BROOKLYN, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Dialyze Direct, the nation’s leading provider of home hemodialysis services in skilled nursing facilities (SNF), announced today that former Fresenius Chief Executive Officer Robert Ehrlich, who previously sat on Dialyze Direct’s Strategic Advisory Board, has become a member of the company’s Board of Directors. Ehrlich has a reputation for leading high-growth companies as they journey towards acquisitions or public offerings.
Having served for a decade as Chairman and CEO of Fresenius, the world’s largest dialysis company, Ehrlich brings a deep knowledge of the dialysis industry and its history as he moves into working with Dialyze Direct in a more significant capacity. During his tenure with the dialysis giant, Ehrlich was instrumental in Fresenius growing its revenue from $16 million to $3 billion over the course of 10 years.
“The kidney care industry has begun a seismic shift as the world’s population ages. At this crucial moment, I am honored to have the opportunity to lend my business and industry expertise to Dialyze Direct. The challenges I faced during a similar time of rapid growth at Fresenius will provide valuable context for Dialyze Direct’s new market leadership in the geriatric home dialysis space,” said Ehrlich. “Dialyze Direct is at a distinct industry advantage, with a care model that is far ahead of the curve, and not only efficiently deals with the rising volume of people needing treatment, but improves upon the standard of care, by providing a gentler, more frequent dialysis option to the geriatric population, a group that often experiences health inequities.”
Ehrlich joins Dialyze Direct’s board at a time of rapid expansion, including its most recent openings in Missouri and expanding offerings in Florida, Texas and New York, as well as increasing its footprint in Ohio and expanding into Virginia with the acquisition of Renew Dialysis. The company’s extensive ecosystem of managed care payors, nephrology groups and health and hospital systems continue to grow due to broad support of the company’s patient-centric care model. Dialyze Direct now provides services to residents of more than 130 SNFs across 13 states.
The key to this ongoing expansion lies in the company’s comprehensive, on-site home hemodialysis solutions, which drive superior outcomes for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Dialyze Direct’s innovative treatment model is particularly well-suited to elderly “geriatric” patients with complex comorbidities, by reducing fluid build-up between sessions and eliminating the burdensome process associated with transporting patients to outpatient dialysis clinics. The company’s dedicated nurses, dietitians, social workers, and clinical support staff work in collaboration with each patient’s nephrologist to ensure the delivery of meticulously planned treatment, which specifically tackles the unique fluid management challenges of geriatric dialysis patients, resulting in increased overall patient health and reduced hospitalizations.
“The success and rapid growth we’ve experienced at Dialyze Direct has resulted in large part from the determination to assemble a team of high-level and experienced talent that passionately believes in a better future for kidney care,” said Henry Kauftheil, chief executive officer and co-founder of Dialyze Direct. “Robert is no exception. His immense knowledge within the dialysis industry and with foremost industry-leading companies will undoubtedly be an asset as we continue to revolutionize the standard of care for all patients.”
About Dialyze Direct
Dialyze Direct, founded in 2015, is a leading kidney care innovation company that pioneers breakthrough solutions for patients suffering from kidney disease. With a mission to build the next generation of kidney care, Dialyze Direct leverages its leading nephrology specialists to evolve the treatment options nephrologists have at their disposal. Dialyze Direct pioneered significant changes to the existing treatment model for dialysis patients in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), in which many of the most medically challenging subsets of dialysis patients reside and has grown to become the nation’s largest provider of home dialysis in the SNF setting. Dialyze Direct’s innovative staff-assisted home hemodialysis treatment model entails a gentler, personalized treatment plan comprised of meticulously crafted protocols designed to tackle the unique fluid management challenges of geriatric dialysis patients, resulting in increased overall patient health and reduced hospitalizations while substantially decreasing costs for payors. Dialyze Direct currently operates in 13 states and is in the process of launching operations in additional states.
