A new dialysis center opened Saturday on 3315 Delano Street near Elgin just two miles from downtown Houston. What's special about the new Riverside Dialysis Center is that it offers quality care at a minimal to no out-of-pocket cost for patients who qualify, including the uninsured or underinsured. Supporters say it will help taxpayers save millions in rising healthcare costs each year. For Manuela Sanchez's late brother, Antonio Sanchez, it was five years too late. The uninsured immigrant died of severe liver disease after being repeatedly turned away from emergency rooms when he needed dialysis. She says her brother's legacy will live on because his death in 2003 prompted local officials to change their policies and to discuss the need for a new public dialysis clinic for uninsured and under-insured residents.
Studies show treating a dialysis patient in the emergency room can cost the Harris County Hospital District nearly $300,000 annually. That's four times the cost of treating the patient with scheduled dialysis in a clinic setting. Hospital officials say the facility will cost $1.2 million to operate each year and will be fully funded by the Harris Co. Hospital District.
"We will be able to see up to 130 patients who require dialysis each and every week," said David Lopez, President of the Harris Co. Hospital District. "We are very pleased to be able to do this." The cost to a patient can range from nothing to a small portion, depending on the patient's annual household income.
The City of Houston is also playing a major part in helping the new Riverside Dialysis Center. It owns the property the where the clinic is located. The City of Houston is leasing the facility to the Harris County Hospital District for only one dollar per year.
Studies show treating a dialysis patient in the emergency room can cost the Harris County Hospital District nearly $300,000 annually. That's four times the cost of treating the patient with scheduled dialysis in a clinic setting. Hospital officials say the facility will cost $1.2 million to operate each year and will be fully funded by the Harris Co. Hospital District.
"We will be able to see up to 130 patients who require dialysis each and every week," said David Lopez, President of the Harris Co. Hospital District. "We are very pleased to be able to do this." The cost to a patient can range from nothing to a small portion, depending on the patient's annual household income.
The City of Houston is also playing a major part in helping the new Riverside Dialysis Center. It owns the property the where the clinic is located. The City of Houston is leasing the facility to the Harris County Hospital District for only one dollar per year.
