LyCynthia Baskin, a transplant recipient and former patient at Fresenius Kidney Care Henry County Dialysis Center, was recently celebrated for her role in increasing interest in transplantation at the facility. As part of her mission to generate enthusiasm for transplantation among the patients, social worker Elizabeth Holman developed a mentorship program in 2014 to motivate and educate patients. The mentor project delivered immediate results during its first year, including twenty new transplant referrals, six patients added to transplant waitlists and an increase in three transplants from the previous year. The 2019 state evaluation survey revealed that Henry County Dialysis’ referrals and patients listed for kidney transplant are above both the state and national averages, which has never happened before.

  Before the mentorship program began, Holman’s patients had fears, anxiety and a lot of unanswered questions surrounding the transplantation process. Knowing this, Holman enlisted the help from Baskin to share her personal transplant experience with patients. After observing these exchanges, Holman found her patients were more inclined to openly discuss their fears about the transplant process with this new mentor. Baskin served as a source of wisdom in discussing her experiences – as a former in-center hemodialysis patient, an at-home peritoneal dialysis patient and a successfully transplanted patient – with compassion and enthusiasm that positively impacted patients. Baskin’s encouraging presentation helped the patients become more confident in their own decision-making about transplantation. 

  “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as a transplant mentor at the very clinic I once called my second home,” said mentor LyCynthia Baskin. “I understand what other patients are going through, and the mentoring program allowed me to connect and address patient fears and misconceptions, while also inspiring hope and encouragement. I am honored to be part of a team committed to improving the quality of life for dialysis patients.”

  This mentor project began in 2014 as a Lobby Day event which continued on to a monthly basis until 2017 and later transformed into individual conversations between Baskin and the patients on a case by case basis. Holman coordinated the entire event, enlisting support from her clinic staff and ensuring the process ran smoothly, making adjustments and providing social work interventions as needed. 

  The mentor program had an immediate impact on everyone involved. Nurses reeducated patients, the nephrologist increased referrals and the administrative staff improved timeliness of transplant blood drawn by the patient care technicians. The patients became more willing to comply with the transplant prerequisites and even asked to be referred themselves. Those on local wait-lists also requested out-of-state referrals after Holman provided a list of transplant centers close to Georgia. 

  “LyCynthia Baskin inspired me to seek a transplant by walking me through the process and answering all my questions,” said patient Deborah Hinton. “Transplant no longer seemed scary and I am now on a local wait list while also being evaluated in South Carolina.” This transplant mentor project can serve as a role model to increase transplantation nationwide.

  For more information about Fresenius Kidney Care or to find a dialysis center nearby, visit www.FreseniusKidneyCare.com.