More than 2.5 million people suffer from chronic kidney failure around the world, and they rely on regular, life-saving dialysis treatment to prevent the damage of further organs that toxins can cause when they accumulate in the blood.

Dialysis is a treatment that does some of the things that are done by healthy kidneys. It keeps a body in balance by removing waste, salt and extra water to prevent these things from building up in the body. It keeps a safe level of certain chemicals in a person's blood, such as potassium, sodium and bicarbonate. It also helps to control blood pressure.

Dialysis - needed when a person develops end-stage kidney failure, usually by the time 85-90 percent of kidney function is lost - can be done in a hospital, in a dialysis unit that is not part of a hospital or at home. There are two types of dialysis treatment available. Hemodialysis accounts for about 89 percent of all dialysis therapies. In hemodialysis, blood is filtered outside the patient's body using an artificial kidney. The patient's circulation is monitored and controlled by a dialysis machine.

The lining of the abdominal wall, known as the peritoneum, also can be used as a natural filter for dialysis, and this second type of dialysis is known as peritoneal dialysis.

Deborah Muñoz, of DaVita, a nationwide provider of kidney care, said there are many health care professionals, from various backgrounds, who come together to provide care, each with a certain level of training. A social worker provides support for patients both before and after they start dialysis. Social workers are trained to help patients and their families by providing support in all areas of their lives, including emotional, financial, career, lifestyle adjustment and more.

A dietitian specializes in the nutritional needs of people with chronic kidney disease and creates individualized eating plans that address patients' specific health concerns, while a patient care technician puts patients on treatment and taking them off, and oversees their day-to-day care.

A registered nurse provides oversight of technicians and provides clinical support, and a biomed technician is responsible for maintaining the water treatment and general facility maintenance, including repairing dialysis equipment. A facility administrator oversees daily operations of the center and manages staff.

"We believe in the idea of hiring for attitude, and training for skill. We look for people who are passionate about treating people and have an unwavering commitment to patient care. Given that dialysis patients are in the center three times a week for four hours, it really becomes a second family, and so having teammates passionate about our patients is our primary concern. We offer extensive training for our teammates to succeed at their careers," Muñoz said.

She said they look for teammates who strive to make a difference in the lives of their patients, their teammates and the communities in which they live and serve.

Patricia Rodriguez, of Fresenius Medical Care, said, "We have renal social workers, registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, patient care workers, dietitians and technicians here."

Rodriguez said technicians need a high school diploma and either receive on-the-job training there or take dialysis courses. She said someone who works at a dialysis center should have a caring attitude, to provide the best patient care.

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