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Happy Nurses Week!
May 09, 2012
This week is National Nurses Week, and we want to thank all of our DaVita Nurses for the care and hard work they deliver each and every day. Please take a moment this week to recognize the nurses you know for everything they do!
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Newsweek to Release Fourth Annual Green Rankings in October
May 08, 2012
Newsweek magazine will release its fourth annual Green Rankings on Oct. 22, 2012. In collaboration with research firms Trucost and Sustainalytics, the magazine will again judge the environmental performance of the largest publicly-traded companies in the U.S. and around the world.
Published annually since 2009, the rankings provide a rigorous, cross-industry framework for comparing the environmental commitment and performance of major companies. Last year’s U.S. winner was IBM, with HP, Sprint, Baxter, Dell, Johnson & Johnson, Accenture, Office Depot, CA Technologies, and Nvidia rounding out the top 10. Munich Re topped the global list.
The Green Rankings assess companies based on a variety of environmental criteria, including greenhouse-gas emissions, water withdrawal, waste, emissions, and natural-resource use, as well as on corporate policies, programs, and initiatives related to the environment. The rankings also include an assessment of each company’s environmental disclosure and transparency. Our rankings comprise two lists: one that surveys the 500 biggest companies in the United States, and another of the 500 largest companies in the world (including the U.S.).
For list of companies and full article, Click Here.
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9Cares Colorado Shares summer food drive
May 07, 2012
A lot of people are struggling with high gas prices and putting food on the table. To help those folks out, 9NEWS is gearing up for its 9Cares Colorado Shares Summer Food Drive.
9NEWS has a fun way for businesses to get involved. It's called the Corporate Challenge. Companies from around the metro area compete to see who can collect the most non-perishable food for 9Cares Colorado Shares. This year DaVita, Kaiser, Schwab, Century Link and Excel are participating.
The drive is June 16.
Last year, generous 9NEWS viewers donated $433,000 and 247 tons of food in both the Summer and Winter 9Cares Colorado Shares Food Drives. The drives support more than 125 local food banks.
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Arrow Electronics tops Colorado’s biggest companies on Fortune 500 list
May 07, 2012
Arrow Electronics tops the list of Colorado corporations on the Fortune 500 list released today, with 2011 revenues of $21.4 billion. The global supplier of electronic components and services was 133 on the national list.
Arrow late last year moved its headquarters from Melville, N.Y., to the Inverness business park in Arapahoe County, where it had an office. The company said then it planned to add 1,250 positions over the next five years to the 1,000 people it employed here.
The addition of Arrow brings the number of Colorado companies on the annual Fortune 500 list to nine. Last year the number fell to eight after Qwest Communications was purchased by CenturyLink.
Dish Network ranked No. 2 among Colorado companies on the list, moving up to No. 191 from 193 nationally, with 2011 revenues of $14 billion. Others on the list include Liberty Interactive, No. 230; Newmont Mining, 257; Liberty Global, 261; Ball Corp., 297; DaVita, 359; CH2M Hill, 440; and Western Union, 445.
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Sixth Annual Tour DaVita Coming to Iowa
May 07, 2012
DaVita announces that the sixth annual Tour DaVita® – a three-day, 250-mile bike ride to raise awareness and funds for the fight against kidney disease – will kick off September 15 at Wilder Park in Allison, Iowa.
Tour DaVita, which features participation by more than 400 DaVita teammates, physicians, family members and friends, has the following itinerary for 2012:
Sept. 16 – Allison to Independence
Sept. 17 – Independence to Manchester
Sept. 18 – Manchester to Monticello
Along the way, riders will pass through Clarksville, Shell Rock, Waverly, Readlyn and Fairbank on Day 1; Aurora, Lamont, Dundee, Arlington, Volga and Strawberry on Day 2; and Hopkinton, Worthington, Cascade and Canton on Day 3.
"Tour DaVita is much more than just a bike ride for charity – it’s an opportunity for riders from all across the United States to explore a new corner of this great country,” said Steve Priest, chief wisdom officer at DaVita and director of the event. "In researching a location for this year’s tour, we simply couldn’t resist the bicycle-friendly vibe for which Iowa is becoming increasingly famous.”
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CivilianJobs.com Announces the 2012 Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for Military® Winners
May 01, 2012
CivilianJobs.com, where America's military connects with civilian careers, announced the 2012 Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for Military today. The winners were selected based on surveys in which employers outlined their recruiting, training and retention plans that best serve military service members and veterans. DaVita was listed among the winners. For full list of winners, Click Here.
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DaVita 1st Quarter 2012 Results
May 01, 2012
DaVita announced results for the quarter ended March 31, 2012. Net income attributable to DaVita Inc. for the quarter ended March 31, 2012 was $140.1 million, or $1.46 per share. This compares to net income attributable to DaVita Inc. for the quarter ended March 31, 2011 of $94.5 million, or $0.96 per share.
For more information and full press release, Click Here.
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Don't cut more funding for dialysis treatment
May 01, 2012
The caregiving team at DaVita Bakersfield Dialysis Center was honored to welcome Rep. Kevin McCarthy's staff representative, Vince Fong, to our facility last month. Our caregivers and our patients welcomed the opportunity to speak with him about the importance of quality dialysis care and the need to prevent any additional cuts to the Medicare End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) benefit that allows us to provide life-saving care to our patients.
As a facility administrator of the largest dialysis facility in the U.S. who oversees the care of more than 440 patients who rely on quality dialysis care due to kidney failure, I am very familiar with the medical and financial issues my patients face every day.
My priority is to provide the best quality care to my patients, but Bakersfield Dialysis Center must have the resources to do so. I hope Rep. McCarthy will remember these vulnerable patients and carefully consider all options available before enacting any further cuts to the Medicare ESRD benefit. Our patients here in Bakersfield deserve nothing less.
We want to thank Vince Fong for taking the time to visit our facility to better understand kidney dialysis and hear from these vulnerable patients who require our care to survive.
Marc Cameron
Bakersfield
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African Americans and Diabetes — Educate to Eliminate Disparities Among Minorities
April 30, 2012
Educate is the operative word here—educate not only your patients but also yourselves, recognizing African Americans’ barriers to proper care and learning ways to best help them overcome these obstacles.
Compared with the general population, African Americans are disproportionately affected by diabetes. Specifically, they are 1.6 times more likely to have type 2 diabetes than non-Hispanic whites.
While there are no definitive answers as to why this is, in 1962, geneticist James Neel hypothesized that a gene that once helped African Americans survive periods of starvation was contributing to the diabetes epidemic among that population. This so-called thrifty gene may have enabled African ancestors to store more fat and use energy more efficiently when food was scarce. But the idea is that today, without that “feast or famine” cycle, the body still efficiently stores fat. Other reasons for the disproportion may include the increasing obesity rate among this population and other genetic risk factors.
Regardless of the reasons, the fact is that nearly 15% of all African Americans aged 20 and older—approximately 3.7 million people—have been diagnosed with diabetes. African Americans also may be more likely to experience diabetes-related complications. For instance, according to the American Diabetes Association, this group is 2.7 times as likely to have lower limb amputations and 2.5 to 5.6 times as likely to develop kidney disease, with more than 4,000 new cases of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) each year. Mari Somerville, RD, who works for DaVita, a dialysis company in California, says, “I work with a largely inner-city population, and ethnic minorities make up the majority of my patient population, with African Americans being the largest minority group. Most of my patients develop ESRD as a result of uncontrolled or untreated diabetes or hypertension.”
For full article, Click Here.
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Dialysis group settles into new facility
April 30, 2012
After outgrowing their offices on 7th Street, the staff at DaVita Dialysis is happy to be settled into their new facility on South Willow.
The staff moved in early March after about a year of going through the process of getting the new building constructed.
"We now have state-of-the-art features, which help us as employees be more efficient and helps us give better care and treatment to our patients," DaVita Dialysis Master Level Social Worker Lutricia Taste said.
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Let “Let’s Move!” Spur You Into Action
April 30, 2012
Go outside on a warm, sunny afternoon and what do you hear? Birds chirping? The sounds of children playing? Odds are these days you’ll mostly hear the birds, not the children. As kids spend more time in front of television and computer screens, their physical activity levels have decreased while their body weights have increased.
Obesity is an epidemic in the United States, especially among young people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of children who are overweight has tripled in the last three decades. The increase is in children and adolescents of all age, race, and gender groups.
First Lady Michelle Obama recognizes that obesity in children and adolescents is a critical issue with many health and social consequences that often continue into adulthood. As a result, she has initiated Let’s Move! a prevention program that strives to educate parents and children about eating healthy and getting plenty of exercise while also improving access to healthy food options for all demographics and throughout the nation’s schools.
“The Let’s Move! campaign is a diet order prescription for weight loss that has been written at the government level rather than on a prescription pad in a physician’s office,” says Sheryl Lozicki, RD, MBA. “The resources and level of commitment Michelle Obama is able to bring forth to support this initiative will give it a lot more depth and be far more reaching than any one or two healthcare practitioners can provide to a family.”
Indeed, as Debbie Benner, MA, RD, vice president of clinical support at DaVita, explains, “The Let’s Move! campaign to end childhood obesity is extremely positive for our country, communities, and families. This will raise the awareness and focus of every individual toward a healthier lifestyle.”
She continues, “The campaign includes increasing awareness, emphasizing positive aspects of eating healthier, and sets the focus of our country to positively impact our culture today and for tomorrow. Ultimately, this campaign will save in our healthcare costs in the future, and it can unite the country in a common cause that will benefit us forever.”
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Dialysis providers Fresenius, DaVita target Metro East
April 27, 2012
Two of the nation’s largest dialysis providers are investing more than $6 million to open new centers in the Metro East.
Fresenius Medical Care, a Waltham, Mass.-based company that operates nearly 2,900 dialysis clinics worldwide, plans to spend $3.9 million to relocate its existing BMA Southwestern Illinois dialysis center in East Alton to a new location in Alton. Fresenius competitor DaVita Inc. is seeking approval to open a $2.4 million dialysis clinic in Red Bud, Ill.
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DaVita dialysis center will open in May
April 26, 2012
With the opening of a new DaVita center in Paola, dialysis patients will no longer have to commute to Olathe for treatments.
The center, located off Hedge Lane Road near The BBQ Shack and The UPS Store, will open May 14, communications representative Mollie O’Brien said. The center will be open three days a week and offer 12 dialysis stations. If there’s a demand for more hours, DaVita will be open more days and may offer in-home dialysis treatment in the future.
Jerry Wiesner, vice president and chief operating officer of Miami County Medical Center, said the two companies have been working together for about two years to open a center in Paola.
“This will fill a significant need for our community members,” Wiesner said.
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Davita’s Donation Check to FCS
April 25, 2012
Check presented to Stephen Jarrell, FCS Executive Director and David Storey, FCS Board Chair by Keith Neuman of DaVita.
For photo, Click Here.
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Eastern Maine Medical Center to sell dialysis clinics to national chain
April 25, 2012
Eastern Maine Medical Center plans to sell its three outpatient dialysis clinics to one of the country’s largest for-profit dialysis companies.
The hospital has signed a letter of intent with Colorado-based DaVita Inc. to transfer ownership of its kidney dialysis clinics in Bangor, Ellsworth and Lincoln, EMMC President and CEO Deborah Carey Johnson said Tuesday. The deal is expected to close early this summer after a state review process.
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National Kidney Foundation, Davita Dialysis Discuss Chronic Kidney Disease at Breckenridge Village
April 25, 2012
Twenty-nine million Americans have early kidney disease, and many of them have questions regarding treatement, according to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF).
Because of this, the NKF, along with DaVita Dialysis will host a coffee house conversation on Saturday, May 19 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Breckenridge Village, 36851 Ridge Rd. in Willoughby.
“We want to provide a relaxing and comfortable support-group environment where newly diagnosed patients can bring their questions and get the answers they and their loved ones are looking for,” the organizers said in a statement.
Patients who have been diagnosed with Stage 3, 4 or 5 (dialysis) chronic kidney disease are invited to have breakfast and conversation with health care professionals who will be able to answer as many questions as possible in the 90-minute program.
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Southwest Kidney Institute Announce the Groundbreaking of Newest Clinical Facility and DaVita Dialysis Partnership
April 25, 2012
Southwest Kidney Institute, along with the Coaction Group, is pleased to announce ribbon cutting for the Institute’s newest clinical and research location on April 26th, 3:30 p.m. at 7326 West Thunderbird Road in Peoria, Arizona. Due to high patient demand and a rapidly expanding practice, this location will replace the current Glendale facility.
With its already existing 22 facilities, Southwest Kidney Institute is a leader in kidney disease management, providing a vast range of educational and treatment services. The Peoria clinic will offer access to top physicians, a 24-station dialysis facility, and ongoing research focused on providing patients with avant-garde pharmaceutical and device options.
The Peoria expansion, funded by Bank of America, will create several new high paying employment opportunities for the area, ranging from specialized care providers to research aficionados. In promotion of growth, cohesion and convenience, the site’s developers designed additional lease spaces for any interested companies who may want to be associated with the Institute.
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DaVita Dialysis Center of Newtown: Kidney care options that fit your lifestyle
April 24, 2012
Once your kidneys stop working and your doctor decides you need to start treatment, it’s time to explore what type of dialysis is best for you, but few dialysis centers offer all kinds of dialysis. That’s what makes DaVita Dialysis Center of Newtown so unique! It offers every modality, including home, Peritoneal Dialysis (PD) and In-center Hemodialysis, as well as In-center Nocturnal Hemodialysis.
“We are the only dialysis center in Bucks County to offer Home Hemodialysis (HHD) and In-center Nocturnal Hemodialysis,” says Lucille Enama, M.S.N., R.N., CNN, Faculty Administrator at DaVita.
Lucille helped to establish the first dialysis unit in Bucks County in 1978, which at the time was part of St. Mary Medical Center. In 1996, DaVita took over this center and moved it to its current Newtown location, and two years later it opened its Oxford Valley location. Today, they continue to be the only two DaVita centers in Bucks County.
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Corporate philanthropy helps turn companies into good citizens
April 22, 2012
The business case supporting corporate philanthropy is well-documented. Enhanced employee recruitment, lower turnover, higher job satisfaction, customer preference and loyalty for companies that invest in communities, and higher profits have been demonstrated by studies.
Although these might be interesting and important points that enhance stakeholders' comfort with an expanded view of corporate citizenship, for some business executives they are not the raison d'être for making social investments in the communities in which they operate.
