Lifeline Vascular Access(SM), the nation's leading provider of vascular access management services, today announced that Dr. Stephen Osaguona has been awarded the 2009 Gerald A. Beathard Fellowship in Interventional Nephrology. The fellowship is named for one of the foremost pioneers in Interventional Nephrology and Lifeline's Vice President of Provider Development, Dr. Gerald A. Beathard. It was made possible through an educational grant from MedComp which awards one recipient with six months of specialized training for eventual certification in the field of Interventional Nephrology.

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"Out of a deep and talented pool of highly qualified candidates, Dr. Stephen Osaguona stands out for his demonstration of character and the skills to be successful in Interventional Nephrology," said Gerald A. Beathard, M.D., Vice President of Provider Development at Lifeline Vascular Access. "I commend Dr. Osaguona and look forward to watching him build a successful career in Interventional Nephrology."

"I am honored to accept a fellowship named after Gerald Beathard," said Dr. Stephen Osaguona. "This fellowship offers a unique opportunity, and I thank Dr. Beathard and Lifeline Vascular Access for giving me the chance to learn from the best at a state-of-the-art managed facility. I believe every kidney patient deserves to have his or her vascular access managed by a trained nephrologist who knows him or her and the medical condition at issue, thus delivering excellent services."

In July, Dr. Osaguona will begin his fellowship training under the supervision of Dr. Linda Francisco at the Vascular Center of Wichita Nephrology, which performs more than 1,600 procedures annually with a 99% success rate and was named Center of the Year by Lifeline Vascular Access in 2007.

Lifeline Vascular Access is a trademark of RMS Lifeline, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About Dr. Stephen Osaguona

Dr. Stephen Osaguona earned his medical degree from The University Benin, Nigeria. After interning at three different hospitals in Nigeria, Dr. Osaguona spent time in the Anesthesiology and Critical Care Departments of the Port of Spain and San Fernando Hospitals in Trinidad and Tobago. From 2003 to 2006, he was a Resident of Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, North General Hospital in New York City. In 2006, Dr. Osaguona became a Fellow at the University of South Florida, Tampa in Geriatric Medicine, and then went on to be a Nephrology Fellow at the Medical School of South Carolina, Charleston in 2007.

About Dr. Gerald A. Beathard

Dr. Gerald A. Beathard is widely hailed as a pioneer in Interventional Nephrology, and was a founding member and the first president of the American Society of Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology (ASDIN). He has authored more than 80 articles on vascular access.

Dr. Beathard joined Lifeline Vascular Access in 2000 as Vice President of Provider Development to work with providers across the country to develop dedicated vascular access centers, as well as lead the training and development programs for Lifeline affiliated physicians. He received his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, and is board certified in Internal Medicine, Nephrology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology and Pathology.

About MedComp

MedComp was founded in 1978 to produce and market Vascular Access catheters. "It is MedComp 's goal to provide only the highest quality product and service to assure total customer satisfaction and meet customer requirements." For more information on MedComp please go to http://www.medcompnet.com/ .

About Lifeline Vascular Access

Lifeline Vascular Access is the nation's leading provider of vascular access management services, working with premier physician practices to develop and manage physician-owned outpatient centers. The centers provide focused, coordinated, outcome-driven vascular access care to patients receiving hemodialysis treatment. Lifeline Vascular Access manages centers in 20 states and Puerto Rico, and its affiliated physicians have had over a quarter million patient encounters. Lifeline Vascular Access has received the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval™ which is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization's commitment to meeting high healthcare performance standards. For more information about Lifeline Vascular Access visit www.LifelineVascularAccess.com or call (877) 658-6800.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: Kristin.Landreth@davita.com

SOURCE: Lifeline Vascular Access