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Specialized Services |
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A B C D E F G H I K L M P R S T W All Services
Dialysis Unit (Pediatric)
The UCSF Pediatric Dialysis Unit is one of only two centers in Northern California that specializes in dialysis treatment for infants, children and adolescents with kidney failure. These children depend on dialysis while they wait to receive a kidney transplant. The pediatric dialysis unit provides both hemodialysis, which is performed in the unit three times a week, and peritoneal dialysis, which is performed at home each day with the help of family members.
Child and Family-Centered Care
Although dialysis is a life-saving treatment, having chronic kidney failure creates many stresses for children and their families, including emotional, social, medical and financial issues. We are committed to lessening the burden of dialysis on patients and their families through supportive child and family-centered care.
The pediatric dialysis unit is a state-of-the-art facility designed especially for children with an open and friendly environment. The unit has five comfortable dialysis stations including a private room for infants and children with special needs. To lessen the boredom of repeated dialysis treatments, the unit is equipped with televisions and DVD players, Playstation2, GameCube, books, board games and laptop computers with Internet access.
Because dialysis treatment requires a large commitment of time, children often miss out on school, social interactions and family time. Our team includes an on-site teacher and dedicated child life specialist who collaborate with UCSF Children's Hospital School Program to offer educational support to patients. Devoted volunteers provide one-on-one social interaction with patients and help with schoolwork under the direction of the teacher. Interpreter services for patients and families are always available.
Our Team
Our team of specialists works closely together to provide exceptional comprehensive care. The team includes nephrologists, who are pediatricians specializing in kidney disease in children, clinical nurse specialists, registered nurses, a nutritionist, a social worker, a child life specialist, dialysis nurse coordinators and technicians specially trained and experienced in caring for children on dialysis. Our nephrologists are available for consultation on a 24-hour basis.
We work closely with members of the Pediatric Kidney Transplant Service, the oldest and most experienced transplant program in the United States. As a renowned leader in pediatric kidney transplantation, our one-year survival rate for both living-related and deceased-donor pediatric kidney transplant recipients is 94 percent, well above the national average.
Doctors
Dr. Paul Brakeman, pediatric kidney transplant specialist
Dr. Marsha Lee, pediatric nephrologist
Dr. Anthony Portale, director, Pediatric Dialysis Program
Dr. Farzana Perwad, pediatric nephrologist
Nurses
Janet Jaskula, clinical nurse specialist
Arlene Portale, clinical nurse specialist
Julius Heilman, patient care manager
Lina Campopiano, peritoneal dialysis coordinator
Maria Balingit, pediatric dialysis nurse specialist
Marilyn McEnhill, pediatric kidney transplant nurse specialist
Jessica Lowe, pediatric kidney transplant nurse specialist
Others
Steven Baisch, clinical social worker
Kelly Klaczkiewicz, nutritionist
Andrew Torres, senior dialysis technician
Armando Gorospe, dialysis technician
Hours and Location
The Pediatric Dialysis Unit is located on the first floor of the Ambulatory Care Center at the Parnassus site of the UCSF Medical Center.
UCSF Pediatric Dialysis Unit
400 Parnassus Ave., Room A127
San Francisco, CA 94143-0314
| Phone | (415) 353-2425 |
| Fax | (415) 353-2768 |
The unit is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 6 a.m. through 6:30 p.m.
Photos by Tom Seawell
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