Kent Thiry, chairman and chief executive of DaVita, is one of those executives. With headquarters in Denver, DaVita is an international provider of kidney dialysis services with 42,000 employees, serving 142,000 patients a week, with 18 million treatments a year. Net revenue for 2011 totaled nearly $7 billion.
Although Thiry is aware of the business case for corporate philanthropy, that is not his motivation for leading a company with a core commitment to community investment and active corporate citizenship. Rather, Thiry thinks "companies can be an amazing and formidable force for good without sacrificing capitalist goals" and encourages DaVita's employees and his peers to "use social innovation to harness market forces along with philanthropy to solve the scale of the social problems we face."
For full article, Click Here.
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A good education leads to a good job
April 20, 2012
A who’s who of education leaders spanning the political, advocacy and business worlds in Colorado lined up on Monday for a discussion of education and how it relates to jobs and the economy.
NBC News helped shine a spotlight on the state’s need for education reform thanks to a live broadcast of the “Education Nation: Job One” panel discussion moderated by the network’s Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell. Joining the discussion at the History Colorado Center was Linda Alvarado, president and chief executive of Denver-based Alvarado Construction Inc., Bruce Benson, president of the University of Colorado, Richard Monfort, owner of the Colorado Rockies and chairman of the Colorado Economic Development Commission, and Kent Thiry, chief executive of Denver-based DaVita Inc.
Kicking off the discussion was Gov. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat who has made education reform a priority of his administration. Hickenlooper gave rare testimony on proposed legislation back in March in support of House Bill 1239, which aims to improve literacy in early elementary school grades. The governor is also supportive of a controversial proposal to provide reduced tuition rates to undocumented students. Both those bills are making their way through the Legislature.
“People everywhere in the world want a real job; they want to be paid above the table, they want 30 hours a week, they want some benefits and they want a job that can really lead to a better job…” Hickenlooper said, emerging from behind a curtain to take the stage built for the program in the auditorium of the History Colorado Center. “A good job, without question, begins with a good education.”
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DaVita Inc. Schedules 1st Quarter 2012 Investor Conference Call
April 20, 2012
DaVita announced today that it will hold its quarterly conference call to discuss first quarter results on Wednesday, May 2, 2012 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The company plans to release its results after market close the previous day.
This call is also being webcast and can be accessed at the DaVita IR web page or over CCBN's Investor Distribution Network.
You can join this call on:
When calling in, please refer to the "DaVita Q1 2012" call and provide the operator with your name and company affiliation. Investors who are unable to listen to the DaVita earnings conference call will be able to access a replay via our website at http://www.davita.com. There will be no telephone replay.
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Out There: Nekoosa art students to present mural today at DaVita Dialysis Center
April 20, 2012
"Every moment in one's life plants something in their soul" is one of the quotes on the new mosaic mural in the DaVita Dialysis Center in Wisconsin Rapids.
The 7-by-71/2-foot mural was designed and created by Nekoosa High School art students, who worked on the mural in class one to two hours a day, depending on their schedules. The students were scheduled to help install the mural at the center today.
Sasha Anderson, a registered nurse at the center, formerly Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital Dialysis Center, said the "Wall of Fame" project was part of a DaVita initiative, in which many of the 1,500 units throughout the world participated.
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Out There: Nekoosa art students to present mural today at DaVita Dialysis Center
April 20, 2012
"Every moment in one's life plants something in their soul" is one of the quotes on the new mosaic mural in the DaVita Dialysis Center in Wisconsin Rapids.
The 7-by-71/2-foot mural was designed and created by Nekoosa High School art students, who worked on the mural in class one to two hours a day, depending on their schedules. The students were scheduled to help install the mural at the center today.
Sasha Anderson, a registered nurse at the center, formerly Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital Dialysis Center, said the "Wall of Fame" project was part of a DaVita initiative, in which many of the 1,500 units throughout the world participated.
"It's an annual group project to bring patients, physicians and staff together," Anderson said.
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Pedal The Plains new cycling event for Colorado
April 20, 2012
Gov. John Hickenlooper, in partnership with The Denver Post, Viaero Wireless, and the US Pro Challenge, formally announced in Fort Morgan on Friday the route for the inaugural Pedal The Plains Bicycle Tour.
This new bike ride is billed by the governor as “Colorado's next big cycling event.”
The three-day ride, scheduled for Sept. 21-23, will showcase the host communities of Yuma, Wray and Burlington.
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Brotherly support: Kidney donation to sick sibling inspires life's work
April 18, 2012
Hector Rodriguez's older brother, an Army veteran of the first Gulf War, can be pretty stubborn.
For five years after suffering from kidney failure, Fernando Rodriguez refused to let any of his 12 siblings be tested for a possible transplant match.
"He didn't want to put a family member at risk and just wanted to be on the transplant list until his turn came," Hector, 38, recalled.
In the meantime, Fernando underwent dialysis three times a week, four hours at a time. His weight dropped. He lost color. Sometimes he couldn't get out of bed.
Finally, on a 2001 visit back to their hometown of Los Angeles, Hector overruled his big brother.
"I know you're a tough guy, but sometimes you have to let someone help you," Hector recalled. "I'm going to give you a kidney."
Fernando agreed.
"I got tested and turned out to be a perfect match," Hector said. "It was like we were twins."
Despite Fernando's initial fears, the operation was a success. Both brothers have enjoyed good health for more than a decade. And not only did Hector help his brother, he also found his life's calling as a patient-care technician, running the dialysis machines.
"I wanted to know what I was getting into," Hector said. "So I decided to educate myself."
He took an eight-month course at Bryman College in Los Angeles and served a 140-hour internship. He initially stayed in Los Angeles, but in 2005 he began working for Davita, a Denver-based company. He started in Louisville and moved to its Cross Park Drive location in Knoxville in 2009.
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DaVita, Cherian's Frontier team up to provide cardiac support
April 18, 2012
Kidney care provider DaVita NephroLife has tied up with Chennai-based Dr K.M. Cherian's Frontier Lifeline Hospital to provide cardiac support to patients.
Frontier Lifeline Hospital will offer specialised cardiac services and emergency care to patients of DaVita NephroLife's flagship kidney care centre in Chennai.
The kidney care centre will install and manage two dedicated renal replacement therapy dialysis machines at Frontier Lifeline Hospital.
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DaVita(R) Named to WorldBlu List of Most Democratic Workplaces
April 17, 2012
DaVita announced today that it was recognized for the fifth consecutive year by WorldBlu as one of the world's most democratic companies.
"DaVita is honored to once again be recognized as the only health care and FORTUNE 500® company on WorldBlu'sTM List of Most Democratic Workplaces," said Kent Thiry, chairman and CEO of DaVita. "At DaVita, we are proud to be a community first and a company second."
The WorldBlu List of Most Democratic Workplaces(TM) 2012 is composed of 48 organizations from a breadth of industries including technology, manufacturing, health care, retail, services and energy, with a combined annual revenue of more than $17 billion.
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Denver business leaders gather at Education Nation forum
April 17, 2012
Several high-profile Colorado business leaders gathered today to share their ideas on how the education system can do a better job of preparing students for jobs.
Gov. John Hickenlooper led off Job One: Preparing America to Compete in the 21st Century by reminding the 200 or so in the crowd that "quality of life starts with a good job," and good jobs start with quality education.
The event, at the not-yet-opened History Colorado Center, was the final event of the Denver stop on NBC New's Education Nation tour.
The discussion brought together Linda Alvarado, chief executive of Alvarado Construction; University of Colorado President Bruce Benson; Richard Monfort, owner of the Colorado Rockies; and Kent Thiry, chief executive of kidney-care and dialysis provider DaVita.
The discussion, moderated by NBC's Andrea Mitchell, was broadcast live on 9NEWS and streamed live on EducationNation.com.
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Dialysis Data Shines Light on Clinic Disparities
April 17, 2012
Patients can find the latest government scores for kidney dialysis clinics posted online Tuesday by ProPublica, NBC 5’s investigative journalism partner.
As Americans debate a great expansion of universal health care, dialysis treatment serves as a possible model that Congress first approved 40 years ago in 1972.
Dr. Jula Inrig is an assistant professor of medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center and a practicing nephrologist.
“Essentially, Congress said that the moral burden of not providing care for these patients was much too high, that we couldn't say, 'Just let these patients die,' so they said, ‘OK, everyone is now eligible,’” Inrig said.
Around 20 million Americans had kidney disease in 2010, and 382,343 received kidney dialysis treatment in 2008, according to the most recent figures from the National Institutes of Health.
The care is expensive. Last year, the government capped the maximum taxpayer funded annual payment at $70,000 per patient.
If you or a loved one suffers kidney failure, there are dozens and dozens of North Texas dialysis clinics waiting to serve you.
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Dialysis patients have access to facility data using new tools
April 17, 2012
Many Colorado dialysis clinics perform better than expected by federal health measures, while a few post high rates of mortality and other complications, according to a new database.
Clinics explain the bad results as isolated years skewing averages and said a review of all renal care measures puts the poor numbers in perspective.
Patient advocates hope more consumers will use the tools in the deep database — compiled by ProPublica, a nonprofit news organization — to monitor their care and demand clear answers from health providers.
"When I dialyzed 30 years ago, there was nothing out there," said Bobbi Wager, past president of the American Association of Kidney Patients, who is on her second successful transplant. "I know if I started my journey today, there's all this information out there that could give me hope."
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For Great Teamwork, Start with a Social Contract
April 17, 2012
To turn groups of employees into great teams, a powerful first step is to form a social contract — an explicit agreement that lays out the ground rules for team members' behaviors. A contract can cover territory such as how members will work together, make decisions, communicate, share information, and support each other. Social contracts clearly outline norms for how members will and should interact with one another.
Team norms exist whether openly stated or not. A good leader should facilitate sessions with his/her team to uncover the existing norms, both positive and negative, that impact team functioning. Establishing a social contract can reinforce positive behaviors while helping teams to overcome dysfunctional ones. Dale Hedrick, President of Hedrick Brothers Construction in south Florida, requires new employees to sign the company's social contract (PDF). He notes that this contract ensures a culture of trust, encouragement, respect, accountability, and achievement.
Social contracts have their roots in social capital theory (PDF), which emphasizes information exchange and reciprocity between employees, mutual trust and fairness, and shared values and expectations. DaVita, a leading kidney dialysis company based in Denver, CO, is known for its focus on creating a "village" where teammates care for each other, patients, and the company. Everyone understands the social contract — in a village you watch out for, support, and help each other. The company fosters this family mentality by emphasizing shared values, norms, and identity. Their company chant, echoing the Three Musketeers, is: "One for all, and all for one!" This sense of shared purpose has led to a remarkable growth for the company.
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In-home, night dialysis treatments gain favor with patients, companies
April 17, 2012
The choices facing Robert Mueller ranged from bad to worse.
With his kidneys failing, Mueller needed to begin the regimen that defines the lives of hundreds of thousands of seriously ill Americans: sitting in a chair three times a week, four hours at a time, hooked to a machine cleaning deadly toxins from their bodies.
Typical daytime dialysis in one of dozens of Colorado clinics would have forced Mueller, 57, to quit his day job as a Safeway checker.
The solution arrives every Monday, Wednesday and Friday night.
Fresenius and its primary for-profit competitor, Denver-based DaVita, want nocturnal and home dialysis numbers to rise.
"Are we stuck in one particular therapy, or can we tailor therapies for different people?" said Dr. Eduardo Lacson Jr., vice president of clinical science for Fresenius. "The onus is on giving patients the choice."
The challenges of moving away from the daytime, in-clinic standard are great. In nocturnal care, doctors and clinic staff need to be available for more shifts. Patients must alter routines. For in-home care, patients and caregivers need detailed training and open access to medical advice.
Denver nephrologist Dr. Melissa Yanover believes the changeover is inevitable and largely positive. She has a young patient awaiting a transplant who is on nocturnal dialysis at home, allowing him to pursue a medical degree.
A central Fresenius site remotely monitors the home patients and can alert family members or doctors to problems.
"It gives him all day free to be a student, and he's home sleeping in bed instead of sleeping in a dialysis unit," Yanover said.
"It's like being released from house arrest," said Dr. John Moran, DaVita's head of home therapies.
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DaVita Announces CFO Transition
April 16, 2012
DaVita announced that Luis Borgen, Chief Financial Officer, will be leaving the company to become Chief Financial Officer of Davids Tea Inc., a venture-capital backed company.
"These have been a rewarding two years at DaVita. My personal and professional path is taking me back to Boston and back to retail. I retain the utmost respect for DaVita, its people, and their dedication to the company's mission and values," stated Mr. Borgen.
Kent Thiry, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "I want to thank Luis for his many contributions during his time here. We will miss him, but we support his decision to return to Boston to be closer to his family."
Jim Hilger, Chief Accounting Officer, will serve as Interim Chief Financial Officer effective immediately. Mr. Hilger, who has been with DaVita in various finance roles since 2005, became Chief Accounting Officer in 2010. In that position he serves as corporate controller and helps lead the finance leadership team. Mr. Hilger also served as acting Chief Financial Officer from November 2007 through February 2008. Mr. Borgen will stay on for a period of time to ensure a smooth transition. Our long-standing finance leadership, including Guy Seay, Chief Financial Officer - Dialysis; Chet Mehta, Vice President of Finance; Jim Gustafson, Vice President of Investor Relations; and LeAnne Zumwalt, Group Vice President, will serve as partners with Jim in guiding and executing the financial strategy of the organization. Collectively, this finance leadership team averages almost a decade of service to DaVita.
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Funding needed to provide the best care
April 16, 2012
The caregiving team at DaVita Cedar Rapids was honored to welcome Fred Schuster, a staffer from Sen. Chuck Grassley’s office, to our facility recently. We welcomed the opportunity to speak with him about quality dialysis care and the importance of preventing any further cuts to the Medicare End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) benefit that enables us to provide lifesaving care to our patients.
As a dialysis nurse for more than 12 years, I have cared for hundreds of patients who rely on quality dialysis care due to kidney failure. I am all too familiar with the issues my patients face every day, both medically and financially.
My main concern is to provide the best care to my patients, but I simply cannot succeed without the resources needed to do so. I hope Sen. Grassley will carefully consider these patients and all of the available options before enacting further cuts to the Medicare ESRD benefit. Our patients deserve nothing less.
