What We Do
Referrals
Doctors: Although there are many good medical referral agencies, they do not put a particular emphasis on the specialties of nephrology and transplant surgeons. Renewal offers guidance through the maze of experts in these fields.
Dialysis centers: Renewal maintains a listing of centers and their addresses, hours of operation and amount of stations. In addition, ratings of the dialysis centers are noted. The three measurements of a quality dialysis center are:
Anemia - how well patients at a facility have their anemia (low red blood cell count) under control.
Hemodialysis Adequacy - how many patients at a facility get their blood cleaned enough during dialysis treatments.
Patient Survival - if the patients treated at a facility generally live longer than, as long, or not as long as expected.
Hospitals: There are many centers that do kidney transplants throughout the United States. It is imperative to use one that has the experience of doing many transplants in a year. However one must take great care to make sure they are not overly aggressive in taking donors that carry a risk of having the graft (kidney) fail, or even worse having the patient G-d forbid die.
Guidance:
Guide(s): Renewal has published a guide that explains the process of donating a kidney. This took months of research and has served as a useful tool for many donors. Copies have been requested throughout the US and Canada and we have received requests to have it translated into Hebrew and Yiddish. In the works is a guide written for the patient and family.
Advertising: Generally, most people suffering from renal failure look for a live donor. As mentioned previously, very often there is no one in the family that can donate, and one must turn to the general public. The way that is usually done is by placing ads in newspapers. This includes wording of the ad, deciding which newspaper to put it into and of course the cost involved. To that end, Renewal helps in deciding how often and in which newspapers the ad should be placed. We have also gotten discounts from various papers and therefore can be of help with the cost of the ads also.
Once the ad is placed someone must answer the calls that come in response. Renewal steps in for this part of the process also since very often the family is concerned about maintaining anonymity. The family is overwhelmed by the worry of a member being diagnosed with such a serious condition and does not need the extra burden of manning the phone line. In addition when such ads are placed, many people call offering various different services – vitamins natural healing etc. A family with a member suffering from kidney failure doesn’t have the patience to deal with these calls. Finally, when a donor calls it makes a much better impression when a knowledgeable person answers the phone since it gives the potential donor more trust that this process is not something detrimental to him/her.
Procedures: Explaining the various tests both the donor and recipient undergo. It is a comforting feeling to know what to expect, both in the type of procedure, length and any preparation needed (CT scan, renal scan etc.).
Support:
Donors and Recipients: A list of constantly growing donors and recipients that are willing to discuss their experience with anyone going through the process of a kidney transplant. After the procedure, a past donor will visit the current donor in the hospital. As is normal after an operation, there is pain and discomfort. Seeing someone who has done it and is now fully functional is a tremendous support.
Transportation: Providing transportation (when needed) to the transplant center and lab(s).
Renewal aims to assist each and every donor and recipient
