NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur Opens Dialysis Den to Offer Life-Sustaining Care to Nursing Home Residents Living with Kidney Disease

NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur Opens Dialysis Den to Offer Life-Sustaining Care to Nursing Home Residents Living with Kidney Disease

With onsite dialysis, Gouverneur residents will no longer need to travel to and from hospital-based and outpatient dialysis centers multiple times each week

50% of all End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients are geriatric; kidney disease is the 8th leading cause of death in the U.S.

Gouverneur partners with Dialyze Direct to manage home hemodialysis program

Jun 12, 2026

NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur today announced the opening of its 2,100 sq ft state-of-the-art onsite dialysis den, which will become available to residents starting in July. The new space includes four dedicated hemodialysis chairs; an abundance of natural light and flat-screen televisions to maximize comfort; designated rooms for supplies, equipment and charging; new efficient lighting systems; and HVAC systems that meet strict safety standards. With onsite dialysis, Gouverneur residents will no longer need to travel to and from hospital-based and outpatient dialysis centers multiple times each week. The Dialysis Den uses NxStage machines to remove waste and extra fluid from the blood and then return the filtered blood into the body. Treatments usually last about three hours and are done five times per week but may vary based on the individualized care plan. Gouverneur is partnering with Dialyze Direct to manage the home hemodialysis program. The Dialysis Den will operate Monday through Friday from 8am - 5pm.

"We are proud to be opening this beautiful space for treatment of our patients and residents. Having dialysis services onsite will allow our residents to continue to participate in rehabilitation, recreational or social activities without interruption," said NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur Chief Executive Officer Susan Sales, MPA, FACHE, LNHA.

"NYC Health + Hospitals proudly opens its third skilled nursing facility dialysis den at Gouverneur. This Den allows our dialysis-dependent residents to receive their treatments in the comfort of their new home, and benefit from the well documented clinical and quality of life benefits that come with the home dialysis experience," said NYC Health + Hospitals/Post-Acute Care Hemodialysis Chief of Service Jeffrey D. Wallach, MD.

The dialysis den offers life-sustaining care to patients and residents living with End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD). There are currently approximately 550,000 individuals with ESKD who receive dialysis treatments in the U.S. Only 14% of dialysis patients receive their treatments in the home setting, the remainder must travel to dialysis centers for treatment.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, about 35.5 million U.S. adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease (CKD) - more than 1 in 7 (14%). It also causes more deaths each year than breast cancer or prostate cancer. Life expectancy on dialysis varies depending on other medical conditions, how well an individual follows a treatment plan, and various other factors. The average life expectancy on dialysis is 5-10 years. However, many patients have lived well on dialysis for 20 or even 30 years.

"Gouverneur has cared for generations of Lower Manhattan residents with the dignity, compassion, and excellence they deserve. This new dialysis den is exactly what public health care should look like: bringing life-sustaining treatment directly to residents, reducing the burden on families, and making sure older New Yorkers can receive critical care in a setting that feels safe, familiar, and comfortable. I'm proud to celebrate this investment in Gouverneur and in the health of our community," said NYC Council Member Christopher Marte.

"The implementation of an onsite Home Hemodialysis program presents an invaluable opportunity for our interdisciplinary teams to deeply engage with the complex clinical needs of our renal patients. By collaborating across all departments, we can deliver excellent care in an environment where residents feel comfortable voicing their questions and concerns," said NYC Health + Hospitals/Post-Acute Care Dialysis Coordinator Debbie Ruiz, RN, BSN. "Offering dialysis in the comfort of their own home is a standard of care our community truly deserves. This new program represents a massive improvement in daily quality of life. I am honored and deeply privileged to serve at NYC Health + Hospitals and to help bring this vital new service to our community."

"These dedicated spaces matter because dialysis is not occasional care; it is ongoing, life-sustaining treatment," said NYC Health + Hospitals/Post-Acute Care Director of Capital Budget Ezra Bryan, Associate AIA. "For patients, it becomes part of daily life. For families, it brings reassurance. For our healthcare system, it represents the ability to bring essential health services closer to the communities and patients who depend on them most."

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Media Contact: , Gouverneur Skilled Nursing Facility

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About NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur
Conveniently located on Manhattan's Lower East Side and accessible by mass transportation from most parts of New York City, NYC Health + Hospitals/Gouverneur operates a 295-bed Nursing Facility, providing state-of-the-art care for short-term rehabilitation, long-term and hospice care. Gouverneur is an academic affiliate of NYU School of Medicine and Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, providing high-quality sub-acute rehabilitation medicine and skilled nursing services. Gouverneur has been meeting the healthcare needs of New Yorkers for more than 140 years. The facility received a 5-star CMS Overall Rating and 5-Star CMS Quality Rating; ranked #1 in New York City by Newsweek's 2026 Best Nursing Homes and has earned high-performance rating in long-term care and short-term rehabilitation by U.S. News & World Report - 2026 Best Nursing Homes. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org/gouverneur.

About NYC Health + Hospitals
NYC Health + Hospitals is the largest public health care system in the nation, serving more than a million New Yorkers annually in more than 70 patient care locations across the city's five boroughs. A robust network of outpatient, neighborhood-based primary and specialty care centers anchors care coordination with the system's trauma centers, nursing homes, post-acute care centers, home care agency, and MetroPlusHealth health plan-all supported by 11 essential hospitals. Its diverse workforce of more than 46,000 employees is uniquely focused on empowering New Yorkers, without exception, to live the healthiest life possible. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.