Queens’ and Long Island’s most advanced kidney dialysis center
Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation, along with the Queens-Long Island Renal Institute, are proud to announce Queens’ and Long Island’s most advanced kidney dialysis center. Through effective collaboration and advanced clinical care, this unique partnership allows dialysis patients to receive treatment, plus physical therapy for rehabilitation, while pursuing their schedule of daily activities.
How does the joint Parker/QueensLong Island Renal Institute (QLIRI) effort help dialysis patients to better cope with their illness? QLIRI was established in 2010 with the goal of improving the quality of life for people who need dialysis, whether they live at home or are patients and/or residents of Parker. Parker’s sub-acute patients benefit since their close proximity (QLIRI is on the Parker campus) reduces the time required to transfer patients from one health care facility to another. “The majority of Parker’s sub-acute patients come from area hospitals and may require rehab therapy,” said Michael N. Rosenblut, Parker’s president and CEO. “As a result of the QLIRI offices on Parker’s campus, subacute patients have more time for physical therapy sessions, with the goal of being discharged much sooner,” he said.
Aside from proximity, what also makes the Parker/QLIRI partnership work is the collaboration between both Institutes. There are sub-acute patients in need of recommendations to take care of blood pressure control and fluid management issues. QLIRI staff coordinates care for those sub-acute patients at Parker with blood pressure concerns. The nephrologist routinely speaks with patients’ primary care physicians. Close contact between Parker and QLIRI staff results in better management and care for these patients.
QLIRI is special in that it serves three distinct patient groups: those with subacute conditions who were discharged from a hospital and require skilled nursing care and rehab therapy, along with dialysis, part of the QLIRI collaborative clinical approach with Parker; long-term patients at Parker who receive dialysis treatments at QLIRI; in the near future, QLIRI will offer home hemodialysis. This will be staffassisted self-care, where clinic staff educates and monitors patients before, during and after hemodialysis. In 2016 alone, the Parker/QLIRI partnership served 245 patients, providing 17,768 treatments.
QLIRI’s 40-person staff is composed of RNs, PCTs (patient care technicians), LPNs (licensed practical nurses), dietitians and social workers. Their 15 treatment stations each have a team of two RNs, one LPN and three PCTs. There is one RN for every 7.5 patients, and a four-to-one staff ratio of patient care technicians and LPNs. The QLIRI ratio is above industry standards.
The Parker/QLIRI achievement demonstrates that when clinical staffs from two independent programs collaborate, they can increase their knowledge, stay current with industry standards, and enhance patient outcomes. Their collaboration generates mutual respect amongst staff and patients, boosting patient confidence in the people who care for them.