(BETHESDA) – Patients in Bethesda and nearby communities needing dialysis treatment now have improved access to quality care, thanks to a new 10-station U.S. Renal Care facility at 4701 Sangamore Road, Suite P107 in Bethesda.  Representatives from Maryland’s 8th Congressional District, the Montgomery County Council, the Bethesda Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce, the National Kidney Foundation and the Bethesda Fire Department gathered with area hospital administrators, physicians and patients on Tuesday to mark the opening of the state-of-the-art facility. 

 

“U.S. Renal Care has a great team of physicians who have taken exceptional care of me. My life has improved immeasurably over the last two years,” said Ray Larroca, an 84-year-old patient and resident of Foggy Bottom in Northwest D.C. “Patients like me are fortunate to have a facility of this caliber close to home – especially because so many of us rely on our loved ones to take us to and from treatments.”

 

Along with a convenient location, patients will have access to an entire team of dedicated professionals including dieticians, social workers and nurses who will provide patients and their families with the support and resources they need to stay healthy during treatment. 

 

Dr. Steven Burka, a nephrologist who has been treating patients for nearly 40 years, will serve as the facility’s Medical Director.  Dr. Burka is also Medical Director of Inpatient Dialysis at Sibley Hospital in Northwest D.C and serves as a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at both George Washington University and Georgetown University.

 

“This facility opening comes at a very appropriate time.  March is National Kidney Month, when we focus on raising awareness of kidney disease and its causes, symptoms and treatments such as dialysis,” Dr. Burka said. “Today we celebrate a brand-new state-of-the-art facility and a healthcare team that is committed to helping patients choose the best treatment option for them and their families.”

 

During the grand opening, Congressman Chris Van Hollen’s office presented the facility with a Congressional Citation. The Montgomery County Council and Bethesda Chamber of Commerce gave U.S. Renal Care framed certificates welcoming the facility to the community.    

 

U.S. Renal Care Bethesda Dialysis is Medicare-certified and also accepting credentialed physicians.  This is U.S. Renal Care’s fourth dialysis center in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. 

 

Beyond providing both in-center and at-home treatment options, U.S. Renal Care and its physicians across the country are committed to making sure patients understand all of their options, including a kidney transplant, which is ultimately the best treatment for kidney failure.