Southeastern Renal Dialysis (SRD) began as a limited liability corporation in April of 1997 with original joint venture partners including Henry County Health Center in Mt. Pleasant, Great River Medical Center in West Burlington, Ft. Madison Community Hospital in Ft. Madison and Keokuk Area Hospital in Keokuk. In 2008 a fifth partner, Jefferson County Hospital in Fairfield, was added and all five of these communities now have a fully operational dialysis center serving their communities under the SRD corporate banner with almost 150 current patients now receiving this life saving treatment each year. These end-stage renal disease services are provided under the direction of qualified Medical Directors and excellent and experienced professional and support staff members in each unit. This SRD structure is a unique and cost effective model for the delivery of very specialized care to these patients requiring it, AND it’s done close to a patient’s home making it convenient and efficient for patients in southeast Iowa and the tri-state region.
What is Dialysis?
Hemodialysis or Peritoneal Dialysis is required for people whose kidneys have stopped functioning. It is a mechanical process that uses a machine to do what the body’s natural kidney does … filter metabolic products and dangerous toxins from the blood stream.
A person’s kidney helps control blood pressure and mineral and bone formation, and they play an important role in controlling red blood cell production. No one can survive without having either a natural functioning kidney, or receiving renal dialysis.
Most patients in need of dialysis travel to a dialysis center and undergo a process known as Hemodialysis. They are connected to a dialysis machine and for 3-4 hours, 2-3 times a week, their blood is run through the dialysis machine and it is cleansed of it’s toxins and impurities and returned to the body. While being treated, patients may read, write letters, do handiwork, visit with other patients and can discuss their care and treatment with staff.
Peritoneal Dialysis is a similar process that can be delivered at home for those patients who have the abilities and desires to be trained to self-administer the sophisticated process in their home setting.
The need for dialysis is projected to increase, as our life spans grow longer. Although there are many medical reasons for kidney failure, the two primary causes are related to diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure). There is no age barrier for those requiring renal dialysis and it can occur at any age. For those undergoing dialysis, appropriate diet is an integral part of the treatment regimen. Patients need to maintain good nutrition while reducing intakes of salt potassium, and phosphorous. Daily vitamin and iron and calcium supplements are often required and physical exercise may also play a big part in managing one’s overall health.
Individualized Programs
Each SRD patient receives an individualized care plan specific to their medical condition and the status of their disease. These individualized care plans include careful monitoring and delivery of treatments to provide:
- Delivering bicarbonate dialysate
- Sodium modeling
- Programmable ultra filtration
- Volumetric measuring of fluid loss
Each patient’s treatment is specialized by the use of appropriate dialyzers and length of each treatment according to their specific urea kinetic modeling.
Days of operation at Keokuk’s unit are Monday – Wednesday and Friday with convenient hours according their needs.
An Emphasis on Patient Comfort
Each of the SRD units is a highly sophisticated technical center with the latest in dialysis technology and equipment, but patients will find their surroundings to be pleasant, comfortable, and patient oriented. Each treatment station uses a comfortable recliner chair in a spacious, modern, and bright environment and patient resources include educational and recreational books, tapes, periodicals, magazines and televisions. Each unit has ample, free, handicapped accessible parking close to the front door of the unit. Visitors are allowed in the unit only when the bloodlines have been closed to reduce the chance of infection. Patient safety is always a key priority.
The Dialysis Health Care Team
Each of the five SRD Dialysis Centers uses the same “total team” concept in caring for patients. The care for each patient is established and carried out by the health care team based on the patient’s individual needs. Each health care “team” includes:
- Physicians: Thomas Bainbridge, M.D. is the SRD Medical Director and is a Board Certified Nephrologist who oversees the patient’s treatment and monitors his or her progress. In Keokuk, Dr. David Waddell, a Board Certified Internist, assists Dr. Bainbridge in the care of Keokuk area patients at SRD-Keokuk.
- Nurses: A highly qualified staff of Registered Nurses is available and on duty in each unit to provide a constant assessment of patients, providing responses required for each treatment and to serve as the coordinators of dialysis services on each unit’s health care team.
- Technicians: Experienced and caring technicians are also active members of the team and assist nurses and physicians with patient care and maintaining a safe environment.
- Dieticians: Registered Dieticians work directly with each patient and his/her family to design, implement and monitor their dietary needs and preferences.
- Social Workers: Social workers play key roles in coordinating the needs and resources available for patients as well as playing important parts in maintaining each patient’s psychological stability.
- Bio-Medical Techs: Because of the complex and sophisticated equipment and technologies involved in dialysis, each unit has an assigned bio-medical technologist who oversees the equipment and safety aspects of the unit.
Our Philosophy
At SRD we believe in comprehensive and understandable patient education regarding all of the aspects of a person’s kidney function, disease mechanisms, diet, and dialysis treatments. This philosophy fosters informed decision-making by patients and their families and gives them a sense of participation and control of their own health care. Our objective is to achieve an effective and positive working partnership between the health care team and our patients that can result in a higher quality of life for those with this complex disease.
The ongoing regimens of required dialysis treatments multiple times a week for months and often years lead SRD and our staff to develop deep and lasting friendships with our patients both inside and outside of the unit. We view our patients as part of our SRD family and we welcome and provide social and professional activities that can assist in keeping their lives productive and satisfying. SRD-Keokuk is Sophisticated, High-Tech Dialysis Care in Your Community. Another Important Part of Keokuk Health Systems Serving the Healthcare Needs of this Region.
