THE island’s newest dialysis center is in full operation and is now accepting patients needing dialysis treatment.
Saipan Renal Care is a fully locally and military veteran-owned healthcare facility located in Chalan Laulau, right next to Priority Care, the CNMI’s only medical ambulatory services provider.
Priority Care Services is a sister company of Saipan Renal Care and has ambulances on standby throughout the entire treatment process in the event a patient needs hospital care or home transport services.
Celebrating its grand opening in April, Saipan Renal Care is fitted out with the industry’s newest dialysis equipment to provide the most adequate renal care possible.
Dialysis patients interested in seeking treatment with Saipan Renal Care may register at any time regardless of their insurance coverage.
President and owner Kevin Deleon Guerrero on Monday said it took eight months just to research plans for the facility with the help of consultants and experts, giving a lot of thought to every detail, including contingency plans in case of a power or water outage, as well as ensuring that the facility is ADA compliant.
Deleon Guerrero is a longtime business owner in the Commonwealth. Before venturing into business, he served for some time as a medical professional in the United States military, and also served as a firefighter and emergency medical technician. He is currently in real estate and is also the owner and president of Priority Care Services.
The construction of the facility began in 2019, before the global Covid-19 pandemic hit the CNMI.
“If you just follow the guidelines, it’s pretty straightforward… We try to follow the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines as much as possible, but if [the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation follows a stricter guideline, then we follow that. We follow whatever is stricter, just to be on the safe side,” Guerrero said.
He added, “Saipan Renal Care was built on the standards of providing the best quality and compassionate care for those who choose to seek treatment in our facility. Leading our chief medical staff is Dr. Jonathan McNeely, our board-certified nephrologist with 15 years of experience in the healthcare industry. With Dr. McNeely’s leadership, we are confident our friendly and capable staff, coupled with the aid of the industry’s newest generation of dialysis equipment, will make a positive impact for those needing dialysis treatment in the Commonwealth.”
Upon entry into the facility, visitors will feel a rush of air blowing down from above the entryway, which serves to decontaminate people entering or exiting the facility.
Patients check in and are seated in the waiting area along with their companions before entering the treatment floor.
Upon check-in, patients are also offered individualized unlimited entertainment media, such as iPads and overhead monitors to occupy themselves while undergoing treatment.
The treatment floor is designed to provide a warm, comforting, home-like environment and features an abundance of windows to provide natural light and a view of the outdoors to make patients feel at home as much as possible.
The facility offers a combination of adjustable chairs and beds that patients may choose from according to their comfort level.
Dialysis chairs, beds, and machines in the facility are the latest generation in the provision of patient comfort and quality dialysis.
Bedding are decontaminated and washed on-site before being reused.
Although federal standards require only one isolation room, Saipan Renal Care has three on its treatment floor to allow those suffering from an ailment to continue seeking treatment while providing protection to the rest of its patients as needed.
The facility can accommodate 21 patients at a time but has a maximum capacity of 126 persons.
On average, it takes Saipan Renal Care a couple weeks to fully prepare and vet a patient in order to cater to his or her individual needs, including specific medication.
The vetting process includes meeting with a social worker and a doctor to assess the needs of the patient and how Saipan Renal Care can assist him or her.
Spanning over 7,500 square feet, the facility is designed to meet the standards of the Center for Medicare Services, inclusive of the installation of a 175-KVA backup generator and a 45,000-gallon water reservoir.
The on-site generator prevents patients from missing a treatment in the event of a major storm or power outage.
Saipan Renal Care went above and beyond, exceeding federal standards in various ways, including having an 8-to-1 patient/nurse ratio and a 3-to-1 patient/hemodialysis technician ratio.
Federal standards only ask for a 10-to-1 patient/nurse ratio and 4-to-1 patient/hemodialysis technician ratio.
The facility’s team also includes water technicians, a facility administrator, doctors, and nephrologists.
Guerrero said that as much as possible, Saipan Renal Care has enlisted experts available on-island.
However, there is some outsourcing to professionals in the U.S. mainland, such as an experienced medical billing company, as well as a laboratory to test certain water samples.
“Whenever we feel like the best way to do something in order to keep the standards high is to go off-island then we’ll do that, but if we can keep the standards high and get the necessary skill or service here on island, then we always prefer to do it here,” Guerrero said.
An on-site, two-phase medical reverse osmosis water purification system decontaminates and treats water until contaminants reach zero particles per million. Federal standards only ask for sub-25 ppm for water treatment.
In case of a water service interruption, such as in the aftermath of a typhoon, the facility has prepared agreements with local water companies.
Guerrero said he decided to open the dialysis center based on feedback from numerous patients, and to provide patients with another option for treatment.
As of now, Saipan Renal Care operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. based on demand and need.
“We’re prepared to go full time if we need to. Our vision is to provide an alternative to the hospital. Our primary focus is on care. We want to make sure that we give our patients the full attention that they need. We don’t want to just treat a patient and then have them leave. We want to really focus on what they need and how we can help them get to a better state physically, mentally, and medically. Hopefully, we can help them develop a better lifestyle, so to speak. We want to work with them on how they can improve their diet, encourage exercise, help ensure that they receive their medication on time, and things like that. We want to get involved in their personal care,” Guerrero said.
He added, “We are operating at a very high standard. This is not just your typical dialysis center. We have done our best. We have done our homework. The people that we have hired are very experienced at what they do and the treatment that patients are going to get is going to be optimal. That is the plan and that is the way that we want to operate.”
For additional information or to schedule a tour of the facility, interested residents may contact Saipan Renal Care Facility administrator Nathan Guerrero at 234-4747. An official website for the facility is forthcoming.
Kevin Deleon Guerrero has opened Saipan Renal Care, a new dialysis center, in Chalan Laulau.
Kevin Deleon Guerrero says construction for the new facility began in 2019.
