By Lori EhdeHopes for a dialysis unit at the new Sioux Valley Hospital in Luverne were somewhat dimmed last week during a meeting between concerned patients and hospital administration.As construction on the new hospital campus is underway in Luverne, local dialysis patients were hoping it would mean no more weekly trips to Sioux Falls for treatment.Luverne Community Hospital Administrator Jerry Carl addressed the issue at an Oct. 20 meeting of about 40 people.At that meeting, he said dialyses was something that wasn?t budgeted for in the new facility, but if there was a proven need ? enough patients to keep the unit busy ? fund-raising could be explored.To make dialysis available in Luverne, the center would have to operate at least six chairs at once. In Luverne, there are reportedly nine patients currently receiving dialysis in Sioux Falls, Pipestone or Worthington.At the Oct. 20 meeting, Carl said he?d do some research and meet again with the group on Nov. 19.That meeting drew about 20 people to the Luverne Senior Center, and they didn?t hear encouraging news.Carl said he learned of 11 local patients who could currently benefit from dialysis in Luverne, but that didn?t necessarily support long-term need for the service.That?s a concern, he said, because such a unit involves a $400,000 to $500,000 investment that requires specialized, highly-trained staff, who have a history of being difficult to retain."We?re not sure we can find enough patients to keep dialysis equipment busy enough to pay all the expenses," Carl said. The biggest roadblock to the project, he said, is the fact that people on dialysis are typically on Medicare, which currently doesn?t keep up with reimbursements for such services.Another major hurdle for the local project would be clearing state and federal red tape to get the services Medicare-certified.He emphasized that the goal for hospitals isn?t just about money, it?s about treating patients."We can?t be everything to everybody," he said. "These are tough decisions. How do you decide between the heart patient and the dialysis patient? The important point is we aren?t going to have everything in that facility."Luverne?s Fred Manfred attended both the Oct. 20 meeting and the Nov. 19 meeting. He?s been on dialysis for 24 years, so he recognizes his bias in the issue. But he said research supports the long-term viability of the project.For example, studies show dialysis services are expected to grow 3 to 5 percent annually. This is largely due to an aging population and the increasing number of diabetes patients ? kidney failure is often an end result of diabetes.He said years ago, it may have been difficult to predict how many patients would support the thriving therapy services currently offered at the Luverne hospital."We?ve added other programs not knowing what the long-term viability of those services would be," Manfred said. "We look at the human side versus monetary, and of course, they look at monetary, because they have to in order to keep programs going. ? I just feel it would be a shame to have a modern facility without that modern entity."Carl didn?t completely discourage proponents of the idea from exploring fund-raising possibilities for a dialysis unit.In the short term, Manfred said he?s organizing a pool of volunteer drivers to help dialysis patients in the winter months.Neva Clausen, 283-8043, has agreed to field calls from volunteers.Long-term, Manfred and others are exploring options with the Luverne Community Health Care Foundation, which serves as the fund-raising arm of the hospital.