We thank Mr. Schuster for taking the time to visit our facility to understand kidney dialysis and hear from the patients who face challenges every day.
Tracy Seboldt
Facility Administrator
DaVita Cedar Rapids
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A Year Later, Shank Has New Battle
April 12, 2012
Mitch Shank would have preferred to be sitting in the corner office at City Hall, serving as Mayor of the City of Havre de Grace this spring.
Instead, Shank spends three afternoons a week at Davita Dialysis in Aberdeen, receiving dialysis treatment after losing a kidney in November.
It was shortly after the May 3 election last spring—when incumbent Mayor Wayne Dougherty earned his third term in fending off the challenge from Shank—that the former City Councilman began feeling ill.
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Milicruit and Military Officers Association of America Host Military Spouse Virtual Career Fair
April 12, 2012
Milicruit, a recognized leader in virtual recruitment environments for veterans, and military spouses, today announced the date of the annual virtual career fair for military spouses which will take place on May 7, 2012 in recognition of Military Spouse Appreciation Day www.militaryspousecf.com.
The virtual career fair will allow Military Spouses from all over the world, the opportunity to meet and interact with industry leading, military friendly employers in real time, and from the comfort and convenience of their home. In the Milicruit virtual career fair, spouses can view all available jobs with the employers exhibiting in the Jobs Center, visit employer booths in the Exhibit Hall, and chat with fellow spouses in the Networking Lounge.
"We are thrilled to host our second dedicated virtual career fair for Military Spouses. We recognize that the Military Spouse also serves, and through the Milicruit event, they will have the ability to meet with employers from all over the country that share our views. Last year we had more than 1800 spouses attend the inaugural event, and we are looking forward to an even bigger event this year," Stated Kevin O'Brien, vice president business development, Milicruit.
More than 40 employers are expected to participate including: American Red Cross, Aetna, Arise, Camping World and Good Sam, CBRE, Citi, Convergys, DaVita, DISH Network, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Graybar, Lowe's, NCO Financial, Penske Truck Leasing, Pfizer, Philips, Progressive, Sears, State Street Corporation, The SI organization, Xerox Business Services and many more.
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DaVita Launches Kidney Smart Website
April 10, 2012
DaVita announced the launch of its Kidney SmartSM website, KidneySmart.org, for anyone with questions about CKD.
The website offers educational information for individuals affected by CKD at no cost and is recommended for potential patients, caregivers, or anyone looking to learn more about the disease and its risk factors.
Diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure, followed by high blood pressure. Individuals with cardiovascular disease, obesity, high cholesterol, and those over age 60 or with family history of the disease are also at risk. Other high-risk groups for kidney disease include African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans.
“Our goal is to de-mystify kidney disease,” explained Ben Harber, senior director of clinical operations for DaVita VillageHealth®. “That’s why DaVita designed a website that answers the questions most patients ask when they are diagnosed with kidney disease.”
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WorldBlu Certifies 48 Organizations Globally as "Democratic Workplaces"
April 10, 2012
WorldBlu, a company specializing in organizational democracy, today announced it is has certified 48 organizations as part of the sixth annual WorldBlu List of Most Democratic Workplaces™ 2012, published annually on “Democracy in the Workplace Day.”
Well-known companies to make the WorldBlu List include Zappos.com, HCL Technologies, New Belgium Brewery, DaVita, Great Harvest Bread Company and the WD-40 Company. Both for-profit and non-profit organizations from across the US, Canada, Mexico, the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, Malaysia, Haiti, India, New Zealand, South Africa and Singapore made the WorldBlu List from a diverse range of industries including technology, manufacturing, healthcare, retail, services and energy.
“People want freedom rather than fear in the workplace,” comments WorldBlu Founder and CEO, Traci Fenton. “WorldBlu-certified organizations model how democracy in the workplace unleashes human potential and builds highly successful organizations that change the world for the better.”
Companies become eligible for a spot on the WorldBlu List of Most Democratic Workplaces™ only after its employees complete the WorldBlu Scorecard™, an assessment evaluating their organization’s practice of the WorldBlu 10 Principles of Organizational Democracy™, with an overall combined score of 3.5/5 or higher. The WorldBlu Scorecard™ was developed based on a decade of research into what makes a world-class democratic company. Organizations from the for-profit and non-profit sectors that have been in operation for at least one full year and have five or more employees can apply for WorldBlu certification.
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Stargell foundation gives $50,000
April 09, 2012
The foundation created in honor of the former Major League Baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Willie Stargell, will award $50,000 in grants on Monday, April 9. Over the past nine years, the Willie Stargell Foundation has raised nearly $1 million.
Funds raised from the 9th annual Willie Stargell Celebrity Golf Tournament this past November will be given to the UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University Transplant Outreach programs, the DaVita Emergency Fund and the Willie “Pops” Stargell Kidney Dialysis Center at New Hanover Regional Medical Center, where the awards will be presented at 1 p.m. on Monday. Stargell lost his battle to kidney disease on April 9, 2001.
A $5,000 grant awarded to UNC-Chapel Hill will create a Willie Stargell UNC Renal Fund to be used for transplant patient emergency needs, such as providing a patient with a gas card, arranging for transportation through a rental car company for a discounted rate and emergency antibiotics. Another $5,000 grant awarded to Duke University will also support transplant patients’ emergency needs there.
The foundation will give a $10,000 grant to DaVita dialysis treatment centers, where all Southeastern nephrology patients receive treatment. The social work and medical doctor on staff at each of the 10 centers will determine the emergency needs of the patients for which the funds will be used.
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DaVita Acquires Majority Stake in Lehbi Care, Saudi Arabia
April 05, 2012
DaVita announced it has acquired a controlling interest in Lehbi Care, a leading Riyadh-based kidney care company. DaVita® will actively manage the three Lehbi clinics in operation in Riyadh and is planning to expand home modality options and build a vascular access center.
“Saudi Arabia is an important market for DaVita in the Middle East,” said DaVita Chairman and CEO Kent Thiry. “We will continue to look for areas of solid, long-term growth that are a fit and close a gap in needed services.”
Lehbi Care currently treats 400 patients at three hemodialysis clinics throughout Riyadh. Patients will have greater access to treatment options and more effective care with a vascular access center and home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
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DaVita’s Remarkable Volunteer
April 05, 2012
John Prenguber might not be running in the Colfax Marathon this year but it’s not due to a lack of training discipline. John – one of the Colfax Marathon’s biggest supporters – will be at the finish line handing out medals and delivering inspiration across the three days of events.
John discovered the joys of running thirty years ago and has since completed nine marathons and 300-400 shorter races. John has had a hard road with his health due to complications from a football injury at just 15 years old. Doctors had to remove part of his pancreas, which led to diabetes and kidney failure years later. John has been on dialysis for the last 10 years getting nocturnal, or nighttime, treatments at DaVita Lonetree and in the last three years has had both legs amputated due to complications with diabetes.
For most people that would stop them in their running tracks – both literally and figuratively – but not John, and that is his most important message to others.
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Sterling House food pantry marks 20 years helping the community
April 05, 2012
Since opening its doors 20 years ago, the Sterling House Food Pantry has grown to offer more services than just food assistance. As of the beginning of the year it has been known as the Sterling House Resource Connection.
“Starting in 1992, we had no idea that the need for such a program would continue and it would become much more than a small grassroots program, which is usually the case with food pantries,” said Lou Perno, executive director. “Sterling House is a multi-service organization, so it made sense for the food pantry to become more comprehensive in order to deal with poverty and hunger in a more effective and, hopefully, long-lasting way.”
In 2011-12, funding for the Sterling House Resources Connection was provided by the United Way of Coastal Fairfield County, Citizen’s Bank Foundation, Ameriprise Financial, Bank of America Foundation, TD Charitable Foundation, DaVita Foundation, and FEMA. The program also receives donations and food and school supplies, pet food, and other items from hundreds of individuals and local businesses yearly.
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DaVita Way of Giving: DaVita Clinics Give $63,500 to Florida Charities
April 04, 2012
DaVita announced that its Florida dialysis clinics had generated $63,500 in charitable contributions in the state through the "DaVita Way of Giving."
As part of DaVita's larger national charitable giving efforts, teammates (employees) at each DaVita® clinic were invited to request contributions for the 501(c)(3) charity of their choice. Clinics were also allowed to team up on behalf of a single charity to request larger contributions. More than 400 charities received contributions ranging from $1,000 to over $40,000.
Florida charities received $63,500 - one of the highest totals of any state in the nation.
"The DaVita Way of Giving has empowered our Florida teammates in a way that not many companies have done," said Mark Taylor, division vice president at DaVita. "Encouraging teammates to give to local organizations that matter the most to them really fosters a caring environment, exactly what we aim to bring to the dialysis clinics we operate every day."
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DaVita Way of Giving: DaVita Clinics Give to Texas Charities
April 02, 2012
DaVita announced that its Texas clinics had generated $93,000 in charitable contributions in the state through its "DaVita Way of Giving" initiative.
As part of DaVita's® larger national charitable giving efforts, teammates at each DaVita clinic were invited to request contributions for the 501(c)(3) charity of their choice. Clinics were also allowed to team up on behalf of a single charity to request larger contributions. More than 400 charities received contributions ranging from $1,000 to over $40,000.
Texas charities received the second highest total of any state in the nation. Many of the donations were accompanied by community service projects performed by DaVita teammates.
"We're so happy to be able give back to the communities that support us and our patients," said Chakilla Robinson White, DaVita division vice president. "With this financial commitment and all of the volunteer hours DaVita teammates give to local charities, we're making a real difference in Texas."
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Cartersville residents touched by Emory Kidney Transplant Program
April 01, 2012
In 2001, Agan started experiencing symptoms, such as declining health and swelling in his legs. After visiting the doctor, a small cancerous nodule was discovered on his right kidney, leading to his organ being removed. Since 2008, Agan has received dialysis, with the procedure being administered at home for the first three years. With Agan experiencing nearly 100 percent kidney failure, he currently undergoes dialysis at DaVita in Cartersville.
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DaVita's PD Advisor Featured at National Summit
March 31, 2012
During the first-ever National Home Dialysis Summit that was held in Washington, DC on Thursday, March 29, Dr. Mark Shapiro, DaVita's national peritoneal dialysis advisor, spoke about home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
Shapiro shared data demonstrating that limited use of home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis options is largely a cultural phenomenon rather than the result of careful clinical decision-making. In the U.S., less than 10 percent of dialysis patients use these home options.
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DaVita’s Mark Shapiro Featured at National Summit on Home Dialysis Policy
March 30, 2012
DaVita announced that Dr. Mark Shapiro spoke at the first-ever National Home Dialysis Summit in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.
The summit, sponsored by a wide variety of stakeholders including DaVita and hosted by honorary congressional co-chairs Tom Marino (R-Penn.), Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) and Jesse Jackson (D-Ill.), included four panel discussions:
Education, Training and Implementation Challenges;
The Impact of the National Reimbursement System;
Quality Measures and Initiatives; and
The Innovation Environment.
Shapiro, DaVita’s national peritoneal dialysis advisor, shared data demonstrating that limited use of home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis options is largely a cultural phenomenon rather than the result of careful clinical decision-making. In the U.S., less than 10 percent of dialysis patients use these home options.
“Overall, patients on home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis generally have better clinical outcomes and a better quality of life,” Shapiro said. “We have to do a better job of educating doctors about these options, improving the therapies and considering new techniques to introduce patients to these options early.”
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Optimist Club of Perdido Bay Health Fair
March 30, 2012
The Optimist Club of Perdido recently hosted the 25th Annual Family Health Fair in Lillian. A variety of health care providers talked with visitors and distributed literature and other health-related objects.
Participants included Amedisys Home Health, American Red Cross, Andrews Institute, Baldwin County Health Department, Baldwin County Animal and Mosquito Control and EMA, and Baldwin County Sheriff’s Department.
Also, Baldwin Optical and Hearing, Community Hospice, Disabled American Veterans, DaVita Dialysis, Elberta Clinic, Golden Living, Hightower Chiropractic, Home Care Companions, Life South Bloodmobile, Lower Alabama Search and Rescue (LASAR), Lillian Volunteer Fire Department and Medstar, and Lillian Pharmacy.
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At Santa Ana school, new shoes bring 1,030 smiles
March 29, 2012
Jill Calhoun was looking for a volunteer project that would be a good fit.
She's a facilities services manager at DaVita Inc. in Irvine, and the company, which provides dialysis services nationwide, encourages its workers, known as teammates, to get involved in the community.
Growing kids at Lincoln Elementary in Santa Ana, such as Bryant Quiroz, 7, sometimes just need new shoes.
Calhoun learned last month about a nonprofit known as Shoes That Fit from a fellow teammate, and contacted Lee Kane, program manager for the Claremont-based group. The organization connects sponsoring groups with schools serving children in need, providing them with guidance and the tools they need to get children's shoe sizes.
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DaVita Gives a Year of Free Health Insurance for Healthy Lifestyles
March 29, 2012
DaVita announced today that 44 teammates (employees) received free health insurance as part of its second annual “We are Well” program.
The DaVita® “We are Well” initiative recognizes teammates for being role models for physical activity and taking accountability for their own health.
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Lewis County hospital officials still plan dialysis project
March 29, 2012
Despite some delays, Lewis County General Hospital officials hope a long-awaited renal dialysis center will be in place later this year or early next year.
The state Department of Health has approved a certificate of need for DaVita Inc., Buffalo, to operate a dialysis clinic on the hospital’s North State Street campus. However, the county-owned hospital is waiting for the company to sign on a Utica-based doctor as the clinic’s medical director before entering a lease agreement, hospital CEO Eric R. Burch said Monday during a joint meeting of county legislators and hospital managers.
“They were confident they were going to get him signed,” he said.
Hospital officials plan to build a roughly $1 million addition off the Medical Arts Building’s first floor and basement to accommodate the dialysis center. However, they want to have a signed lease with DaVita before sending requests for construction bids, Mr. Burch said.
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B-School vs. C-School
March 28, 2012
Does an MBA necessarily translate into success behind the desk in the corporate world?
At DaVita, Inc., business school provides a big picture of the business world. It is up to the company’s current leaders and DaVita University faculty to put those lessons into context.
