There could be some good news for people in our area who require dialysis.
Gulf County is currently in discussions with a company call Fresenius to hopefully reopen the dialysis clinic in port St. Joe.
The clinic there, which was operated by DaVita, has been closed since March 31st, creating “a great vacuum of care and need for Kidney Care / Dialysis Care” in Gulf and Franklin Counties.
Currently dialysis patients have to travel to Panama City or Tallahassee for dialysis, and that can be very time consuming, exhausting and expensive for people who need the treatment numerous times a week.
Gulf County’s staff has been in discussions with Fresenius, the largest provider of Kidney service in the Country about reopening the Port St. Joe Clinic.
The Gulf County Board of County Commissioners held a Workshop last month to meet Fresenius representatives and support the reopening of the Clinic.
That workshop was attended by numerous Franklin County representatives including County Commission chairman Ricky Jones and Weems Hospital CEO Mr. David Walker who discussed the importance of a clinic in Port St. Joe, which would reduce the travel times for Franklin County residents having to receive frequent dialysis services.
Gulf County staff will continue to negotiate with the company.
Franklin County said it will also look into the possibility of providing space for dialysis at Weems Memorial Hospital in Apalachicola which would allow people using Capitol Health Plan insurance to get service locally.
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