Burke remains the first and only free-standing rehabilitation hospital in New York State with on-site dialysis treatments for patients with kidney and late-stage renal disease
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Burke Rehabilitation® announced today key patient care statistics following the one-year milestone of offering hemodialysis (HD) at its acute rehabilitation hospital. As the first and only free-standing rehabilitation hospital in the state providing HD treatment on-site, this introduction reflects the organization’s continued commitment to expanding clinical services to ensure more individuals access Burke’s award-winning, cutting-edge physical medicine and rehabilitation care.
To date, Burke has seen 85 admissions from 73 patients requiring hemodialysis who would have previously needed to go elsewhere for post-acute rehabilitation care. These patients were referred to Burke from 20 hospitals across New York City, Westchester County, the Hudson Valley, and Fairfield County, CT. Following their discharge from Burke, the majority of patients returned home to resume HD treatments in their local community. In 2024, 100% of patients received their dialysis treatments without transfer or transport delays, with zero patients showing signs or symptoms of central line infections or adverse events during dialysis.
“At Burke Rehabilitation, we are committed to pioneering innovation to lead the industry in rehabilitation best practices, and to best meet the complex needs of our patients,” said Burke Rehabilitation Executive Director, Scott Edelman, CPA, MBA, CFE. “The inclusion of inpatient hemodialysis as part of our offerings at Burke has led to improved patient experience, allowing patients to stay close to home without unnecessary travel during their recovery.”
The need for hemodialysis is growing nationwide. According to the American Kidney Fund, there were about 131,000 Americans newly diagnosed with kidney failure in 2022, affecting more than 1 in 7 American adults. Despite this, most Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities (IRFs) across the country do not offer on-site hemodialysis. Instead, post-acute patients with kidney or late-stage renal disease otherwise eligible for care at IRFs are often admitted to facilities with a less intensive level of care for their rehabilitation needs, such as Skilled Nursing Facilities. IRFs provide three or more hours of therapy per patient each day (compared to the one hour per patient per day typically offered by Skilled Nursing Facilities) and are equipped to provide physician and nursing care to patients 24/7. The introduction of inpatient hemodialysis at Burke means that these patients not only receive life-sustaining hemodialysis treatment but also accelerate their physical and medical rehabilitation.
In addition to granting these patients access to Burke’s top-ranked rehabilitative care, the introduction of inpatient hemodialysis allows patients to stay in a single setting for continuous care, achieving faster recovery times. Clinical teams have seen firsthand how continuous, coordinated care drives better outcomes.
«I was excited to see the addition of on-site hemodialysis at Burke,” said Dr. Sadia Saboor, Chief of Nephrology at NewYork-Presbyterian Westchester. “This makes Burke’s services more accessible for patients with end stage renal disease who need intensive rehabilitation, who in the past were unable to benefit from care at Burke.»
One of the 85 HD admissions over the past year was Joseph, who came to Burke in October 2024 following a two-week hospital stay as he battled Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA). During his stay at an acute care hospital, he experienced additional setbacks including kidney failure and weakness in his legs that caused him to lose the ability to walk.
“Burke was the only place to go for both rehab and dialysis treatments, I’m thankful they had a bed to accommodate me,” Joseph said. “If I went to another rehab facility, I would have had to be transported somewhere else for dialysis treatments three times a week.”
Through rigorous rehabilitation at Burke, with dialysis treatments seamlessly woven in, Joseph made impressive progress. According to Maria Briones, MD, an attending physician who cared for him, «Joseph was very debilitated when he came to Burke. After multidisciplinary rehabilitation here, he could dress himself, walk independently with a walker, and climb steps before being discharged home.”
“I was in a dark place when I arrived at Burke, but the team had me up and going right away,” he says. “I knew I had to push through to get to the light at the end of the tunnel. The staff helped in every way—the whole team was amazing.”
For more information about the program, visit www.burke.org/hemodialysis or call 914-597-2519.
About Burke Rehabilitation:
Burke Rehabilitation® is a nationally recognized and accredited not-for-profit healthcare organization that provides rehabilitation treatment, research, and graduate medical education. Burke offers a full spectrum of inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services to improve the quality of life for people following an injury or surgery and those managing symptoms from chronic conditions. Ranked as a top rehabilitation hospital by U.S. News & World Report and Newsweek, Burke Rehabilitation has the highest readmission prevention rate among the nation’s top-ranked rehabilitation hospitals and is the largest provider of stroke rehabilitation in New York. In addition to its hospital in White Plains, NY, Burke has 15 outpatient locations throughout the Bronx, Westchester County, and the Hudson Valley with more sites planned. Burke is a proud member of the Montefiore Health System and has been named one of Westchester County’s Best Places to Work by 914INC. For more information, please visit www.burke.org.
Contacts
Media:
Tori Sullivan
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(857) 268-0698
