Sep. 1, 2009 (Business Wire) -- When a surprise storm temporarily knocked out electricity in the Chicago area several years ago, Fresenius Medical Care North America, operator of the nation’s leading network of dialysis facilities, came up with an idea: design a mobile truck that can be deployed to dialysis clinics and keep them running. That truck is now a reality for the Chicago area.
Dialysis patients represent one of the most vulnerable segments of the population during natural disasters and other events that cause power outages. Patients typically need dialysis every two days, and when storms disrupt electrical power or make routine travel to treatments impractical, any substantial delay in dialysis care can be life-threatening.
With a response time of three hours, the mobile generator truck can be quickly deployed to Fresenius Medical Care dialysis facilities that need backup power during an outage. Fresenius Medical Care clinical staff will be able to operate the truck and have it up and running at a compatible clinic within a half-hour. The truck has a fuel capacity of 200 gallons, and can provide power for about 48 hours at a time, and contracts are in place for additional fuel deliveries for extended use.
"As part of our commitment to deliver the highest possible level of quality patient care, we need to be fully prepared for natural disasters and other circumstances that cause power outages that might disrupt treatments at our clinics," said David Carter, group senior vice president of Fresenius Medical Care. "This truck is especially unique in that it does not require an electrician to set it up, meaning our technical staff can get it up and running in no time.”
The truck will initially service Fresenius Medical Care's facilities in the Chicago area, but there are plans to eventually build more trucks to service other parts of the U.S. The cost of each truck can be shared by several facilities in a region, making it an affordable and valuable alternative power source for dialysis clinics. When the truck is not being used to provide backup power, it can carry supplies to facilities, even in an emergency, which makes it a valuable dual-use vehicle.
"The truck doesn’t replace land-based generators, which are absolutely essential for certain areas. A mobile generator truck provides backup power in places where it may not be practical to install a permanent generator, particularly in urban areas like Chicago," said George Younes, technical operations manager of Fresenius Medical Care.
The development of this new mobile generator truck complements Fresenius Medical Care’s UltraCare® mission, which is to deliver excellent care to patients through innovative programs, the latest technology, continuous quality improvement and a focus on superior customer service.
