Dialysis Clinic, Inc. - Keys to Kidney Care
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Keys to Kidney Care


Description:

Keys to Kidney Care will conduct blood pressure screenings and provide kidney health education at the local mall as part of our community outreach.

Purpose:

Identify undiagnosed hypertension with screenings and educate the public regarding risk factors for kidney disease thereby enabling people to have early identification and intervention to preserve kidney function.

Conclusion:

On Saturday, February 9, 2019, from 12PM-4PM the DCI North Brunswick Purpose Project took place at the Brunswick Square mall in East Brunswick, NJ. This particular day was chosen due to a variety of family and community events that were to draw increased numbers of shoppers into the mall. 13 members of the DCI family, including nurses, doctors, dietitians, and billers, came together to execute this Project. In total, we provided 137 screenings, of which 43 (31%) were elevated.

In preparation for the Project, we prepared 400 goody bags for people who would have their blood pressure checked. Included in the goody bags were a stress ball, keychain, hand sanitizer, pen, and card to log blood pressure readings.

“Kidney Rock” was a great hit, and helpful in gaining the attention of shoppers. Children and adults alike were intrigued. We were able to find other characters in the mall such as Mary Poppins who was gracious enough to allow us to check her blood pressure. We knew she would be high risk due to the stress of having to be “practically perfect in every way.”

Overall, our Purpose Project benefitted many people in our community by providing health awareness and knowledge of kidney disease risk factors. Some examples of the positivity that came from our event are as follows:

One person was newly diagnosed with hypertension after having a high reading at the event, and subsequently monitored his blood pressure for a few days after and it remained elevated. This individual had then gone to the doctor and it was revealed that he was having headaches and didn’t tell anyone, and was started on medication for hypertension.

An example of the professionalism and multiculturalism of our team was that a person had her blood pressure checked was not English speaking, yet we were able to communicate with her regarding her health because a member of our team spoke her native language. We learned the lady had stopped taking her medication and her blood pressure was now high as a result. This individual was counseled on the effects of uncontrolled hypertension and given strategies and lifestyle modifications to help control her blood pressure (recommended following a low sodium diet and following up with the doctor).

Something else positive that happened as a result of our event was a person with diagnosed chronic kidney disease Stage 3 was a participant. After having his blood pressure checked, it was noted to be elevated. This person was then given information about the REACH Kidney Care program where he would receive education on how to prevent his CKD from progressing.

Overall the Purpose Project was a great success! Mall management was happy to be partnering with a non-profit organization to provide health awareness to the community, and was eager to provide additional opportunities for us to return. We felt a great sense of fulfillment that our purpose had been well-received.

Saturday 2/9/19

Brunswick Square Mall

Contact Person:

Marylou Clancy

Email: marylou.clancy@dciinc.org