MDNews - Central New York

including hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis and in-center dialysis options, as well as the importance of hepatitis B vaccination, are among the additional topics covered. Nephrology Associates of Syracuse PC a lso pa r tners with the dia lysis compa- nies DaVita a nd Fresenius to provide additiona l group and individua l patient e d u c a t i o n o p p o r t u n i t i e s . W h e n necessa r y, patients w ith a ll levels of chronic kidney disease can a lso receive refer ra ls for d iet a r y education a nd nutr itiona l cou nseli ng prov ided by the practice's onsite medica l dietitian, who works with patients to develop a persona lized eating plan that a lleviates t he potentia l for dieta r y er rors a nd helps t he patient ma na ge comorbid c on d i t i on s , s u c h a s d i a b e t e s a n d hy pertension, and promotes reduction of t he pat ient 's body ma ss i ndex , i f deemed appropriate. PROVIDING THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM OF RENAL CARE Nephrology Associates of Syracuse PC has a full-service laboratory, a dedicated Anemia and Iron Clinic that provides Aranesp, an injection that helps the body produce red blood cells, a nd Venofer, which helps ma inta in a nd stabi lize iron levels. The practice is also home to two clinica l hypertension specia lists, including Dr. Ondocin and Simardeep Ma ngat, MD. Clinica l hy per tension specia lists address di¬cult-to-treat hypertension. The practice promotes the va lues of collaboration, creative pr oblem s olv i n g , pr ofe s s ion a l i s m a nd communication a mong its sta f f and managers. "Chronic kidney disea se is high ly complex and can be di¬cult and expen- sive to ma na ge," Dr. Og untola says. "From fluid management and anemia treatment to post-transplant care and dia lysis, we prov ide comprehensive services and are committed to deliver- ing patients and our referring providers with excellent care and support." Fo r m o re info r m at i o n a b o ut th e s e r v i c e s p r o v i d e d b y N e p h r o l o g y A s s o c i a t e s o f S y r a c u s e P C , v i s i t nephrologysyracuse.com. ■ Investing in the Future of Nephrology THE NEPHROLOGY A SSOCIATE S of Syracuse PC team regularly mentors and educates medical students and physicians in training. Philip Ondocin, MD, nephrologist and certified hypertension specialist at Nephrology Associates of Syracuse PC, works with the State University of New York Upstate Medical University and LeMoyne College's Physician Assistant Studies program to provide shadowing opportunities for medical and physician assistant students. The team also performs rotations with residents at St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center. For students studying billing or administrative studies or who are training to become medical assistants, Nephrology Associates of Syracuse PC also partners with Bryant & Stratton College and OCM BOCES, an organization that provides educational services to a number of entities in New York, to provide internships. The practice also has a student affiliation agreement with the College of Health Professions for Clinical Laboratory Science at SUNY Upstate Medical University to provide students the opportunity for hands-on experience in a clinical laboratory. Nephrology Associates office care providers (L–R): Matthew F. Kertesz, RD, CDN, CDE; Tracy A. O'Neill, RPA-C; Marcia H. Ryder, RN, ANP; Alyssa C. Miles, RPA-C 0 8❱❱❱❱❱ C O V E R S T O R Y allows phy sicia n s t o elec t ron ica l ly excha nge patient data w ith medica l providers at hospita ls a nd other prac- t ices. Because few a rea hea lt hca re i n s t i t u t i o n s u s e e C l i n i c a l Wo r k s , Neph rolog y A ssociates of Sy racuse PC sta ff members had to complete the labor-intensive process of secur ing direct addresses for outside physicians a nd providers. They then worked with the vendor to establish a n electronic cli n ica l dat a excha n ge to fa ci lit ate ca re tra nsitions for mutua l patients. Nephrolog y A ssociates of Syracuse PC currently is able to electronica lly excha nge clinica l data w ith 12 loca l medica l groups, as well as St. Joseph's Hospit a l Hea lt h Cent er a nd SU N Y Upstate Medica l Universit y. This not only enha nces accessibilit y to medi- ca l information, but a lso reduces the potentia l for redunda ncy in patient care. The practice has the capability to connect with a ll loca l providers using Epic a nd MEDENT EHR systems, a nd plans are in place to forge new connec- tions with other physicia ns a nd EHR systems in the coming years. EMPOWERING EDUCATION Managing chronic kidney disease and comorbid conditions, such as hyperten- sion, diabetes and anemia, can require a total lifestyle change, especially if the disease progresses to the point where dialysis is required. "Patients need to understand that while the kidneys do excrete and clear toxins, they a lso have a synthetic function," Dr. Oguntola says. "The kidneys secrete hormones that a re instr umenta l in anemia prevention and vitamin D metab- olism. When kidney function declines, lifestyle adjustments are required to prevent hospitalization and potentially life-threatening complications." Medicare and most private insurances cover kidney education for patients with stage 4 chronic kidney disease, which is def ined by a glomerular f iltration rate of 15 to 29 ml/min. Chronic kidney education sessions held at Nephrology Associates of Syracuse PC for stage 4 patients are led by the team's mid-level prov iders a nd cover such topics a s nutrition and related health complica- tions, including anemia, hypertension, diabetes, and hyperparathyroidism. The key objective of this six-session series is preparation. Home dialysis modalities, 0 8

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