Mission Statement & Philosophy
The Hemodialysis Care Unit is committed to excellence and strives to maintain a leadership role in patient care, education and research. We are committed to deliver the most up-to-date dialysis care to patients in Lebanon and the region. We employ all efforts to maximize the use of available resources and exercise genuine compassion to solve patients’ health problems related to renal disorders.
Vision
- Achieve the highest attainable level of care and best support and education for patients and their families
- Become a multi-disciplinary renal care center that is recognized nationally and regionally
- Promote the advancement of renal care through implementation of latest standards and continuous professional development
- Advance and share knowledge gained through research to provide optimal patient outcome
Services
Currently, the unit operates four shifts per day; six days per week. AUBMC’s hemodialysis care unit is the only unit in Lebanon that uses the pyrogenic filters. These filters improve patient safety by eliminating infection risks. On the other hand, our unit uses the Hemo-Difiltration high flux filters. Studies have shown that using high flux filters compared to low flux ones would prolong the patients’ life spans by decreasing the incidence of death resulting from cardiovascular failure. Furthermore, in our quest for total quality improvement, we reviewed and updated all our policies and procedures to meet the international standards.
- In-center HD (Standard 3x/week)
- Acute HD service unit: Continuous Renal replacement therapy (CRRT) is provided in the ICUs for sick patients as in all major medical centers in US and Europe.
Future prospects
In-center nocturnal HD service
This is the latest trend and desired modality by select patients and nephrologists. It means that the patient comes around 8pm and is dialyzed in slower mode for about 8-9 hours, while sleeping in the center. It is expected to draw young adults, working or studying, so will likely number about 6 to 8 pts. The HDU space is usually designed in a way to be reconfigured and be transformed into a “quite sleeping quarter”. Selection process is of course rigorous and nursing needs may be less demanding. This adds some space requirement to accommodate the reconfiguration but not new chairs per se.
Home Dialysis Center
Our PD program is growing and we now have a good number of pts.
In addition to PD, we are actively engaged with partners and supporting colleagues in the US to be the first center to introduce the NxStage home HD system, a machine Dr. Ali Abualfa used at the Yale Home Dialysis center for many years. It will be another big draw for patients willing to pay the differential price and be at home (an alternate to PD). Home HD is growing and new machines coming on the market soon.