Port St. Joe gets a new dialysis center

PORT ST JOE, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Gulf County residents no longer have to drive to another county for dialysis treatment.

Thursday the Fresenius Kidney Care facility cut the ribbon on its new Port St. Joe facility.

“It’s a heartfelt day for the city and the community, we have brought back access to dialysis to the community,” said Katherine Crosby, the Director of operations for Fresenius Kidney Care.

City officials say this center is a great addition to the area.

“What a great need for our city we are so proud we made it all come together,” said Bo Patterson, Port St Joe’s Mayor.

The new center can serve around 54 patients and will cut down on travel time for many of these patients.

“They have to travel to Panama City for care. It’s an hour plus drive, or to the east, I believe Tallahassee, so quite the travel burden,” said Cosby.

The average treatment time is 4 hours.

“It’s an all-day affair for people in this community and for some patients’ dialysis really takes it out of them, you’re exhausted once you get off treatment,” said Cosby.

So, this closer center will give them one less thing to worry about.

“We’re 10 to 15 minutes down the road instead of an hour plus in each direction,” said Cosby.

Jimmie Bates is a Fresenius Kidney Care patient on dialysis. He receives treatment at home. Still to know this center is so close for those who need it is a relief.

“It will be nice for them because when I was in the center I was really wiped out and if they have that same feeling like I did you really shouldn’t be driving when you’re done so the closer the center is the better off they will be,” said Jimmie Bates, on dialysis.

Even though the center only opened Thursday there are patients already lined up.

“We are already treating 15 patients,” said Cosby.

The new facility will provide patients with in-center treatment as well as training for at-home treatment.

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