Lifeline Vascular Care

A Broken System

End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients all too often received sub-optimal vascular access care. Few physicians were dedicated to this area of practice and there was little coordination between specialists, patients and dialysis facilities. Access problems were often identified and treated only after they had become severe. As a result, costs for care were high, patient quality of life suffered and outcomes were poor. A New Approach

In 1998, Lifeline Vascular Access was created to specifically address these deficiencies and improve the delivery and coordination of vascular access care to ESRD patients. Over the years, four key studies have proven the safety, quality, efficiencies and economical advantages that are found in the Lifeline Vascular Access approach. Effectiveness and safety of dialysis access procedures
Kidney International (KI); 66:1622, 2004
Risk of sedation analgesia in hemodialysis patients undergoing interventional procedures
Seminars in Dialysis; 24:97-103, 2011
Radiation dose associated with dialysis vascular access interventional procedures
Publication pending
Clinical and economic value of performing dialysis vascular access procedures in a freestanding office-based center as compared with the hospital outpatient department among Medicare ESRD beneficiaries
Seminars in Dialysis; 26:624-632, 2013
Validation and Accreditation

In 2006, Lifeline Vascular Access was awarded its first system-wide accreditation by The Joint Commission and received the Gold Seal of ApprovalTM, which is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects a commitment to meeting high healthcare performance standards. Re-accreditation has been granted two additional times (in 2009, and most recently in 2012) since the original accreditation was awarded. Growth and Expansion

Through Lifeline Vascular Access’s innovative approach, delivering vascular access care in a dedicated outpatient environment is now the accepted standard for care within the dialysis industry. Physicians in the Lifeline network of centers have now performed more than 1 million interventional procedures, with an overall procedure success rate of 98%. But the importance of timely and appropriate interventional care isn’t limited to just vascular access for dialysis. We have begun to apply the same quality and economic efficiencies achieved in our centers to the treatment of other medical conditions, including Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) and Chronic Venous Insufficiency (CVI). Our fifteen-year history of successful and efficient performance reconfirms the Lifeline pledge: to improve the delivery and coordinator of interventional vascular care to patients throughout the United States and abroad.