Sandhills Regional Medical Center will host Kidney School starting in June. Shown inside the hospital’s dialysis unit are, from left, student Nick Panella of Wake Forest School of Medicine; student Hoa Nguyen of the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy; SHRMC CEO Andy Davis; Dr. Luiz Nascimento, internal medicine and nephrology; Lesa Greene, director of dialysis services, and Kidney School instructor; and Mary White, patient care technician.
Do you have kidney disease or know someone who does? Do you have high blood pressure or diabetes?
If so, Kidney School may be your answer to living a better life. Sandhills Regional Medical Center will host Kidney School beginning June 25 in the hospital’s education classroom.
The school, a series of classes held once each month through November, is designed to help people learn what they need to know to understand kidney disease and its treatment, adjust to kidney disease, make good medical choices, and live as fully as possible.
Research suggests that kidney patients who become active partners in their care are more likely to live long and live well.
The classes are ideal for people with hypertension and diabetes, for those who have family members living with these conditions, or for anyone interested in preventing kidney disease, said Lesa Greene, director of dialysis services for Southeast Acute Services, which operates SHRMC’s dialysis unit. Greene will also instruct the classes.
“Diabetes is the number one cause of renal failure in the United States,” Greene said. “Hypertension is second.
The following is an outline of the classes, which will each begin at 7 p.m.:
June 25: “Kidneys: How They Work, How They Fail, What You Can Do.”
July 23: “Heart Health, Blood Pressure and Fluids” with Dr. Luiz Nascimento, who specializes in internal medicine and nephrology.
Aug. 20: “Understanding Kidney Lab Tests; Anemia; and Kidney Disease.”
Sept. 24: “Working With Your Healthcare Team; Following Your Treatment Plan; Patient Rights & Responsibilities.”
Oct. 22: “Treatment Options for Kidney Disease; Vascular Access: A Lifeline For Dialysis” and
Nov. 19: “Nutrition and Fluids for People on Dialysis” with Alex Smith, Sandhills Regional dietitian; and “Discharge Planning, Transportation, Dialysis Schedules” with Pam Hodges, Sandhills Regional discharge planner.
All classes are free of charge and expected to last no more than 90 minutes. Participants must pre-register by calling (910) 205-8129 by June 11. Space is limited.
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