“Business school learning often provides a wide variety of case studies and examples to use, so concepts are learned and leaders have a foundation of what to expect as they expand in their leadership roles, whereas our corporate learning often is geared more toward deeper dives into who our leaders are as human beings,” says DaVita Vice President of Wisdom Dave Hoerman. “Leadership is a human skill, it’s about relationships, and it’s about heart. We help leaders deal with actual leadership and management situations within our world, and our specific industry and business nuances. At DaVita University, we get into the specifics, the details and guts of our internal metrics and management models, as well as being role models for the culture we are striving to create.”
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DaVita Thanks Social Workers During National Social Worker Month
March 28, 2012
Today DaVita will thank it's nearly 1,500 social workers for the value and care they provide to patients and their families.
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) designated March as National Social Work Month, recognizing March 16th as National Social Work Day and March 20th as World Social Work Day. NASW’s theme for 2012 is “social work matters.”
“The concept that ‘social work matters’ couldn’t be truer at DaVita; while dialysis extends our patients’ lives, our social workers help make sure our patients have quality of life,” explains Duane Dunn, director of social work services for DaVita®. “We value our social workers as critical resources for our patients.”
Social workers help patients adjust to life on dialysis. Teaching patients about kidney disease and their treatment options helps them understand what is happening to their bodies and make informed decisions about their care. A social worker educates and supports patients in these ways to help them enjoy a better quality of life.
Renal social work tasks include helping patients:
-Talk about their emotional needs and enhance their coping skills
-Learn about kidney disease and dialysis options
-Understand and navigate the kidney transplant process
-Strengthen their family and support system
-Adjust to treatment plans and diet changes
-Find community resources for transportation, home health services, nutrition and more
-Keep or obtain insurance
Be sure to thank a Social Worker you know today!
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Hundreds line up for annual Erie Diabetes Expo
March 28, 2012
Some folks arrived more than two hours ahead of time, and a line stretched about 100 yards down the center's main hallway by the time the expo opened its doors at 1 p.m.
"I'm a registered nurse, and I have diabetes and so does my husband," said Camille Hess, 68, who arrived more than an hour before the expo began. "I come because I enjoy seeing all the new ideas."
One of the new booths at this year's expo offered free kidney screenings by DaVita dialysis services, a Colorado-based company with two Erie facilities.
DaVita employees measured people's height and weight, took their blood pressure and samples of their blood and urine.
"We're looking for anything that indicates their kidneys aren't working quite right," said Betty Mikovich, a DaVita facility administrator, as she dipped a test strip into a small container of urine. "Diabetes is a huge risk factor for kidney disease. About 80 percent of our dialysis patients have diabetes."
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Northgate student's senior project show to help fight kidney failure
March 28, 2012
A dancer for most of her young life, Carly Cannata felt she could always turn to dance as a form of expression and art.
These days, Carly said dancing has taken on a new purpose -- raising awareness about kidney failure, and raising money to help fight it.
Six years ago, her mother Elaine Cannata was diagnosed with multiple myeloma-blood, a form of cancer similar to leukemia that caused both kidneys to fail, Carly said.
Elaine Cannata has gone through over 20 surgeries and multiple stages of chemotherapy. She is now providing her own dialysis at home, Carly said.
She thought putting on a dance and music concert would make a great senior project while helping out those in need.
"I decided I wanted to do something to help one organization that helps patients with kidney failure," said Carly, 18, a senior at Northgate High School.
Pattee Court, an artist who works for Walnut Creek Civic Arts Education and has been Carly's senior project mentor, said the Cannata family turned to DaVita, a provider of kidney care that delivers dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure.
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DaVita's Chief Medical Officer Blogs for KevinMD.com
March 27, 2012
Today, DaVita shared a guest post by DaVita(R) Chief Medical Officer Allen R. Nissenson on popular medical website KevinMD.com.
This year is the 40th anniversary of the widespread availability of outpatient dialysis as a tool to save the lives of those with kidney failure. Nissenson notes the anniversary as a cause for celebration and calls for stronger efforts at patient education and empowerment.
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Virtual Career Fair for Veterans and Military Spouses in Texas and Oklahoma
March 27, 2012
UBM Studios' Milicruit, the recognized leader in virtual career fairs for veterans and military spouses, and the Military Officers Association of America announce the date of the Texas and Oklahoma Virtual Career Fair for service members, veterans, and military spouses to be held on March 28, 2012 at www.veteranscareerfair.com. No travel is necessary as users register and login to the virtual career fair platform.
Join DaVita recruiters for this event that will be held, Thursday, March 28th!
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DaVita Advises Dialysis Patients to Prepare for Spring Weather
March 26, 2012
DaVita announced important emergency preparedness information and resources for dialysis patients during upcoming tornado, hurricane and flood seasons this spring.
Dialysis patients require treatments at least three times per week and are at high risk during natural disasters and weather-related emergencies. DaVita® teammates (employees) take extensive measures to facilitate patients’ access to dialysis treatment and necessary supplies days before upcoming storms; however, natural disasters can also cause clinic and road closures.
“Each season brings a new set of potential weather-related hazards,” said Richard Bruner, division vice president of DaVita and member of DaVita’s emergency response team, DaVERT. “Weather is somewhat unpredictable; that’s why it’s important for patients to review emergency plans and be prepared for the unexpected.”
For more infomration on creating your own emergency preparedness kit, Click Here.
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DaVita Recognized as MIKE Program’s Community Partner
March 26, 2012
John Westover of DaVita talks with MIKE Program’s Cheryl Neal, MD, before his talk at “Our Community Gathering” on March 11.
John Westover of DaVita spoke before a packed room to accept the 2012 Community Partner Recognition as part of MIKE Program’s “Our Community Gathering” on March 11. Westover, who serves as DaVita’s Regional Operations Director for Region 3, highlighted DaVita’s partnership with MIKE Program.
“I feel really special to be a part of MIKE Program, especially since MIKE Program is geared to something near and dear to our hearts,” he said. Besides being a sponsor for “An Autumn Evening: A Benefit Dinner and Auction for MIKE Program,” DaVita donated $4000 at the end of 2011 to help expand operational capacity.
DaVita is one of the local dialysis providers which welcomes MIKE Program youth on field trips to provide face-to-face talks with individuals undergoing dialysis. “What I liked best about the dialysis clinic tour was being able to ask questions to an actual person who had kidney disease,” Maria of De La Salle North Catholic High School wrote after her visit last month.
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DaVita to Participate at The 11th annual Diabetes & Healthy Living Expo
March 26, 2012
The 11th annual Diabetes & Healthy Living Expo will be held Tuesday from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Bayfront Convention Center, 1 Sassafras Pier.
The expo, which draws about 1,500 attendees each year, is sponsored by the Diabetes Institute @ Great Lakes Home Healthcare Services.
This year's event will include free samples, cooking and product demonstrations, lectures, free health screenings, the ability to consult with diabetes experts and information on how to live a healthy lifestyle.
New this year will be a kidney screening offered by DaVita.
This year's expo will include a variety of educational sessions.
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DaVita Raises Awareness During National Kidney Month
March 21, 2012
DaVita reminded the public of risk factors for kidney disease and the importance of getting screened to identify the disease early.
"It might seem odd that a dialysis provider is raising awareness to help prevent kidney disease, but DaVita is anything but a typical corporation," said Chris Riopelle, senior vice president of DaVita®. "CKD can often be managed if it's caught early, and some with kidney disease can avoid dialysis altogether."
Diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure, followed by hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure. Cardiovascular disease, obesity, high cholesterol, and those over age 60 or with family history of the disease are also at risk.
Other high-risk groups for kidney disease include African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans.
Kidney disease is the eighth leading cause of death in the United States. It is estimated that 31 million U.S. adults have CKD; however most are unaware they have the disease. Kidney disease is often referred to as a "silent epidemic," as there are typically no symptoms until the kidneys fail and dialysis is necessary to sustain life.
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Era ends Saturday with closure of Cape's Kidney Thrift Shop
March 21, 2012
Workers at the Kidney Thrift Shop on Del Prado Boulevard are losing their jobs, and they’re “devastated.”
But it isn’t the loss of income that has them gloomy. After all, they’re volunteers and they don’t get paid. It’s the cause itself that they’ll miss. And the camaraderie.
The store has been phenomenally successful, taking in as much as $7,000 a month, Childers said. Twenty-five percent of the profit goes to the Kidney Foundation, and the rest goes to DaVita Dialysis Centers to be distributed through social workers to needy patients.
“Dialysis is very expensive, and some of the medicine is through the roof,” said volunteer Paul Lewis of south Fort Myers, who underwent a kidney transplant in October 2008.
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Health system to add 750 jobs in Denver area
March 21, 2012
A major health care system announced Wednesday it will move its headquarters from Kansas to Colorado, bringing 750 jobs to Broomfield and Denver over the next four years.
The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System will increase its presence in Colorado where it operates three Exempla hospitals; St. Joseph in Denver, Lutheran Medical Center in Wheat Ridge; and Good Samaritan Medical Center in Lafayette.
It also operates a safety net clinic and St. Mary Hospital & Regional Medical Center in Grand Junction, and the Mount Saint Vincent Home in Denver.
The move represents the first of an estimated 50,000 health care jobs expected to the Denver metro region over the next 10 years, Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said Wednesday at a news conference at the Capitol announcing the move.
Another health care provider, DaVita, announced it would move its headquarters to Denver in 2009. Three years later, the company has added 400 jobs.
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DaVita relocates dialysis center to Randallstown Plaza
March 20, 2012
DaVita is relocating its Randallstown dialysis center to Randallstown Plaza.
DaVita, which has 15 dialysis centers across Greater Baltimore, will vacate 9635-a Liberty Road and move to a 10,000-square-foot space at 3637 Offut Road in Randallstown.
The new office will be a hybrid medical office and retailer, said Matthew Melnick, a broker for Trout Daniel & Associates, which represented the landlord, Randallstown Plaza Associates.
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C-Level lures 1,000 to fundraiser
March 19, 2012
The Colorado Technology Association's annual fundraiser, C-Level@A Mile High, sold out for the first time this year, attracting more than 1,000 attendees Thursday. The event allows business professionals to network with the dozens of executive- level technology decisionmakers. Attendees were able to bid on exclusive time with technology "celebrities" — top-level executives from about 65 companies. DaVita's celebrity exec drew the top bid, $7,250. The association said the event, now in its sixth year, featured $1 billion in potential business opportunities for attendees.
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Governor Walker’s Team Urges Veterans, Guard/Reserve Members, Military Spouses To Pre-register For Virtual Career Fair Thursday
March 19, 2012
Governor Scott Walker’s Cabinet members for workforce development and veterans affairs today urged veterans, guard and reserve members, as well as military spouses, to pre-register now for the Milicruit virtual career fair to be held online this Thursday.
DaVita is one of many companies participating in the virtual career fair. If you are a veteran or a military spouse, please join the career fair at www.veteranscareerfair.com.
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Kidney Group Forming Team
March 19, 2012
The Shoals chapter of the Alabama Kidney Foundation is accepting donations in preparation for its walk-a-thon in April.
The foundation, along with the Davita Dialysis Centers and Shoals Kidney and Hypertension Center, is forming a team for this year's walk-a-thon, which is April 21 in Huntsville.
The team's fundraising goal is $5,000.
The money raised goes to Alabama kidney patients and all contributions are tax-deductible. Organizers said proceeds will provide financial assistance, education and support services for patients.
More than 300 patients are on dialysis in the Shoals and about 7,000 in the state.
Donations may be made by calling Marty Rich at 256-766-7577 or mail a donation payable to Alabama Kidney Foundation, 113 Creekwood Drive, Florence, AL 35630.
To donate online, link to firstgiving.com/fundraiser/marty-rich/2012- HUNTSVILLE.
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Physicians Receive Medal of Excellence by AAKP
March 19, 2012
Two physicians were honored at the American Association of Kidney Patients’ (AAKP) Award Dinner on Friday, March 16 at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington D.C. Nearly 200 physicians, health care professionals and business leaders celebrated Charles McAllister M.D., and Theodore Steinman M.D. and their commitment to the kidney community.
Held in conjunction with the Renal Physicians Association’s (RPA) Annual Meeting, the AAKP Medal of Excellence Award Program recognizes a physician(s) who has shown leadership in research and scientific pursuit of providing kidney patients a better quality of life, as well as passion in helping patients and families deal with the physical, emotional and social impact of kidney disease. Proceeds from the event benefit AAKP patient education and outreach programs.
Attendees heard from several of the award recipients’ colleagues, friends and family members including Kent Theory, chairman and CEO of DaVita, who in a video message talked about McAllister’s impact on patients. “You made your patients feel wonderful and better and more fulfilled and safer. Not just clinically, but spiritually. Your bedside manner with patients; your bedside manners with physicians is very special. You are one of those people that loved what you did. You loved your fellow man and woman in a very special way and showed up every day.”
McAllister is credited with starting the first dialysis program in southern Florida after completing his nephrology Fellowship at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He’s worked closely with the U.S. Naval Hospital in Orlando, Florida to develop educational programs for veterans with kidney disease that have been used extensively throughout the VA system. He’s also served as the Chief Medical Officer of DaVita Inc. Over the course of his long career, McAllister has served on the boards of several associations including the American Medical Association, American Society of Nephrology, RPA, and the End-Stage Renal Disease Network 7.
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Two local women lost 120 pounds and earned a year of free health insurance for doing it
March 18, 2012
Two DaVita teammates have collectively lost more than 120 pounds by regularily hiking Lower Table Rock. Their efforts won them free health insurance for a year by their employer Rogue Valley Davita Dialysis.
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DaVita Way of Giving: DaVita Clinics Give $67,000 to Ohio Charities
March 15, 2012
DaVita announced that its Ohio clinics had generated $67,000 in charitable contributions in the state through the “DaVita Way of Giving.”
As part of DaVita’s® larger national charitable giving efforts, teammates (employees) at each DaVita clinic were invited to request contributions for the 501(c)(3) charity of their choice. Clinics were also allowed to team up on behalf of a single charity to request larger contributions. More than 400 charities received contributions ranging from $1,000 to over $40,000.
Ohio charities received $67,000 from DaVita – the fourth highest total of any state in the nation.
“At DaVita we see ourselves as a community first and a company second,” said Brian Jackson, divisional vice president at DaVita. “We work to provide superior quality of care to our patients and we use that same commitment to help make the communities we live and work in to be the best that they can be.”
Cincinnati area nonprofits receiving contributions included Freestore Foodbank and the Ronald McDonald House of Greater Cincinnati.
