Universal Dialysis Center
Medicare-certified dialysis center in Cottage City, Maryland, operated by American Renal Associates. Figures below are from CMS (July 2026 release); call (301) 277-2704 to confirm availability.
At a glance
| CMS quality rating | ★★★★☆ 4 / 5 Quality of Patient Care star rating · Dialysis Facility dataset · what this means |
|---|---|
| Patient survey rating | ★★★★☆ 4 / 5 ICH CAHPS patient survey · 36 completed interviews · 31% response rateTopic ratings: Nephrologists' communication and caring 5/5 · Quality of dialysis center care and operations 3/5 · Providing information to patients 4/5 · Rating of the nephrologist 5/5 · Rating of the dialysis center staff 4/5 · Rating of the dialysis facility 3/5 |
| Medicare payment (ESRD QIP) | No Medicare payment reduction (PY2026) — Total Performance Score 58 vs Maryland 57 / national 54 ESRD QIP Total Performance Scores dataset |
| Treatment options | In-center hemodialysis |
| Shift starting after 5 p.m. | No |
| Dialysis stations | 17 |
| Patients in CMS survival summary | 166 a size indicator, not a current patient count |
| Ownership | American Renal Associates (Profit) |
| Medicare-certified since | 2011-02-16 |
| CMS Certification Number | 212666 |
How this center compares
| Measure | This center | MD avg | US avg | CMS category or MD rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outcomes | ||||
| Deaths among patients treated here, risk-adjusted by CMS for age and health, per 100 patient-years. Red blood cell transfusions among patients treated here, risk-adjusted by CMS, per 100 patient-years. | ||||
| Death rateper 100 patient-years · Lower is better | 15.9166 patients | — | 22.2 | As Expected |
| Blood transfusion rateper 100 patient-years · Lower is better | 28.530 patients | — | 32.5 | As Expected |
| Hospital & ED | ||||
| Hospital admissions among patients treated here, risk-adjusted by CMS, per 100 patient-years. Share of hospital discharges followed by an unplanned readmission within 30 days, risk-adjusted by CMS. Emergency department visits compared with the number CMS expected for these patients; 1.0 means as expected. Emergency department visits in the 30 days after a hospital discharge, compared with the number CMS expected; 1.0 means as expected. | ||||
| Hospital admissionsper 100 patient-years · Lower is better | 119.156 patients | — | 148 | As Expected |
| 30-day hospital readmissionLower is better | 29.1%55 hospital stays | — | 27.2% | As Expected |
| Emergency department visits (ratio)Lower is better | 2.1034 patients | — | 0.99 | Worse than Expected |
| ED visits within 30 days of discharge (ratio)Lower is better | 1.1743 hospital stays | — | 1.04 | As Expected |
| Vascular access | ||||
| Share of adult hemodialysis patients dialyzing through an arteriovenous fistula, risk-adjusted by CMS. Share of adult hemodialysis patients who had used a catheter (rather than a fistula or graft) for three months or longer. | ||||
| Fistula useHigher is better | 64.7%68 patients | — | 57.1% | As Expected |
| Long-term catheter useLower is better | 6%68 patients | 19% | 19% | Better than 98% |
| Dialysis adequacy | ||||
| Share of adult hemodialysis patients whose treatments met the Kt/V ≥ 1.2 waste-removal target. | ||||
| Hemodialysis adequacy (Kt/V ≥ 1.2)Higher is better | 98%61 patients | 96% | 97% | Better than 61% |
| Labs | ||||
| Share of adult patients whose average serum calcium was above 10.2 mg/dL. Share of adult patients whose serum phosphorus was above 7.0 mg/dL (CMS reports five phosphorus bands; this is the highest). Share of Medicare patients whose hemoglobin averaged below 10 g/dL. Share of Medicare patients whose hemoglobin averaged above 12 g/dL. | ||||
| High blood calciumLower is better | 0%67 patients | 1% | 1% | Better than 82% |
| Serum phosphorus above 7.0 mg/dLNot ranked | 19%69 patients | 18% | 18% | Not ranked |
| Hemoglobin below 10 g/dLNot ranked | 50%24 patients | 25% | 21% | Not ranked |
| Hemoglobin above 12 g/dLNot ranked | 0%24 patients | 1% | 1% | Not ranked |
| Transplant & home dialysis | ||||
| Share of patients under 75 on the kidney transplant waitlist, risk-adjusted by CMS. Patients switching from in-center to home dialysis, compared with the number CMS expected; 1.0 means as expected. | ||||
| Patients on the transplant waitlistHigher is better | 13.3%48 patients | — | 16.5% | As Expected |
| Switches to home dialysis (ratio)Higher is better | 0.0017 patients | — | 1.00 | As Expected |
| Staff | ||||
| Share of the facility’s healthcare personnel reported as up to date on COVID-19 vaccination. | ||||
| Staff up to date on COVID-19 vaccinationHigher is better | 100% | 4% | 4% | Not ranked |
Values and averages are published by CMS (July 2026 release); "—" means CMS publishes no average for that measure. Where CMS assigns a risk-adjusted category ("Better than", "As" or "Worse than Expected"), that category is shown — we never rank those measures ourselves. For the other measures, "Better than X%" is computed by DialysisCompare: the share of Maryland facilities with at least 25 patients in the measure that this center does better than; centers with fewer patients are not ranked. One measure never tells the whole story — how every figure is sourced and computed.
Questions to ask this center
Prompts for a conversation with the center or your kidney care team, generated only where CMS rates a measure "Worse than Expected", where this center is in the bottom quarter of Maryland facilities on a measure with at least 25 patients, or where it carries a Medicare payment reduction. They are not medical advice and not a verdict on the center.
- Emergency department visits (ratio): CMS reports 2.10 here, vs 0.99 nationally, and rates it "Worse than Expected" after risk adjustment. You could ask how the center handles problems between treatments and who patients should call after hours.
Nearest alternatives
The 8 closest Medicare-certified dialysis facilities within 30 miles, in any town (straight-line distance).
| Facility | Miles | CMS rating | Patient survey | QIP payment cut | After 5 p.m. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davita Mt. Rainier DialysisMount Rainier, MD | 1.3 | ★★★★☆ | Not rated | None | No |
| RAI - Chillum-HyattsvilleHyattsville, MD | 1.5 | ★★★☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | None | No |
| Davita Washington Center for AgingWashington, DC | 1.7 | Not rated | Not rated | None | No |
| USRC HyattsvilleHyattsville, MD | 1.9 | ★★☆☆☆ | Not rated | None | Yes |
| Davita Brentwood DialysisWashington, DC | 2.3 | ★★☆☆☆ | ★★★☆☆ | None | No |
| BMA - Northeast WashingtonWashington, DC | 2.4 | ★★★☆☆ | Not rated | None | No |
| Davita Lee Street DialysisWashington, DC | 2.5 | ★★☆☆☆ | Not rated | None | No |
| Davita Eighth Street DialysisWashington, DC | 2.8 | ★★★☆☆ | ★★☆☆☆ | None | No |
Location & contact
3804 Bladensburg Rd
Cottage City, MD 20722 · Prince Georges County
(301) 277-2704 (click to call)
View on Google Maps (opens in new tab) View this facility on Medicare Care Compare (opens in new tab)
Coverage: only Medicare-certified dialysis facilities appear here. VA dialysis units and clinics that do not bill Medicare are not in the CMS file. Phone is the only contact channel CMS publishes for each facility.
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