Hamilton Pilots New Kidney Disease Testing
1/26/2005

CONTACT: Keith Jennings
PHONE: 706-272-6118

Dalton, GA - Hamilton Medical Center is one of seven hospitals in Georgia chosen to pilot a new program to screen cardiovascular patients for kidney disease.

The CVD/CKD (Cardiovascular Disease/Chronic Kidney Disease) project is a breakthrough effort addressing inpatient chronic kidney disease care among patients hospitalized for cardiovascular disease. Chronic kidney disease is a condition of continuous damage to the kidneys. It is usually caused by a long-term disease, which slowly damages the kidneys, and reduces their function over a period of time.

"The link between heart disease and kidney failure has long been known but not well appreciated," said Deb Richardson, Clinical Resource Nurse, Hamilton Medical Center. "It has only been in the last five years that cardiologists, nephrologists and other physicians have begun to appreciate that chronic kidney disease is very common in patients with cardiovascular disease. We want to identify patients with decreased kidney function early and improve the health of these patients before their kidneys fail."

Hamilton participated in a four-phase collaborative model including pre-work activities, learning sessions, action periods, and an outcomes congress. The pilot began in January 2004 and completed in December 2004. Hamilton has become a leader in automatically reporting kidney filtration rates. Its laboratory, being first to implement this reporting, has helped other hospitals make this reporting possible.

From here, the pilot will be launched to teaching institutions nationwide, with Hamilton being at the forefront of the teaching process.

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