Columbus area nonprofits who received donations included the Mid-Ohio Foodbank and Furniture Bank of Central Ohio.
Cleveland area nonprofits benefitting included the Cleveland Foodbank and the Rainey Institute, which aims to positively change Cleveland’s youth through visual and performing arts.
"The Athens County Shrine Club wants to thank DaVita for the kind and generous donation, without this kind of support, the Shriners Hospitals could not exist,” said Steve Kane of the Shrine Club.
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DaVita Thanks its 1,500 Dietitians on Registered Dietitian Day
March 14, 2012
DaVita today thanked its 1,500 dietitians in recognition of Registered Dietitian Day.
Registered Dietitian Day highlights the dedication of registered dietitians (RDs) to improve nutrition for people around the world. DaVita's Nutrition Services Group is made up of 1,500 RDs across the U.S. who specialize in renal nutrition to improve the health of DaVita's 142,000 patients.
For full press release and to learn more about this special day, Click Here.
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CEO donates $4K to fix windows at hospitality center
March 13, 2012
A grant from the CEO of a Fortune 500 company that provides dialysis treatment will be used to replace windows damaged during a break-in at the Elyria Hospitality Center.
The $4,000 grant was awarded to the center by the Kent Thiry Community Foundation, a charitable organization created by Kent Thiry, CEO of Da Vita Inc., and his wife, Denise O’Leary.
The grant was approved by the couple based on an application made by Susan Klimczak, a DaVita employee in the Elyria area who has volunteered for the past five years at Elyria Hospitality House, according to Brinn Pfeiffer, a spokeswoman for the Denver-based company, which operates 1,809 dialysis centers across the U.S., including outlets in Elyria, Lorain, North Ridgeville and Amherst.
“The foundation was started as a way for DaVita teammates (employees) who work in our dialysis centers to give back to local organizations they are involved with in their local communities,” Pfeiffer said.
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Food Trucks, Beer Meisters & Healthful Options: Planners Weigh In on What’s Far Out & Fresh
March 13, 2012
Kristin Videto, senior manager of wisdom, village gatherings, says her Denver-based company DaVita, considers itself a community first and a company second.
To read full article, Click Here.
**Note: turn to page 19 of the article and look for the headline "Healthful Foods A Priority"
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Superior Uniform Group Wins Two Image of the Year Awards
March 12, 2012
Superior Uniform Group, Inc., designer and manufacturer of uniforms and image apparel was selected as a winner of two 2012 North-American Association of Uniform Manufacturers & Distributors (NAUMD) Image of the Year Awards. More than 120 submissions were received.
Nominated in a record five categories, Superior Uniform Group brought home top honors in two categories; the Healthcare category for the DaVita® clinic uniform program and the Entertainment Category for the Hastings Entertainment, Inc. retail uniform program.
Honoring the best image apparel programs produced over the last year, the Image of the Year Award is the industry’s highest achievement. The national competition recognizes excellence in both the design and wear of image apparel programs. It is sponsored by the Image Apparel Institute, a division of the NAUMD.
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Voices of Experience
March 12, 2012
Our Mayor, Kent Thiry, spoke recently at University of Denver Daniel's College of Business' Voices of Experience event on March 12, 2012. To watch the video of him speaking about DaVita, Click Here.
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Daughter gives mom the gift of life
March 10, 2012
Now employed by DaVita, a company that helps provide kidney care, Hultgren-Garst travels throughout Wisconsin and northern Illinois to act as an advocate for dialysis patients.
To read this inspiring story, Click Here.
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Celebrating World Kidney Day March 8, 2012
March 08, 2012
Bridge of Life - DaVita Medical Missions TM today announced upcoming missions to South Africa, Jamaica, Tanzania, and Peru in 2012.
A summer mission will upgrade 10 dialysis stations at Nelson Mandela Hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa. Several spring missions will include:
- Installing 15 new dialysis stations in Chimbote, Peru
- Installing 10 new stations in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania
- Screening 400 high-risk children for chronic kidney disease in Solola, Guatemala
- Performing 120 fistula surgeries in Jamaica to create safer dialysis access for patients there.
“Across the developing world, over one million people are dying of kidney disease every year simply because they lack access to treatment,” said Lori Vaclavik, Executive Director of Bridge of Life-DaVita Medical Missions. “Bridge of Life is the only nonprofit organization in the world dedicated to saving lives by bringing dialysis to developing countries.”
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DaVita raises awareness about Kidney Disease
March 08, 2012
Claremore Mayor Mickey Perry and other local VIPs were at DaVita Claremore Dialysis Center Tuesday to tour the facility and learn more about the importance of kidney health in recognition of March being “National Kidney (Health) Month.”
“Although some (people) might not give much thought to kidney disease in America, it’s at near-epidemic levels, with one in six people being affected in some way by kidney disease,” said Caye McClellan, DaVita facility administrator, RN, BSN, CDN.
“Approximately 8 percent of the U.S. population has diabetes, the number one cause of kidney disease, and one out of three adult Americans has high blood pressure, the second leading cause of kidney disease, so as a nation, we’re extremely at risk.”
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DaVita, 3SBio Partner to Provide Kidney Care in NE China
March 08, 2012
DaVita announced it has entered into an agreement with 3SBio Inc., a leading Chinese biotechnology developer of biopharmaceutical products, to establish a joint venture for providing dialysis treatments in northeastern China.
"This relationship marks an important chapter in DaVita's long-term international plans," said DaVita Chairman and CEO Kent Thiry. "Patients will benefit from the strategic alliance of combining 3SBio's research and DaVita's focus on delivering outstanding clinical outcomes."
"China is an important market for DaVita, and our partnership with 3SBio will be a key element for successfully treating patients in this region of the country," said Dennis Kogod, DaVita chief operating officer.
3SBio's research activity is focused on addressing significant unmet medical needs in nephrology, oncology, supportive cancer care, and infectious diseases. The company also develops, manufactures and markets biopharmaceutical products. In addition to establishing their joint venture, DaVita and 3SBio have agreed to enter into a supply agreement for anemia management drugs throughout China.
"We look forward to the opportunity of serving patients and contributing to quality care in China," said Atul Mathur, DaVita president for the Asia-Pacific region.
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DaVita joins America’s Leading Employers to Find 10,000 Jobs for Veterans and Military Spouses in 2012
March 07, 2012
With combat operations in Iraq finally over, and with almost 4500 heroes lost in the mission, I am sure like all American's you are happy to see the men and women of our armed forces finally starting to return home after 10 years at war. You would think a heroes' welcome including ticker tape parades, and a future filled with optimism and happiness would be all that is on the minds of our nation's finest, but in reality that's not the case. Sadly, it is alarming to see how tough a time these heroes are having trying to adjust to life at home after more than a decade at war.
Finding a job should be the least of their worries given all they have done for the country, but unfortunately it is a very stressful concern for many returning veterans. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the unemployment rate for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan is a staggering 11.1 percent which is almost 3 percent higher than the national average. The Department of Labor estimates there are more than 900,000 veterans currently unemployed, and at the same time, there are more than 3.4 million jobs available right now across the country. The good news is, Corporate America is stepping up in a big way to battle this issue head on.
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DaVita NephroLife puts the spotlight on Kidney Disease all through March.
March 07, 2012
To target 20,000 people across 14 centres in South India
Bangalore: In an effort to educate people about kidney ailments and the need for staying healthy and physically fit, Bangalore-based DaVita NephroLife, a leader in kidney care services in India has organized free health check-up camps at various locations in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pondicherry, Tumkur and Hosur between March 8 and March 31 on the occasion of World Kidney Day.
The camps will focus on educating people about the dangers of untreated hypertension and diabetes. Screening of people, who volunteer to undergo preliminary tests like Body Mass Index (BMI) and Random Blood Sugar, will be carried out at the camps.
“It is a well-known fact that the symptoms for kidney disease are vague and non-specific. The only way to know for sure is with a simple kidney screening test. With India being ground zero for diabetes and hypertension, we urge those at high-risk of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) to get themselves screened immediately,” said Dr.Sushma Rani from DaVita NephroLife.
Worldwide more than 50 per cent of people with diabetes are unaware of their condition and are not treated. About 40 per cent of people with diabetes will develop CKD which increases the risk of cardiovascular and other complications of diabetes. The number for India is much higher.
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DaVita Nutrition Services: Creating a Wave of Healthy Choices
March 07, 2012
DaVita announced today that DaVita’s Nutrition Services team, made up of 1,500 registered dietitians (RDs) across the United States, is kicking off a health initiative during National Nutrition Month in March.
“The two core components of the DaVita Nutrition Service’s initiative are educating DaVita citizens across the country and educating our community members by offering programs and activities that teach healthy eating,” said Debbie Benner, RD, vice president of clinical support at DaVita. “We have designed content to meet the specific needs for various groups, from young children to teens, up to seniors.”
DaVita dietitians will be going out into communities across the 38 DaVita divisions throughout the United States and teaching healthy eating in a fun, interactive way they hope is contagious. The RDs will be working to improve DaVita citizens’ health by sharing a daily heath tip, planned group activities and games to encourage healthy food practices.
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DaVita presents check to YSS
March 07, 2012
The DaVita Ames and Marshalltown Mary Greeley Dialysis Centers recently presented $2,000 to Youth and Shelter Services Inc. to support its youth- and family-serving mission. The donation will be split between YSS branches in Ames and Marshalltown in support of services in these areas. DaVita is a leading provider of kidney care delivering dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. YSS’ mission is to provide prevention, education, treatment, and residential services to children, youth, and families; to advocate on their behalf; and to help them solve problems, grow, and become self-sufficient, responsible, contributing members of society.
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DaVita presents check to YSS
March 07, 2012
The DaVita Ames and Marshalltown Mary Greeley Dialysis Centers recently presented $2,000 to Youth and Shelter Services Inc. to support its youth- and family-serving mission. The donation will be split between YSS branches in Ames and Marshalltown in support of services in these areas. DaVita is a leading provider of kidney care delivering dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. YSS’ mission is to provide prevention, education, treatment, and residential services to children, youth, and families; to advocate on their behalf; and to help them solve problems, grow, and become self-sufficient, responsible, contributing members of society.
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Lowell Wish Project benefits from Billerica efforts
March 07, 2012
The chatter could be heard coming from the back of the warehouse as fifteen DaVita employees were busy assembling Easter gift bags at the Lowell Wish Project. The bags were filled with toiletries and stuffed animals and were being delivered to Emmaus house, the largest shelter in eastern MA primarily serving Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill and Bradford. Homeless children and their mothers would be the lucky recipients.
“Homeless kids almost never see anything new,” said Donna Hunnewell, Lowell Wish Project Executive Director. “It gives their moms hope.”
Led by Bob MacKinnon, Billerica resident and DaVita employee, the crew was working on multiple projects in order to help Hunnewell and her team.
DaVita has 14 dialysis clinics in the MA area with core values in community service. “We want to be out there and be good citizens,” said MacKinnon.
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Catholic Charities has received $3,000 from four area dialysis facilities
March 06, 2012
Catholic Charities has received $3,000 from four area dialysis facilities. Amelia Island Dialysis, Regency Dialysis, Memorial Plaza Dialysis and Jacksonville South Dialysis raised the funds through its “DaVita Way of Giving” program. The DaVita teammates choose the organization that receives the contribution.
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DaVita recognized by Fortune Magazine
March 06, 2012
Denver-based DaVita has been recognized as one of Fortune Magazine's Most Admired Companies in 2012.
DaVita noted in a statement that this is the seventh consecutive year the company, which is a provider of kidney care services, has made the list.
DaVita was ranked third overall among health care facilities and ranked first in the innovation category among health care facilities. DaVita also ranks fourth among all Colorado-based companies recognized on the list.
Kent Thiry, chairman and chief executive of DaVita, said that the company works hard to help its patients live longer and better lives "with a true quality of life."
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FORTUNE Ranks DaVita among Most Admired Companies for Seventh Consecutive Year
March 06, 2012
DaVita has been recognized as one of FORTUNE® Magazine's Most Admired Companies in 2012 - for the seventh consecutive year.
DaVita® was ranked third overall among health care facilities and ranked first in the innovation category among health care facilities. DaVita also ranks fourth among all Colorado-based companies recognized on the list.
"At DaVita, we work very hard to help our patients live longer and live better, with true quality of life," said Kent Thiry, chairman and CEO of DaVita. "I think this ranking recognizes that DaVita's holistic, patient-centered approach to care and our highly regarded corporate culture have produced outstanding results."
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KidneyDiet® named to Yahoo! Health “10 Best Health Apps” List
March 06, 2012
KidneyDiet®, a smartphone app designed to help people with kidney disease make good decisions about the foods they eat, was recently named as one of the “10 Best Health Apps” by Yahoo! Health.
Yahoo! Health author Lisa Collier Cool had this to say about KidneyDiet:
“If you’re one of the 20 million Americans with chronic kidney disease, your doctor has probably told you to watch the potassium, protein, phosphorus and salt in your diet. The KidneyDiet app provides nutritional data on thousands of foods, including brand name products and menu items from some chain restaurants, to help you make the best choices. Foods that might be harmful for people on a kidney diet are highlighted in red.”
KidneyDiet allows individuals with chronic kidney disease to monitor nutrients in their diet, in particular intake of phosphorous, potassium, protein, and fluids. KidneyDiet helps individuals follow the guidelines set by their doctors or renal dieticians. Using the app’s Daily Diary, patients can be assured that KidneyDiet will alert them when consuming too much of a particular nutrient.
To view the Yahoo! Health article, go to health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/best-health-apps. For more about KidneyDiet, visit http://www.kidneydiet.com.
About KidneyDiet (http://www.kidneydiet.com)
KidneyDiet, a product of Pain Free Living, Inc., streamlines and tracks foods eaten, helping people make healthier diet choices for their condition. KidneyDiet has received an “Editor’s Pick Listing” by AppCraver and has been featured in Davita’s Kidney Diet Tips blog. It is available in the Apple Store and Android Market.
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St. Anthony Cancer Center Opens March 5
March 05, 2012
Expert team and most advanced technologies for cancer now available on St. Anthony Medical Campus
The St. Anthony Cancer Center, using the most scientifically and technologically advanced cancer treatments available, opens March 5. St. Anthony Medical Campus in Lakewood, Colo. continues to expand its campus – comprised of St. Anthony Hospital, Ortho Colorado Hospital and two medical office plazas. The Cancer Center follows on the heels of the St. Anthony Breast Center opening and DaVita Clinical Research’s® recent announcement to operate a 35,000 square foot, hospital-based unit on the campus.
