By BOB MARTIN
Eagle Times Staff
CLAREMONT, N.H. — Fresenius Kidney Care was slated to open at the beginning of 2024, but the center to be based on Washington Street has had some snags along the way.
Fresenius Medical Care Senior Media Relations Manager Kirsten Stratton told the Eagle Times that they are awaiting state and federal approval to open its doors, and while she could not give a direct timeline, she has hopes that everything can be ironed out for an opening as soon as possible.
“We continue to work with state and federal officials to meet all the requirements for opening,” Stratton said. “Our staff is prepared to welcome patients once we are approved to open and we are hopeful that we can begin serving patients soon.”
Additional information was requested about the specifics on the requirements and who Fresenius is working with to get the center opened, but Stratton declined to comment further. She also declined to comment on what was keeping the center from opening its doors. It was originally slated for a January 2024 opening, according to the Eagle Times report on June 9, 2023.
The kidney care dialysis center will be located in the former location of Rite Aid on Washington Street, which has been vacant for years. According to the previous Eagle Times report, the spot was in good shape to be repurposed and contractors were working to transform it into the center.
Fresenius Medical Care is based in Germany and operates worldwide, with the North American regional offices located in Waltham, Massachusetts. There are more than 2,500 clinics and 70,000 employees in the United States, and the company helps more than 170,000 patients with chronic kidney disease and end stage renal disease. The company cares for more than 332,000 patients across the globe in about 4,000 dialysis clinics, while also operating 40 production sites, according to the company website.
The website states that about 4.1 million patients undergo dialysis treatment around the world, and Fresenius Medical Care is the top provider for serving people with renal diseases. It adds that dialysis is “a vital blood cleansing procedure that substitutes the function of kidneys in case of kidney failure.”
According to the report, the plan is to have 12 patient stations with two home dialysis training rooms once it is opened. There are two other Fresenius Kidney Care centers in the region, located in Lebanon and Keene. This center is meant to be a more convenient way to serve Sullivan County patients.
For additional information about the company, log onto freseniusmedicalcare.com.
