Press Release

Central Valley Dialysis Providers Participate in National Kidney
Foundation “Kidney Walk” in a Big Way

Stockton, CA, June 11, 2008 –Satellite Healthcare dietician Nikki Cole, RD provides nutrition counseling to people with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) at Satellite Dialysis in Stockton. Ms. Cole knows how lifestyle choices, diabetes, hypertension, genetics and injuries can damage kidneys and make people dependent upon a dialysis machine or kidney transplant to stay alive.

Ms. Cole will be team captain to a group of Satellite Healthcare employees from both Satellite Dialysis and Satellite WellBound in Stockton and Satellite Dialysis of Sonora along with patients and their families at the National Kidney Foundation’s Kidney Walk in Stockton on June 14, from 9:00 to 1:00 pm in Victory Park.  

“I wanted to get involved and do something positive for a good cause, and the NKF certainly qualifies as a good cause,” Ms. Cole said.  “I think one of the reasons for the good response from our colleagues is Satellite’s new employee wellness program, Embrace Your Health, which promotes health and physical activity.”

Lashonne Brown, a social worker at the Satellite Dialysis center in Modesto, organized his colleagues in Modesto and Turlock to do the Kidney Walk in Stockton. He has 13 staff registered, five patients and some family members walking. He estimates that there will be 20-25 walkers in his group. He said, “The enthusiastic response is due to lots of good information circulating throughout the centers, positive word of mouth and the accessibility of the Kidney Foundation.”

Since part of the Kidney Walk’s purpose is to educate people about kidney disease, Mr. Brown noted that:

• The elderly and young adults are the fastest growing kidney dialysis patient groups
• Their kidney disease results primarily from hypertension and diabetes
• There is a growing trend toward younger patients in the past few years
• This is due partially to socio-economics, lack of information, education and preventive healthcare
• Most people do not realize the long-term effects of poor eating habits, lack of exercise, hypertension, etc. will have on their kidneys

The Kidney Walk not only raises money for NKF, it helps to raise the public’s awareness of chronic kidney disease which affects more than 26 million Americans, with another 20 million having risk factors for developing the disease.  As the NKF Web site states, “The NKF’s Kidney Walk presents an occasion for dialysis patients, organ transplant recipients, donor families, living donors, the medical communities, and the general public to celebrate LIFE and support the Foundation’s mission.”

NKF walk participants will not have to worry about being thirsty; WellBound has also sponsored water bottles at stations along the walk.  “We are going to make a big splash at the Kidney Walk,” Ms. Cole said, “and we encourage everybody to join us.”  Potential walkers can sign up at http://walk.kidney.org/

About Satellite Healthcare
Satellite Healthcare, Inc. is an established leader in driving clinical excellence though joint ventures with nephrologists. Through its affiliated companies WellBound, Satellite Dialysis, Laboratory and Research Services, Satellite Healthcare provides early patient wellness education, superior clinical support services and a complete range of dialysis therapy choices. This comprehensive offering allows Satellite Healthcare to advance the standard of chronic kidney disease care while optimizing patient wellness.

To learn more about Satellite Healthcare, Inc., please visit www.satellitehealth.com or contact the company directly at 1.800.476.5450.

Contact:
Kim Hernandez
(650) 404-3623

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