As a Commission on Cancer-accredited Comprehensive Community Cancer Program, the St. Anthony Cancer Center brings together a full team of experts including highly experienced oncology specialists and genetic counselors that office in facilities designed for patient and family comfort.
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DaVita Dietitians Go Beyond Dialysis to Improve Nutrition
March 02, 2012
March 1st marks the beginning of National Nutrition Month and National Kidney Month. This year the DaVita Dietitian team, made of over 1500 renal dietitians, is making waves by helping to improve nutrition not only for their dialysis patients, but for their teammates and local communities. The project, “Creating a Wave of Healthy Choices”, was created in recognition that preventing kidney disease begins with healthy eating. DaVita’s Nutrition Services department sees an opportunity for dietitians to make an impact by sharing their expertise with local groups to encourage healthy eating and nutritious food choices.
Click Here for more information on improving your nutrition.
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Fortune names 4 Colorado companies among world's most admired
March 02, 2012
Four Colorado companies have been named among the "world's most admired companies" by Fortune magazine -- two more than last year -- and two others are named "contenders."
Fortune describes its ranking as a “report card on corporate reputations.” The magazine scores companies based on a survey of business peers.
No Colorado companies made the top 50 of Fortune's worldwide ranking, but four appeared in the next tier of unranked businesses that scored in the top half of their respective industry.
Both Arrow and DaVita are relatively new arrivals to Colorado in terms of headquarters locations.
Arrow, which has long had a major operational presence in Colorado, moved its executive offices to Arapahoe County from New York on Nov. 15. And kidney-care company DaVita relocated its HQ to Denver from California in 2010.
Last year, only Ball and DaVita represented Colorado on the most-admired list, but Arrow Electronics was honored as a New York company.
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Guest Commentary: A magnet for workers
March 02, 2012
Last week, the Downtown Denver Partnership convened the second Rocky Mountain West Urban Leadership Symposium for conversation about innovation, leadership and city building. Jobs and the economic recovery are foremost on people's minds.
Many of the companies attending the symposium operate offices in multiple Rocky Mountain West states. Those decisions aren't made lightly. Before moving or opening an office, companies strongly consider the workforce available in a particular place. Employers will follow the workforce. For a city to remain economically competitive in the future, it must attract the millennial generation, the future workforce.
Speakers at the symposium — including Harvard University's Edward Glaeser, DaVita's Kent Thiry, and ArtPlace's Carol Coletta — emphasized that cultural and social amenities are a key piece of city building.
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How Businesses Stand Up To The Winds Of Constant Change
March 01, 2012
Savvy investors are continually searching for high-quality alternatives that promise sustainably sound income. Conversely, the most successful companies have originated and maintained constant operating platforms that provide enduring profitability and shareholder value.
By building investment portfolios around repeatability principles, an intelligent investor will gain valuable comfort and security–further enhanced by principal preservation and risk-averse investing.
In Chris Zook and James Allen’s book, Repeatability: Build Enduring Businesses for a World of Constant Change, the co-authors unveil powerful research and insight into what the authors describe as the “Great Repeatable Models.”
For full article and information regarding DaVita, Click Here.
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The Importance of the DaVita Medical Director
February 29, 2012
DaVita's Chief Medical Officer, Allen Nissenson, discusses the role and importance of the Medical Director as well as resources DaVita offers to help nephrologist deliver the highest quality of care to our dialysis patients.
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Championing secure Medicare rates
February 28, 2012
As a Dialysis Facility administrator whose teammates care for nearly 50 patients that rely on quality dialysis care due to kidney failure, I am all too familiar with the issues our patients face, both medically and financially.
The caregiving team at DaVita Clearlake Dialysis was honored to welcome U.S. Representative Mike Thompson to our facility last Thursday.
Dialysis patients and teammates had the opportunity to speak with him about quality dialysis care, insurance coverage issues important to our patients and concerns that patients in rural settings are disadvantaged due to the cost of travel and the amount of travel time involved in getting to and from dialysis.
We want to thank Representative Thompson for championing secure Medicare rates for dialysis in order to maintain a high quality of care for end stage renal disease patients and for visiting our facility to better understand kidney dialysis and hear from the patients who face challenges every day.
Jon Foutch, Facility Administrator DaVita Clearlake
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Protein: How Much Should Dialysis Patients Eat?
February 28, 2012
An adequate amount of protein is essential when you have chronic kidney disease (CKD) and are on dialysis. But how much protein should you consume? The DaVita dietitians bring you this guide that will help you determine the amount of protein you should have when you’re on a dialysis diet.
The amount of protein you need when you are on dialysis depends on your size, your nutritional status and the type of dialysis treatments you receive. Most people on dialysis need to eat at least 6 to 9 ounces of good-quality protein each day.
For a compiled list of protien provided by DaVita Dietitians, Click Here.
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CivilianJobs.com Announces the 2012 Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for Military® Finalists
February 27, 2012
CivilianJobs.com, where America's military connects with civilian careers, announced the finalists for the 2012 Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for Military today. DaVita is amongst the finalist. For the full list, Click Here.
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Health system to end Prairie Lakes dialysis lease
February 27, 2012
Prairie Lakes Healthcare System of Watertown will relinquish its position as owner and operator of the dialysis unit at the Brookings hospital, but it could be six months or more before another medical group will be able to take over the service.
As it reviewed the issue Thursday, the Brookings Health System Board of Trustees learned that there will be no quick-and-easy solution to the matter.
“I had no idea this thing was so complex,” said Councilor Mike McClemans, who sits as an ex-officio board member.
“If it were easy, we’d have it done by now,” replied another board member. “Now we need to figure the direction we want to go.”
The health system is now in talks with three other organizations interested in operating a dialysis unit here: Avera Health, Sanford Health and DaVita Dialysis Centers. (DaVita is a Fortune 500 company with more than 1,800 dialysis centers in the United States, including two in South Dakota.)
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Mardi Gras parade winners announced
February 27, 2012
Jackson Downtown Development Corporation and News/Talk 101.5FM presented the 12th annual Mardi Gras Parade on Tuesday in downtown Jackson.
The organization expressed thanks to all volunteers, the Jackson Police Department, Capt. Sammy Britt, the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, EMA and Jackson Fire Department for participating in this year’s parade, as well as each float participant.
The winners of the parade float competition are DaVita Dialysis Clinic, “Hillbilly Style,” first place; Janette Merriweather, second place; and 2012 Mardi Gras King and Queen Float, third place. Both contests were sponsored by WNWS/101.5. Trophies and plaques can be picked up at 101.5 Studio.
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Dialysis interest appreciated
February 26, 2012
As a dialysis facility administrator who cares for approximately 50 patients who rely on quality dialysis care due to kidney failure, I am all too familiar with the issues my patients face, both medically and financially.
The caregiving team at Bellevue Dialysis Center in Bellevue was honored to welcome U.S. Representative Dave Reichert's staff representative, Lincoln Vander Veen, to our facility on Feb. 14. We had the opportunity to speak with him about quality dialysis care and insurance coverage issues important to our patients.
We want to thank Lincoln for taking the time to visit our facility on behalf of Rep. Reichert to understand kidney dialysis and hear from the patients who face challenges every day.
Will Penrose, facility administrator, DaVita Bellevue Dialysis, Bellevue.
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DaVita offering nighttime dialysis
February 24, 2012
DaVita, one of the nation's leading providers of kidney dialysis, announced that PDI-Johnstown, located at 344 Budfield St. in Johnstown, continues to offer nocturnal dialysis treatments.
Nocturnal dialysis at PDI-Johnstown started in October.
For nocturnal dialysis, patients arrive at the clinic in the evening and spend the night to receive approximately six to eight hours of dialysis treatment. Nocturnal dialysis is an important new treatment because it allows patients to have their entire day free for work, school or other ongoing commitments.
Nocturnal dialysis is gentler than conventional dialysis, as it is extended over more hours per session than the usual in-center treatment.
In-center hemodialysis is generally done during the day, three days a week, for a three- to five-hour period. With nocturnal dialysis, however, patients sleep at the clinic three nights a week, while they are attached to the dialysis machine.
The slower treatment time allows for reduced flow rates, which can be helpful for patients who have complications from the blood flow and fluid removal rates of conventional hemodialysis.
Because fluid is being removed from the body at a slower rate, the likelihood of experiencing cramping or drops in blood pressure is diminished for some patients.
Clinical studies indicate the slower treatment can improve overall health.
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DaVita Teammates Donate to Blessings in a Backpack
February 24, 2012
Employees from DaVita Inc. facilities in Charlestown recently donated $7,000 to Jonathan Jennings Elementary School's Blessings in a Backpack program.
For article, Click Here.
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Valentine's Day May Be Over But These Treats Still Give the Gift of Love
February 24, 2012
How about a sweet treat for your Valentine? We’ve put together some of our favorite kidney-friendly recipes that will let your special someone know how much you adore him or her. We even have low-sugar recipes just in case your sweetheart is already sweet enough!
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NRAA Joins CMS Demonstration Pilot
February 23, 2012
The National Renal Administrators Association (NRAA) has partnered with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Phase III CROWNWeb demonstration pilot using an innovative Health Information Exchange (HIE) approach.
"This innovative pilot is very important to small and mid-sized dialysis providers, and our success with the HIE will have significant influence on how CMS pursues the national rollout of CROWNWeb," said Marc Chow, MS, NRAA executive director. "We're looking forward to working with CMS to help find a solution that assists providers in continuing to leverage health care technologies."
Six dialysis facilities using three EMR suppliers -- Health Informatics International, Clinical Computing and Satellite Health -- will submit patient specific clinical data to be inspected for quality by CMS at the conclusion of the pilot.
Three of the largest organizations in the industry -- DaVita, Fresenius, and Dialysis Clinic Inc. -- are currently able to submit the data in batches via an electronic connection with CMS. Since there is not a similar option for small and medium sized facilities, NRAA and CMS began to explore using a Health Information Exchange to better automate the data collection for these groups. When the NRAA HIE was developed, CMS decided to include this innovative submission method as part of its current Phase III national demonstration project.
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Advocacy Center receives $1,000 check from DaVita Dialysis Centers of Chicago
February 21, 2012
Representatives from DaVita Dialysis Centers presented a $1,000 check to The Children’s Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County in support of the services the Center provides to children who have experienced violence and abuse in our communities.
DaVita gives life to kidney patients every day by providing lifesaving dialysis. They are also giving approximately $1 million to help non-profit organizations grow and thrive through their DaVita Way of Giving. The employees from the Chicago area DaVita Centers selected the Children’s Advocacy Center saying, “We hope that our gift of $1,000 will help you spread the ripples of citizen leadership throughout our community, and we hope it will inspire others to make similar contributions. You do great things for our community by healing abused children.”
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Advocacy Center Receives $1,000 Check from DaVita Dialysis Centers of Chicago
February 21, 2012
Representatives from DaVita Dialysis Centers presented a $1,000 check to The Children’s Advocacy Center of North and Northwest Cook County in support of the services the Center provides to children who have experienced violence and abuse in our communities.
DaVita gives life to kidney patients every day by providing lifesaving dialysis. They are also giving approximately $1 million to help non-profit organizations grow and thrive through their DaVita Way of Giving. The employees from the Chicago area DaVita Centers selected the Children’s Advocacy Center saying, “We hope that our gift of $1,000 will help you spread the ripples of citizen leadership throughout our community, and we hope it will inspire others to make similar contributions. You do great things for our community by healing abused children.”
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DaVita has wider health care ambitions
February 21, 2012
Denver-based dialysis giant DaVita has ambitious plans to manage all of its kidney patients' health needs while also pushing into primary care for the general public, opening rich new territory but worrying patient advocates.
DaVita, with $7 billion in revenue, manages about $33,000 a year in Medicare spending for each of its 142,000 dialysis patients. But those chronically sick patients spend another $55,000 a year in Medicare money for other conditions, from diabetes to heart failure.
DaVita would like to join doctor and hospital groups who are contracting with Medicare to create "accountable care organizations," to oversee a patient's entire health care needs. If the ACOs hit quality standards while saving the government money, they can split the savings with Medicare.
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DaVita NephroLife opens kidney care center in Chennai, India
February 21, 2012
DaVita NephroLife, a partnership between dialysis provider DaVita Inc. and NephroLife Care of India has opened a new kidney care center in Kilpauk, Chennai. This new center is the third in Chennai that is operated by DaVita NephroLife.
The 21-bed center in Kilpauk will have nephrology, vascular access, and urological procedures performed in a day-care environment. It will provide hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
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DaVita NephroLife opens kidney care centre in Chennai
February 21, 2012
DaVita NephroLife, a partnership between US-based DaVita Inc and NephroLife Care (India), a leader in kidney care services in India, has further enhanced its presence in Chennai with the opening of an exclusive kidney care centre in Kilpauk, Chennai. This new centre is in addition to two other centres in Chennai at BRS Hospital, Nungambakkam and Kumaran Hospitals at Poonamallee High Road that are operated by DaVita NephroLife.
Quality kidney care has long been overdue in a city like Chennai where between 2,500 and 3,000 new cases of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) crop up every year. This centre will be playing a pivotal role in providing high-end kidney care to the patients under the guidance of renowned nephrologists.
Dennis Kogod, COO, of DaVita Inc, said, “Our focus on clinical outcomes has ensured our centres are consistently among the best in the world for patients and we are excited to bring our high quality services to the people of Chennai.”
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CMS to require dialysis centers to submit clinical data online
February 20, 2012
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this month will start requiring all 5,500 federally certified dialysis centers in the U.S. to submit facility-wide and patient-level data electronically through its CROWNweb system, CMS official John Allison said during a Monday symposium at the annual Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society conference, which takes place in Las Vegas this week.
CMS collaborated with the National Renal Administrators Association to enable dialysis centers to submit the data via the CONNECT Gateway to the Nationwide Health Information Network (NwHIN), Allison said.
The biggest dialysis chains--DaVita, Fresenius, and Dialysis Clinic Inc.--will transmit the data in batches via EDI, according to an article in Renal Business Today.
Among the data elements to be submitted are patient admission and discharge history, medical evidence report, death notification forms, patient attributes and related treatment, and clinical values for hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and vascular access.
