The Terrace Health and Rehabilitation Center, in partnership with Dialyze Direct, hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new dialysis suite Wednesday.
As a long-term care facility, the Terrace Center services a population of over 130 geriatric patients with 24-hour care, short-term rehab and outpatient therapy.
Created in 2015, Dialyze Direct is an organization that specializes in ease of dialysis treatment in the geriatric community.
Dialysis is a recurring treatment that removes waste from the kidneys to prevent kidney failure.
Terrace Center Executive Director Barry Audain said the addition of a dialysis center will allow the facility to provide convenient care for new and returning patients.
“Our goal is to satisfy the need in the community while also providing around the clock care,” Audain said. “Oftentime, when individuals go to a dialysis center, they may experience a drop in blood pressure or other issues may arise. Well, we have nurses and a team here on staff that can triage those issues, as opposed to sending them out to the hospital.”
The center is equipped to service 12 patients at a time and aims to continue expanding its capacity.
Nursing Director Victoria Johson said patients can receive treatment split into two sessions, with one in the morning and one in the afternoon on the same day. This strategy would allow patients to undergo the process in one sitting, which she said is the most effective route.
During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Dialyze Direct Florida Regional Director Sharron Elliot said the center will provide a vital service to the community.
The center already has five in-house residential patients awaiting dialysis treatment in the new suite.
The Terrace Center will seek partnerships with UF Health Shands Hospital, North Florida Regional Medical Center and home care facilities to use the care center, Audain said.
Following the ribbon cutting, Audain said he hopes to one day extend the facility into an outpatient dialysis setting. The center’s opening is the first step in the right direction, he said.
“We have a lot of things that we want to accomplish here,” Audain said. “We want to be a flagship in the community.”
Contact Morgan Vanderlaan at mvanderlaan@alligator.org. Follow her on X @morgvande.
Morgan Vanderlaan is a second year Political Science major and the Fall 2024 Politics Enterprise Reporter. When she's not on the clock she can be found writing, reciting, and watching theatre!
