DaVita Smoky Mountain Dialysis
✓ In-center✓ PD
83/ 100
Union County Dialysis
Dialysis center · 72 Appalachian Avenue, Blairsville, GA 30512
CMS star rating
20/ 100
Below average
Better than 20% of US centers
At a glance
- Operator
- Independent · For-profit
- Dialysis options
- ✓ In-center hemodialysis✓ Peritoneal dialysis (PD)✗ Home hemodialysis training
- Evening shift
- No shift starting after 5 pm reported
- Stations
- 17 dialysis chairs
- Medicare-certified
- Since 2000-04-24 · CCN 112680
- Rank in Georgia
- #238 of 346 scored centers
- County
- Union
- ESRD Network
- Network 6 (for grievances and help changing centers)
Patient outcomes and quality of care
CMS quality measures: better than the national average on 4 of 14 reported measures, worse on 7.
| Measure | This center | State | National | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patient deaths (risk-adjusted rate) (lower is better) CMS: Worse than Expected | 33.6 | 24.1 | 22.2 | Worse |
| Hospital admissions (risk-adjusted rate) (lower is better) CMS: As Expected | 176.5 | 152.9 | 148 | Worse |
| Readmitted within 30 days of a hospital stay (lower is better) CMS: As Expected | 28.6% | 27.5% | 27.2% | Worse |
| Blood transfusions (risk-adjusted rate) (lower is better) CMS: As Expected | 0 | 29.3 | 32.5 | Better |
| Bloodstream infections (ratio to expected) (lower is better) CMS: Better than Expected | 0 | 0.3 | 1 | Better |
| Emergency room visits (ratio to expected) (lower is better) CMS: As Expected | 1.14 | 1.04 | 0.99 | Worse |
| ER visits within 30 days of a hospital stay (ratio to expected) (lower is better) CMS: As Expected | 0.83 | 1 | 1.04 | Better |
| Patients dialyzing through an AV fistula CMS: As Expected | 66.2% | 53.2% | 57.1% | Better |
| Patients with a long-term catheter (90+ days) (lower is better) | 18% | 16.9% | 19% | About the same |
| Hemodialysis patients getting adequate dialysis (Kt/V ≥ 1.2) | 96% | 93.7% | 97% | About the same |
| Peritoneal dialysis patients getting adequate dialysis (Kt/V ≥ 1.7) | 13% | 89.2% | 92% | Worse |
| Patients with high blood calcium (over 10.2 mg/dL) (lower is better) | 1% | 1.5% | 1% | About the same |
| Patients with very high phosphorus (over 7.0 mg/dL) (lower is better) | 29% | 17.1% | 18% | Worse |
| Patients on the kidney transplant waitlist CMS: As Expected | 7.9% | 12.6% | 16.5% | Worse |
Rates for deaths, hospital admissions and transfusions are risk-adjusted per 100 patient-years; ratios compare the center to what CMS expects for its patients (1.00 = as expected). State figures are the average of centers in the state. 'CMS:' notes show CMS's own verdict after accounting for statistical uncertainty.
What patients say (ICH-CAHPS survey)
CMS has not published these measures for this center (usually because too few patients were treated in the reporting period, or the center is new).
Location
Dialysis centers nearby
Fresenius Medical Care Habersham
✓ In-center
40/ 100
DaVita Franklin Township Dialysis
✓ In-center✓ PD✓ Home HD
79/ 100
DaVita Mountainside Dialysis
✓ In-center
78/ 100
Frequently asked questions
Is Union County Dialysis Medicare-certified?
Yes. Union County Dialysis (CMS Certification Number 112680) has been Medicare-certified since 2000-04-24, which means it meets federal ESRD Conditions for Coverage and Medicare pays for covered dialysis there.
What dialysis options does Union County Dialysis offer?
Union County Dialysis reports offering in-center hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis (pd) with 17 dialysis stations. It does not report a shift starting after 5 pm.
How does Union County Dialysis compare to other dialysis centers?
Union County Dialysis scores 20/100 on Dialysis Scorecard (below average), better than 20% of US dialysis centers, and ranks #238 of 346 scored centers in Georgia. CMS gives it 2 out of 5 stars.
Who owns Union County Dialysis?
Union County Dialysis is independently owned, not part of a dialysis chain and is a for-profit facility.
Source: CMS Provider Data Catalog, Dialysis Facility Compare and ICH-CAHPS (2026-09-29). Dialysis Scorecard is not affiliated with Union County Dialysis. Data may lag real-world changes; verify with the center. Is this your center? Report a correction.