Release date: 07/26/2011

Expiration date: 01/01/2012

Kids’ Kidney Center at Arnold Palmer Hospital Made Possible by $1.5 Million Donation

Orlando, FL (February 25, 2011) – Until now, Central Florida lacked a dialysis center exclusively for kids. Children who needed dialysis were treated at adult centers in the area.

            The Hewell Kids’ Kidney Center at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children is changing that. The new space is strictly designed with children in mind to offer comprehensive care for young patients in need of dialysis and other kidney disease treatments.

            “The Hewell Kids’ Kidney Center brings together all of the resources at Arnold Palmer Hospital in a child-friendly, family-centered environment,” states Jorge Ramirez, MD, Director of Pediatric Nephrology at Arnold Palmer Hospital. “Children will receive care more quickly, feel a greater sense of control, and benefit from the comfort and strength of being with other children and families with similar experiences.”

            The Kids’ Kidney Center, which cost approximately $3 million to build, was completely funded through philanthropy. A large portion of that philanthropy came from the Hewell family of Longwood, Florida, who donated $1.5 million to make the center a possibility. The center contains three exam rooms, one consultation room, four dialysis bays, and family and play areas.

In 2010, Arnold Palmer Hospital saw more than 7,000 inpatient and outpatient visits from children seeking treatment for some form of kidney disease. Additionally, eight percent of the babies admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies will develop some form of kidney dysfunction. If left undiagnosed and untreated, kidney disease can result in ongoing dialysis or transplantation, and in some cases, death.

ARNOLD PALMER HOSPITAL for CHILDREN

Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, supported by the Arnold Palmer Medical Center Foundation, is a 158-bed facility dedicated exclusively to the needs of children. Located in Orlando, Arnold Palmer Hospital provides expertise in pediatric specialties such as cardiac care, craniomaxillofacial surgery, emergency and trauma care, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, oncology, orthopedics, pulmonology and sports medicine. Visit www.arnoldpalmerhospital.com  to learn more about all of our specialties.

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