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DaVita Donation to the Living Legacy Foundation
February 20, 2012
Teammates from the Owings Mills and Pikesville DaVita Centers took part in the DaVita Way of Giving program by presenting The Living Legacy Foundation a check.
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Looking for work?
February 20, 2012
Vince Hancock, spokesman for the Denver-based dialysis provider DaVita, said his office uses the site frequently to find new patient care technicians for some of the 50 clinics DaVita has in Minnesota.
For an employer, "there is literally no downside to it because it's a free service that we can use to expand the visibility of our open positions," Hancock said, adding that his hiring needs are likely to grow. "The circle of people on dialysis is constantly growing. So the need to find caregivers to treat those patients is always growing as well."
DaVita makes clear in its postings that it has full-time slots and offers health insurance, profit sharing and other benefits.
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DaVita 4th Quarter 2011 Results
February 16, 2012
DaVita announced results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2011. Income from continuing operations attributable to DaVita Inc. for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2011 was $149.4 million and $496.2 million, or $1.58 and $5.14 per share, respectively, which for the year ended December 31, 2011 excludes an after-tax non-cash goodwill impairment charge of approximately $14.4 million, or $0.15 per share, that was recorded in the second quarter of 2011 related to our infusion therapy business. Income from continuing operations attributable to DaVita Inc. for the year ended December 31, 2011 including this item was $481.8 million, or $4.99 per share.
Income from continuing operations attributable to DaVita Inc. for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2010 was $111.9 million and $450.8 million, or $1.13 and $4.37 per share, respectively, which excludes after-tax debt refinancing and redemption charges of $42.9 million and $45.4 million, or $0.43 per share and $0.44 per share, respectively. Income from continuing operations attributable to DaVita Inc. for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2010 including these items was $68.9 million and $405.4 million, or $0.70 per share and $3.93 per share, respectively.
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DaVita makes No. 46 on Bloomberg Businessweek’s Top 50 Performers
February 16, 2012
In January, DaVita was ranked No. 46 on this list, and is one of only three healthcare sector service providers to appear on the list. This is an example of how our collective dedication and work ethic can make a positive difference in the health of our Village to the benefit of our patients. No brag, just fact!
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DaVita Promotes Javier Rodriguez to President
February 15, 2012
DaVita announced that it has promoted Javier Rodriguez to the position of president. He previously served as DaVita’s senior vice president, a role he has occupied since 2006.
Rodriguez, 41, has been with DaVita since 1998. During his tenure, he has held several different roles. Currently, his portfolio includes Payor Relations, Information Technology, VillageHealth and the operations of more than 400 dialysis clinics. Before joining DaVita, Rodriguez worked for Baxter Healthcare Corporation in finance from 1995 to 1996. He also served as director of operations for CBS Marketing Inc. in Mexico City.
Rodriguez earned a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
"I have worked with Javier for years, and I am excited to continue the journey as peers going forward," stated Dennis Kogod, DaVita’s COO.
“This promotion is a result of the strong performance and personal growth Javier has demonstrated,” commented Kent Thiry, chairman and CEO of DaVita Inc. “Dennis and I are excited to work with Javier to help make DaVita the ‘Greatest Healthcare Community the World has Ever Seen.’”
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DaVita Village Vitality Hosts “Ask the Doctor” Luncheon
February 15, 2012
DaVita recently hosted a “Lunch ‘n Learn” to educate DaVita’s Denver-area teammates (employees) about heart health.
DaVita’s Lunch ‘n Learn was sponsored by Village Vitality TM, DaVita’s unique health and wellness program. The educational lunch featured Dr. Steven Kick, MD, MSPH, and attendees were provided with a heart-healthy lunch. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of kidney disease, which is why DaVita places high value on heart disease education. More than 31 million adults living in the United States have CKD – and most don’t know it.
During his presentation, Dr. Kick stressed the significance of individual cardiovascular health, as well as the importance of heart disease prevention. Upon registration for the Lunch ‘n Learn, DaVita teammates were encouraged to learn about their personal heart disease risk by taking the Framingham Risk Estimator assessment.
“At DaVita, we take pride in providing educational tools our teammates can use to be active participants in their health and wellness,” said Jennifer Scharff, DaVita’s director of Wellness and Communications. “In support of February being American Heart Month, we encourage our teammates to learn about heart disease and prevention.”
Tips from Dr. Steven Kick’s presentation include regularly exercising and visiting your doctor for preventative advice and screenings when you are healthy, instead of waiting until you are sick.
Village Vitality’s mission is to improve the health, well-being and satisfaction of DaVita teammates by creating and sustaining a culture of health awareness and accountability.
DaVita and Village Vitality are trademarks or registered trademarks of DaVita Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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Employee’s Heartfelt Essay Leads to $2,000 Donation to St. Mary’s Food Bank from DaVita, Inc.
February 15, 2012
When Keegan Shoening heard that DaVita Inc. was asking their employees to write an essay championing a non-profit organization to receive corporate funds for the holiday season, she took up the challenge. Keegan chose St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance as her cause and her words about the need to fight hunger in Arizona were so profound and heartwarming that management at DaVita – the leading provider of kidney care in the United States – was moved to double the amount of Arizona’s winning check to $2,000.
Keegan came the Food Bank recently and presented St. Mary’s Development Officer Christina Calio with the $2,000 check. Her act of kindness will allow the Food Bank to distribute enough meals to provide 14,000 meals to the hungry. What an incredible gift to her community.
Thank you Keegan. DaVita is Italian for “giving life” and that is just what you have done. On behalf of those in need all around Arizona, your words and work will have a ripple effect we appreciate your efforts.
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Unforgettables awards Hearts
February 15, 2012
The Unforgettables Foundation, which helps families with expenses to bury their small children who have passed away, has grown from its humble beginnings as a little volunteer organization to one financed by major corporations and benefactors, adding to the resources provided by individual donors.
On Tuesday, the Foundation chose Valentine's Day to not only thank contributors, but to recognize many families and individuals who volunteer tirelessly to make the Inland Empire a better place to work and live.
Dave Davisson, General Manager of local clinics in the DaVita Dialysis network. He thought so much of the work of The Unforgettables that at the holiday giving time he nominated TUF; four additional clinics joined him in designating employee donations to the cause.
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DaVita Announces Industry-Leading Quality Incentive Program Results
February 14, 2012
DaVita announced its 2011 End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) Quality Incentive Program (QIP) results from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
DaVita® outperformed the industry with 75 percent of the company’s clinics ranking in the top clinical performance tier, versus 71 percent for the rest of the industry.
“Helping our patients live longer and enjoy a better quality of life is our constant focus at DaVita,” said Dr. Allen R. Nissenson, DaVita’s chief medical officer. “Our QIP results demonstrate that our holistic, comprehensive care approach works."
QIP is part of Medicare’s ESRD quality incentive aimed at improving the quality of care provided to patients. It was designed in part to be the nation's first pay-for-performance quality incentive program mandated through a series of reforms passed into law in 2008. CMS describes QIP as a “first-of-its-kind program (that) provides the ESRD community with the opportunity to enhance the overall quality of care that ESRD patients receive as they battle this devastating disease.”
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DaVita is coming to Pearisburg
February 14, 2012
DaVita Inc., one of the largest kidney care companies in the U.S., will operate the clinic. Ralph Williams and Kent Roberts of Cushman & Wakefield.
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Lessons Learned by Students Visiting Dialysis Clinic
February 14, 2012
Glitter, glue, ink prints, lollipop butterflies not exactly your core curriculum for 4th grade well, actually, this goes beyond that. Tracy Dixon, teaching children to care for others.
Dixon wanted her children to learn compassion for others. Her lessons brought the students to the DaVita Dialysis Center to meet the patients.
To watch the full video, Click Here.
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DaVita Clinical Research Expands In Denver
February 13, 2012
DaVita Clinical Research announced an agreement to enter the St. Anthony Hospital campus in Lakewood, Colo. The 80-bed facility will be operational in mid 2012 and is expected to create more than 50 specialized research jobs.
“We are excited about our partnership with a hospital that has such a strong reputation with health care professionals and patients throughout Colorado,” said Kent Thiry, DaVita chairman and CEO. “We will continue our focus on high-quality research that serves the community, health care and research industries.”
The hospital-based site increases DCR’s physical capacity from 42 to 122 beds in North America. The facility will support high-risk studies and an expanded ability to support normal, healthy volunteer Phase I clinical studies. The custom-designed facility will provide DCR with the capacity needed to grow its clinical research business in existing specialty populations, including renal patients.
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DaVita to open kidney research center at St. Anthony medical campus in Lakewood
February 13, 2012
A unit of kidney dialysis giant DaVita said it will open an 80-bed research facility this year at the St. Anthony Hospital campus in Lakewood.
The DaVita Clinical Research center is expected to open in mid-2012 and create more than 50 specialized research jobs.
"We are excited about our partnership with a hospital that has such a strong reputation with health care professionals and patients throughout Colorado," said Kent Thiry, chief executive officer of Denver-based DaVita Inc. "We will continue our focus on high-quality research that serves the community, health care and research industries."
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Living With Dialysis
February 13, 2012
About a year and a half ago, J.R. Merida started feeling a little "draggy." "I thought: well, this is old age," the 83-year-old Dolan native said. He ignored it for a while, but with his grogginess persisting and his legs starting to swell, he went to the doctor.
They found that his kidneys were failing and he would have to start dialysis immediately.
"This is a death sentence," he thought to himself. "I thought I won't live over three or four months."
But once he started dialysis, he found that his worst fears were quashed.
"It really surprised me when I started on it," he said. "It made me feel better ... gave me more energy."
He had considered getting a transplant, but after testing and a very frank conversation with a surgeon, he decided to stick with dialysis. "I just accept it," he said. "That's the way it's going to be the rest of my life."
For Merida, going to dialysis is a time for him work on his crossword puzzle, read his Bible and maybe watch a DVD.
"I come three times a week, three hours at a time," he said. "And, it makes me a little bit tired, but not much. I'm still real active. I walk a lot, and I do just about anything that I want to do."
Retired from RCA as an electronic technician, he keeps active as a caretaker at Clear Creek Cemetery. If you drive by, you may see him opening or closing the gates in the mornings and evenings.
In summer he grows a large garden and sells a few tomatoes from a cart in his front yard.
"He's a practical joker," Valeta Burris said of Merida. "He just serves as an example for other people because he is so active."
She's the facility administrator at the DaVita dialysis treatment center in Bloomington.
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Dickson City Man Waiting For Kidney
February 12, 2012
At first, Chris Polk thought he was just taking a little longer than usual to get over a winter cold.
But long after his cough went away, the Dickson City man found himself dozing off on the couch after breakfast and napping after finishing a shift at hhgregg.
His skin faded from a healthy tan to an ashen gray. No amount of clothing could stop his constant shivering, and a dry, itchy rash spread down his legs.
By mid-March - three months after he began feeling sick - he began vomiting so often it was almost a waste of time to eat. When he started coughing up blood, he decided to make an appointment with a doctor.
"I thought, you know, 'I'm a healthy guy,'" he said. "I'm probably working too much and I need to get off my feet for a couple of days."
The truth, though, was much more alarming. Just hours after his doctor received the results of Chris' blood test, he was rushed to Mercy Hospital's emergency room. There, medical staff stuck needles in Chris' arm to withdraw blood - enough to fill 49 vials - to further pinpoint why his body seemed to be shutting down.
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East Main Street draws more interest
February 12, 2012
Corridor development plan that was slowed by recession gains interest.
Four years after a city and township land-use plan was made for the East Main Street corridor, interest in leasing properties is up and businesses are looking to spend money in upgrading their facilities.
And some residents hope for more shopping and dining options on the east side.
Once, there was concern the area — defined by the Eastern Edge plan from downtown to the area around Bird Road — would develop as quickly as the sprawl on North Bechtle Avenue. The recession prevented rapid development from occurring, but now there are signs of improvement.
“Actually, last year we were able to sign a lease with DaVita Dialysis, which will help us lease the rest of the spaces,” said Mike Nolan, vice president of the Gilbert Group. “We’re seeing increased activity from national tenants and mom-and-pop stores.”
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Announcing Tour DaVita 2012: Iowa!
February 10, 2012
Mark your calendars for September 15-19 – we’ll be bringing the Spirit of the Ride to Iowa!
That’s right, Tour DaVita is heading back to the great Midwest! Additional details (including the date registration will open) will be announced in the coming weeks; be sure to follow us here on the Tour DaVita blog, Facebook and Twitter as details unfold.
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DaVita Dialysis Donates
February 10, 2012
We love visits like this. Wednesday morning, Dana Camacho and Gina Safford from DaVita dialysis center in Boise, came by with a $1,000 check, enough to provide 3,000 meals.
Gina, the regional marketing director for the international company, explained that DaVita will donate $1.5 million this year to nonprofits selected by each dialysis center.
Employees from the Boise center have both volunteered at the Foodbank and collected food. Now they have voted to make their donation here.
Dana and Gina, you and everyone at DaVita have our sincere thanks. We hope to see you and your colleagues here again soon.
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Hornborg Duo Set to Attack Florida Winter Tour
February 10, 2012
After competing at the recent Florida Karting Championship Series (FKCS) event at the Homestead Karting Complex, the Hornborg duo of Alex and Mikey are set to head back south for rounds three and four of the Florida Winter Tour (FWT). Taking place on the grounds of the famed Homestead Miami Speedway, Alex is set to do battle in a stout field of Rotax Junior pilots while Mikey will battle with some of North America's best in Rotax Mini Max.
Both Alex and Mikey will be working on and off the track at the Florida Winter Tour. While both drivers work hard to qualify well on Friday afternoon and garner great results throughout the weekend, they will also be working off the track collecting donations for The Kidney Trust. Looking to help raise funds and make people more aware of the dangers of kidney disease, the Hornborg family would like everyone to know that even the smallest donation will go towards finding a cure.
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Volunteers Give Patients A lift
February 10, 2012
Since 1993, a dedicated group of volunteers from across the Maryville area has been driving cancer patients to St. Joseph for essential chemotherapy and radiation treatments.
The free rides are organized under the Road to Recovery program, an American Cancer Society effort that provides a vital link between patients and medical procedures necessary to fight life-threatening illnesses.
In the Maryville area, more than 20 volunteers give their time to transport patients to St. Joseph and sometimes Kansas City.
