Kidney Dialysis Facilities

Consult with a health care provider to help find the right dialysis facility If you or a family member has symptoms of renal disease, a doctor or urologist is the first step in recommending a facility and treatment plan.

I recommend:  Find a doctor or urologist in your area on the Physician Directory at WebMD LLC. Get information about physicians and hospitals at MedlinePlus, a resource provided by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Use an online dialysis finder Overviews of facility information and comparisons can be found on public and private websites. When searching for a facility, you should also talk to your doctor about facilities in your area, visit facilities and talk to patients and staff.

I recommend:  Medicare's Dialysis Facility Compare is the top source for information on kidney dialysis locations. It provides contact information and compares quality of care information for private and non-profit dialysis facilities. Nephrologywork.com from Practice Sight Inc. offers links to U.S. and global facilities.

Browse a national provider's dialysis center directory Several large, private organizations provide dialysis treatment at locations throughout the United States.

I recommend:  DaVita Inc. is a nationwide service with more than 1,000 hospital and outpatient facilities. Fresenius Medical Care North America is a subsidiary of Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA. It operates more than 1,500 outpatient dialysis clinics and also provides home dialysis equipment. Both sites provide a search feature by zip code or city to find a location near you.

Resolve problems with a dialysis business If you have a problem with your facility, contact your state's survey agency or an End-Stage Renal Disease Network. They inspect and provide guidelines for patient rights and safety and work with patients and facilities to resolve complaints.

I recommend:  Medicare provides links to State Survey Agencies and End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Networks.