Tillamook Kidney Center Progress
Adventist Health Tillamook has found a tremendous nonprofit dialysis provider, Dialysis Clinic, Inc. (DCI), to open at our hospital. We thought that the beginning of the year would be a perfect time to share more information about DCI and an update on the Tillamook Kidney Center’s progress.
DCI was founded in 1971 in Nashville, Tennessee, as a nonprofit dialysis provider by nephrologist Dr. H. Keith Johnson. At that time, there was no Medicare funding for dialysis, and most patients did not have insurance coverage for these services. This meant many patients couldn’t afford treatment.
Dr. Johnson and his team pursued nonprofit status from day one, earmarking excess revenues for kidney disease research and education. The team was relentless in finding funding for patients who couldn’t afford treatment. Donations sustained clinic operations until Medicare began paying for outpatient dialysis in 1973.
This single clinic, caring for eight patients, has since grown to serve more than 14,000 patients at more than 240 locations nationwide. Today, DCI remains the only national, independent, nonprofit dialysis provider in the country.
Adventist Health Tillamook is excited to partner with DCI and is committed to supporting the Tillamook Kidney Center in every way possible, including rallying our community to provide financial support for start-up costs and ongoing operational support. While we fell short of our 2024 goal of $75,000, we are very close to where we need to be financially. Rest assured, the center is coming to Adventist Health Tillamook.
The real hurdle right now is governmental approval, which has proven to be more time consuming than we had hoped. Just know that we have talented, committed people working hard to get the kidney center up and running, and we are very close to providing this life-saving service here in Tillamook.
It’s not too late to support the Tillamook Kidney Center. Please donate now to help us meet our funding goal, or call Jack Ryser at 503-815-2304 to learn about other ways to give.
