patient.”
Currently, the new dialysis wing at Water’s Edge Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center is open three days a week.
“The opening of this unit represents a new phase for Water’s Edge. We’re so excited to be able to serve our community in a whole new way,” said Doris Glover, Director of Admissions for the new unit said, “We invite you to reach out to our admissions team today to see how we can help you discover your healthiest self.”