Littauer and American Renal Associates set the foundation for Fulton County dialysis center

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1. Nathan Littauer Hospital, in partnership with American Renal Associates ceremoniously set the foundation Friday afternoon for the new Gloversville Dialysis Center at Nathan Littauer

GLOVERSVILLE, NY (06/20/2016)(readMedia)-- Nathan Littauer Hospital, in partnership with American Renal Associates, is proud to announce the "foundation setting" for its new state-of-the-art dialysis center in Gloversville. The new facility in Fulton County will offer the latest technology for the care and comfort of patients suffering from kidney disease.

On Friday, June 17, Nathan Littauer Hospital administrators, together with Dr. Soo Lee and Dr. Hani Shahata of American Renal Associates and local dignitaries, ceremoniously set the foundation as the construction of the center got underway.

"We are very excited about this venture with Littauer," said Dr. Lee. "Dialysis is an essential service, and it will be a tremendous advantage to patients in Fulton County and beyond the region."

The new dialysis center at Nathan Littauer Hospital will be the first dialysis center in Fulton County and one of the few dialysis centers in the nation attached to both a hospital and a nursing home. The center is fully prepared to serve all local patients suffering from kidney disease on an outpatient basis.

"Drs. Lee and Shahata of American Renal Associates share our mission of providing world-class healthcare services to Fulton County," said Laurence E. Kelly, president and CEO of Nathan Littauer Hospital. "Our ongoing partnership with these extraordinary doctors will increase our capacity to better serve our neighbors."

Littauer expects the dialysis center to improve the quality of life for patients suffering from kidney disease. Many dialysis patients have to travel hours for a treatment that can last up to four hours, three times a week. It is Littauer's mission to provide world-class healthcare locally.

Although the new dialysis center is an outpatient facility, Littauer has filed an application with the New York State Department of Health to offer dialysis to patients admitted to the hospital. The facility fully expects approval for this request.

As stated, the Gloversville dialysis project is unique to the area since it is adjacent to a nursing home. According to Dr. Shahata, many nursing homes cannot offer dialysis services due to the time, frequency, and transportation costs.

The new 7,000-square-foot facility will house 12 dialysis stations, with one isolation station, and will treat approximately 60 patients a week. The total cost from start to finish is $3.5 million. Littauer anticipates being in the test phase by Dec. 1, and being open for dialysis by Jan. 1, 2017.

"This is the right project, at the right time, with the right partners," confirmed Kelly.

Nathan Littauer Hospital and Family of Health Services serves Fulton, Montgomery, and Hamilton counties in upstate New York with a full-service, 74-bed acute care hospital, nine primary care centers, a nursing home and a community education center. The hospital was founded in 1894 and has 1,000 employees. Littauer's medical staff provides well over 100,000 patient encounters each year. For more information, please visit www.nlh.org.