A Maine VA facility's dialysis center has been temporarily shut down for nearly a year, with officials citing the need for a nurse manager, Central Maine reports.
All dialysis equipment has been moved out of Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta, Maine, but that doesn't mean the dialysis center is permanently closed, Jonathan Barczyk, acting public affairs officer for the Veterans Affairs facility, told Central Maine.
"We are still actively recruiting for a nurse manager," Mr. Barczyk said. "It is still taking a while to find the right candidate."
The center was suddenly shut down in January 2019 after three dialysis nurses unexpectedly left. To protect the safety of 25 patients undergoing outpatient dialysis treatment, officials discontinued treatment until the center could be restaffed.
Support staff and a nurse manager must be hired before the center can reopen, according to Mr. Barczyk. Once a nurse manager is hired, new equipment will be installed.