Business & Tech

Midwestern University Alumni Open New Dialysis Facility in Downers Grove

Drs. Anis Rauf and Mohammed Ahmed recently opened a 13-station U.S. Renal Care facility that takes a patient-centered approach to dialysis.

With the opening of their new U.S. Renal Care facility in Downers Grove, Drs. Anis Rauf and Mohammed Ahmed are hoping to bring a more personalized approach to dialysis treatment to the western suburbs.

Rauf and Ahmed met 10 years ago while studying osteopathic medicine at Midwestern University in Downers Grove. Last month, they teamed up to open the second and third U.S. Renal Care facilities in Illinois—one at 1201 Butterfield Road in Downers Grove, near the border of Oak Brook, and the other at 396 Remington Boulevard in Bolingbrook.

The facilities are custom-designed for patients undergoing renal dialysis, the process of filtering blood, the way kidneys normally do, using a machine. The treatment is used for short-term issues, and sustains patients waiting for kidney transplants.

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U.S. Renal Care opened its first Illinois dialysis center in Streamwood in July, and has locations in 12 other states. The company's clinics provide both in-center and at-home dialysis treatments, along with a variety of support services for patients suffering from kidney disease, including podiatrists, social workers and dieticians.

Rauf and Ahmed were attracted to U.S. Renal Care because of its patient-centered approach to dialysis treatment, they said.

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"Dialysis patients are typically treated up to three times a week, for four hours at a time, so our primary focus with this new facility is creating a comfortable environment for our patients," Rauf said.

The new Downers Grove facility is designed with comfort in mind, and for Rauf and Ahmed, the comfort was in the details. They chose soothing colors for the walls and decor, and equipped each dialysis station with massage chairs and individual DVD players.

"For patients with kidney disease, dialysis becomes a huge part of their life. It's important to us to make them feel at home, and give them access to all the services they need to manage their illness," Rauf said.

Vikki Tulcus, a resident of nearby Westmont, said a high-quality, easily accessible facility will have a profound impact on her health and quality of life.

“For me and my family, the U.S. Renal Care Downers Grove facility is going to make a world of difference,” Tulcus said. “As a patient, nothing is more important to me than choice. I finally have a choice in where I get my dialysis care, and knowing that it’s close to home gives me peace of mind and comfort.”

Ahmed said the facility will eventually treat about 50 patients a day, six days a week.

The demand for dialysis centers points to a rise in kidney disease in the United States, he added.

"Kidney failure is a silent disease; unless you get checked, you might not know what's going on," Ahmed said. "We're seeing a strong correlation between renal failure and high blood pressure and diabetes, which we know is tied to the obesity epidemic."

For more information on the Downers Grove U.S. Renal Care, visit usrenalcare.com.

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