Huron Regional Medical Center Dialysis Renovation Planned

Huron Regional Medical Center board of directors recently voted to approve a $2.45 million dialysis renovation and relocation project to expand local access to the vital service. The HRMC dialysis treatment unit will relocate to 142 Third Street SE when renovations are complete.

“We’ve started preparing the building for construction, which will kick off soon. The project is expected to take eight to ten months,” says Erick Larson, president and CEO of Huron Regional Medical Center.

The new location in the building previously occupied by Women’s Wellness Center will provide more convenient access for dialysis patients, who receive treatment three times per week. Renovations will expand the unit to twelve treatment chairs, increasing the capacity for providing the service locally.  The current dialysis unit houses seven chairs and can serve up to 21 patients per week.   

Former mayor, Paul Aylward, found himself in need of dialysis when the current HRMC unit was at capacity, forcing him to travel three times per week for his 3.5 hour dialysis sessions. He explained,  “I was number 14 on the waiting list [at HRMC], but I couldn’t wait. Going out of town was a real hardship.”

Aylward wants to make sure others in Huron can receive the service locally and potentially help others in surrounding communities that find themselves in similar situations.  He recently joined a special capital campaign committee of the HRMC Foundation to raise funds for the dialysis renovation.  Robert Hohm, MD, is the chairman of the committee. “The dialysis unit is a huge offering to this community. We have to expand to meet the need,” says Dr. Hohm.

HRMC Foundation executive director, Shawn Martin, explained the Foundation’s commitment to support the dialysis program, “While maintaining a dialysis program can be financially challenging for a hospital, HRMC has remained committed to offering this service locally for over forty years. The community has responded by supporting the HRMC Foundation’s dialysis endowment, which helps to sustain the service. The campaign committee’s goal of raising $2.45 million for the renovation is a testament to the passion that exists in our community for expanding dialysis at HRMC.”

Dr. Robert Hohm has cared for many dialysis patients over the course of his career, previously serving as dialysis medical director for HRMC, “Dialysis is a part of your community that you probably hear very little about, but if you need it, it’s lifesaving,” says Dr. Hohm.

Kidney disease occurs when damaged kidneys cannot filter waste from blood. Those living with the disease are at risk for serious complications including heart disease, damage to the central nervous system and an increased risk of infection due to compromised immune function.  During dialysis, a machine takes over the responsibility of the kidneys to filter waste from the blood.

If you have questions about dialysis services, please call Jennifer Jungemann, director of dialysis at HRMC at 605-353-6308. If you are interested in supporting the HRMC Foundation’s dialysis endowment or capital campaign for renovation and expansion, please contact the HRMC Foundation at 605-353-6315 or foundation@huronregional.org.