The book “From Miracle to Mainstream,” published in June, chronicles the development of dialysis at Seattle-based Northwest Kidney Centers, which opened in 1962 as the world’s first dialysis organization. Written by Dr. Christopher Blagg — who served as the organization’s executive director for nearly 30 years — it gives a first-hand account of the creation of the first dialysis routines, which came together with equipment from hardware stores, inventor-entrepreneurs working in garages and an ice cream freezer company. Find the book for sale on Amazon.com, or watch a short video about the book.
Dr. Blagg worked alongside the pioneers of dialysis development and served as an important advocate when Congress established Medicare and the entitlement for all kidney failure patients to receive government-funded dialysis. Northwest Kidney Centers now serves as the eighth-largest dialysis provider in the country. (Tim Pfarr)