They drive their own vehicles and can be reimbursed for gasoline. But according to program coordinator Della Rhoades, most refuse to take any money.
The program is crucial for many patients who are often unable to drive themselves to and from the energy-draining treatments needed to fight many forms of cancer.
"Many of the people wouldn't be able to do their treatment without the help," Rhoades said. "This takes the travel aspect out of their list of worries."
Rhoades, a retired registered nurse, has been involved with Road to Recovery for 19 years. She shares coordinating duties with Norma Clark, who runs the program during the summer.
The program was founded during the 1970's in Massachusetts, and Rhoades said the Maryville effort was one of the first established in the Midwest.
All drivers receive training on how to care for the people they are transporting and also take a refresher course on safe driving and vehicle maintenance. In addition, they must pass a driving history check and have full-coverage insurance.
Eligible patients must be able to walk to and from the vehicle, though once at the hospital medical staffers are generally available to assist them.
Brian Watts, community manager of health initiatives with the American Cancer Society, said the program began after a study determined some patients were having difficulty getting to their treatments.
"It started out of a need for people to get treatment who did not have the means to get there," Watts said. "We've discovered that getting to treatment is one of the biggest difficulties people have. This means a lot to them."
Other transport options include the local OATS bus, which has also been used by dialysis patients forced to travel to St. Joseph for treatment since the closure of a Maryville dialysis clinic six years ago.
For some of these patients, OATS is an imperfect solution since it only makes the trip on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Since the bus stops in a number of communities, travel to and from treatment can end up taking most of a day.
Vince Hancock of DaVita, which operates more than 1,700 dialysis centers nationwide, said the company works to coordinate travel for its patients, who must undergo hours of treatment several times a week.
But there is currently no program for dialysis patients offering a level of service similar to Road to Recovery.
"Our goal is to work with patients to ensure that they can get to their treatments," said Hancock, who added that in-home treatment is an option for some.
Anyone interested in becoming a Road to Recovery driver can call Rhoades at (660) 582-3967. OATS bus information is available at (660) 562-2457.
For full article, Click Here.
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DaVita boosts Caring for Life
February 09, 2012
DaVita, Inc. announced that its Warren clinic has contributed $2,000 to Warren County charity "Caring for Life."
On Feb. 2, teammates from the company's Warren clinic presented Caring for Life with a $2,000 check as part of the "DaVita Way of Giving," the company's local charitable giving initiative, which distributed nearly $1 million to help non-profit organizations throughout the United States grow and thrive.
Caring for Life is a local charity whose mission is to help Warren County families who have a child with a serious illness by providing care packages, medical expense reimbursement and emotional support.
"At DaVita Warren dialysis we decided to support Caring for Life because they serve the most vulnerable among us in a time of terrible crisis," said Shelly Wilson, DaVita facility administrator. "We love our patients at DaVita, and we see the same kind of love in the incredible care that Caring for Life provides to sick children and their families."
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DaVita Clinics Give $8,000 to Bay Area Turning Point
February 09, 2012
On Feb. 2, DaVita representatives presented Bay Area Turning Point with an $8,000 check as part of the “DaVita Way of Giving,” the company’s local charitable giving initiative, which distributed nearly $1 million to help non-profit organizations throughout the United States grow and thrive.
Bay Area Turning Point, Inc. provides recovery solutions services for survivors of family violence and sexual assault and facilitates violence prevention strategies for societal change in partnership with the community.
“At DaVita, we care about our patients, we care about each other, and we care about our communities,” said DaVita Pearland Facility Administrator James Briones. “That's why we're so proud to support Bay Area Turning Point. They change and save lives every day."
DaVita, a leading provider of kidney care services committed to improving the quality of life for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), is dedicated to spreading ripples of citizen leadership through its Trilogy of Care—caring for its patients, caring for each other and caring for the world.
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How to Be a Better Boss? Spend Time on the Front Lines
February 09, 2012
Carolyn Kibler moved up at DaVita Inc., the nation's No. 2 dialysis-treatment operator, after she toiled alongside dialysis technicians for three days in 2007 as part of its Reality 101 immersion program. Now an operational vice president, she oversees twice as many divisions and staffers as five years ago.
DaVita is among the handful of firms that require key officials to do front-line stints so they can stay in closer touch with their troops. Under an expanded version of Reality 101 launched this month (Feb.), middle managers and executives must also shadow employees in other roles such as dietitian and social worker for at least one day a year.
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Dialysis rivals target suburban expansions
February 08, 2012
Competing dialysis providers DaVita Inc. and a subsidiary of Fresenius Medical Care A.G. want to continue their push into Chicago’s suburbs. Denver-based DaVita recently filed applications with the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board to add six stations to a 14-station clinic it operates in northwest suburban Schaumburg and replace an 18-station facility at 1715 Central St. in Evanston with a 20-station clinic about 2.4 miles to the south, at 1922 Dempster St. DaVita, which proposes to spend $3.9 million on both projects, said the Schaumburg clinic is at maximum capacity, while the current Evanston location on Central is in need of substantial renovation and only offers four parking spots.
Fresenius, with U.S. headquarters in Waltham, Mass., has asked for permission to spend $3.5 million to scale back a 32-station clinic in southwest suburban Crestwood and open a new, 12-station facility 4½ miles away in Oak Forest. “We believe this proposal to realign our services to meet our patients’ needs in the southwest suburban region is very consistent with the board’s rules,” a spokesman for Fresenius said in an emailed statement.
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Blue Star Mothers receive donation
February 07, 2012
The Houston Area chapter of Blue Star Mothers of America (BSMA) received a sizable donation at their monthly meeting Jan. 24 at the American Legion Hall in Humble.
Two representatives of DaVita, a leading provider of dialysis services in the U.S., took the podium to present a $3,000 check to BSMA co-presidents Karen McSpadden and Rachel Morales.
The contribution will help BSMA continue providing love and support to the country’s troops. BSMA relies solely on private donations and volunteers to operate. Its members meet on a regular basis to assemble and mail “care packages” to active service personnel around the world. BSMA attempts to keep track of all the birthdays of active service personnel and send them birthday cards.
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DaVita Dialysis Group Donates
February 06, 2012
Today, representatives of the Davita Dialysis Group's Hartford area facilities stopped by with a donation of $2,000 and 160 pounds of food that their employees had collected. As Cheryl Craven explained to me, many of their patients rely on the food pantry at St. Francis Hospital and they knew that the pantry relies on Foodshare for most of its food, so they decided to direct their charitable efforts to Foodshare.
After the check presentation, with (l-r) Lynn Decker, Jean Carosella, Cheryl Craven, and me, I has happy to give them a tour of Foodshare's distribution facility so they could see just how much difference their gift would make!
Thank you everyone at DaVita!
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DaVita donates to Blessed Bottoms to Collect Diapers
February 06, 2012
The charity was started by a FishHawk Ranch mom intent on collecting diapers for moms too poor to purchase them for their babies.
Unlike formula and baby food, the cost of diapers aren't covered by Food Stamps and WIC, a program that provides federal grants to states for supplemental foods for low-income pregnant and postpartum women as well as their infants and children up to age 5.
Blessed Bottoms recently received a $1,000 donation from the DaVita Dialysis Center.
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DaVita joins MSEP
February 06, 2012
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New Reserach Center in Lakewood, Colorado
February 06, 2012
New DaVita research center located at St. Anthony's hospital is the focus and will bring 58 new jobs. For video, Click Here.
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DaVita acquires Sterling dialysis center
February 03, 2012
The dialysis center in Sterling is under new ownership. On Feb. 1, DaVita, a leading provider of kidney care, acquired the center from Banner Health.
After a careful analysis of Sterling Regional MedCenter's (SRM) scope of services, a business decision was made to actively pursue a company with specific expertise in the delivery of dialysis services in order to continue to provide this service to the patients in our region.
"We are very excited for this opportunity to partner with a nationally recognized dialysis provider," said Michelle Joy, CEO at Sterling Regional MedCenter. "DaVita's strength and expertise in dialysis treatment will further enhance the excellent patient care currently being provided to our patients. Patients will continue to see the same physicians, nurses, and techs as many will continue to work in the dialysis center with DaVita."
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Planning commission OKs site for Dialysis center in Hartsville
February 03, 2012
The Hartsville Planning Commission approved a proposed site plan for a new kidney dialysis center at its monthly meeting Tuesday.
Hartsville Dialysis Center will be built on South Fourth Street on a parcel of property next to the former Blockbuster Video building. Palestra Real Estate Partners Inc., which acquired the 0.97-acre tract, plans to build the new facility on the north side of the old Blockbuster building.
The property is located in what is designated by the city as a planned unit development and is zoned for such use. The planned development zoning district allows greater flexibility for building setbacks. Most of the standards for planned development districts are consistent with the city’s requirements for B3 or business zoning.
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The Leaf-Chronicle salutes those who are making our community and our world a better place in which to live.
February 03, 2012
Cheers to DaVita Clarksville and DaVita Clarksville North, which presented the Salvation Army with a $2,000 check as part of the company’s local charitable giving initiative, which distributed nearly $1 million to help non-profit organizations throughout the United States.
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DaVita Promotes Super Bowl XLVI Finger Foods for the Kidney Diet
February 02, 2012
DaVita offers kidney patients a chance to enjoy delicious Super Bowl® Sunday treats with kidney-friendly recipes. Recipes are available online on DaVita’s special occasion diet and nutrition page.
While celebrations and party food temptations can be difficult for anyone following a special diet, they pose an even greater challenge for those with CKD. CKD patients must modify their protein, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and fluid intake, which can be complicated to monitor during snack-filled events such as Super Bowl parties.
“Super Bowl Sunday is very much about the food,” said DaVita Dietitian Sara Colman. “These Super Bowl recipes are designed to meet the unique dietary and nutritional needs of CKD patients and are tasty enough for everyone to enjoy.”
DaVita® offers kidney patients recipes that are protein-modified, low-phosphorus, low-potassium and low-sodium. Kidney-friendly football favorites include Hot Crab Dip; Pineapple, Pork and Pepper Pizza; Artichoke Relish on Pita Bread; and Honey-Maple Snack Mix.
To wash down those tasty snacks, DaVita dietitians recommend kidney-friendly beverages such as 7UP®, Sprite®, ginger ale or Barq’s® root beer. Coffee and tea are also good choices. Avoid beer, however, as it is high in phosphorus.
For a full list of Super Bowl recipes and other kidney-friendly options, visit DaVita’s Super Bowl XLVI’s recipes page on DaVita.com.
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Kidney Friendly Recipes
February 02, 2012
Now you can enjoy Chinese restaurant-style dinner at home thanks to DaVita dietitian Trisha and her kidney-friendly version of Broccoli and Beef Stir-Fry.
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Bloomberg Businessweek's Ranking of Top-Performing Companies
February 01, 2012
DaVita ranked 46th out of 50 in Bloomberg Businessweek’s ranking of Top-Performing Companies. Click Here for ranking information.
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Little Wish receives $2,000 donation from DaVita Dialysis
February 01, 2012
The Little Wish Foundation, a Michigan City organization that grants about 10 wishes a month to patients at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, received a $2,000 charitable donation on behalf of DaVita Dialysis, a nationwide organization centered on treating kidney failures.
According to Sharon White, facility administrator for the Michigan City DaVita location, when corporate leaders for the company said they were planning on donating to a charity, Little Wish seemed a perfect suggestion.
“I think what Little Wish does is wonderful,” White said, noting it was the idea of Holly Ganschow, a patient care technician, to suggest the local foundation.
“We volunteered for the hog roast (an event with proceeds donated to Little Wish), so we knew what the Little Wish does and thought it would be a good idea,” Ganschow said.
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Paladina Health Opens Innovative Primary Care Clinic in Tacoma
February 01, 2012
Paladina Health, LLC., a direct primary care health services management company, today announced the opening of its affiliated Tacoma clinic at 1250 Pacific Avenue in Tacoma. The clinic is the first of a network of clinics the company plans to build throughout Puget Sound.
“The recent acquisition of ModernMed and the opening of our Tacoma clinic have us well on our way to achieving that vision.”
Paladina Health’sTM innovative model of care is built to deliver a concierge-like service experience, improve patients’ health and reduce the total cost of healthcare for both employers and individuals. This is achieved by:
The Paladina Health clinic offers a new and different benefit option for employers in the Puget Sound area – one that helps employees stay healthy, reduces costs and increases productivity. Moreover, employers can subscribe to the Tacoma clinic or work with Paladina Health to develop a new clinic within or near their work site.
The clinic is also available to individuals who want to purchase a membership directly.
“Patients have the right to expect more from their health care experience,” said Dr. David Cameron, a physician at Paladina Health. “At our Tacoma clinic, patients will receive more personalized care, more comprehensive visits and easier access to their care team.”
Paladina Health recently announced the acquisition of Wisconsin-based ModernMed®, bringing the company’s direct primary care model to 26 physician practices and clinics. Eight to ten more clinics are planned for the Puget Sound area over the next few years.
“Our vision at Paladina Health is to change the way health care is provided in the U.S.,” said Misha Palecek, president of Paladina Health. “The recent acquisition of ModernMed and the opening of our Tacoma clinic have us well on our way to achieving that vision.”
Paladina Health and the Paladina Health logo are trademarks of Paladina Health, LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
About Paladina Health
Paladina Health’s mission is to provide unbiased advocacy for patients and employers in their quest to improve access to high-quality, affordable healthcare. Paladina Health strives to redefine employer-provided healthcare in the United States. More information is available at www.PaladinaHealth.com.
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DaVita will open primary care clinic
January 31, 2012
Downtown Tacoma’s largest employer will open a new business prototype this week on Pacific Avenue.
Kidney dialysis leader DaVita Inc. will open its first primary care clinic Wednesday. Denver-based DaVita is expanding into primary care through its subsidiary, Paladina Health.
The Tacoma clinic at 1250 Pacific Ave., which will open a month ahead of schedule, is Paladina’s first. The company also is growing through acquisitions, evidenced by its purchase earlier this month of Modern Med, a Wisconsin-based clinic group.
“We had a lot of hard work and a little extra money” to finish early in Tacoma, Rebecca Steinfort, a DaVita vice president, said Monday. “We’re ready to try it out.”
Paladina is the second clinic in Tacoma to offer primary care without involving insurance companies. Qliance, a Seattle-based company, opened a clinic last fall at 2420 S. Union Ave., near Allenmore Hospital.
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$8K donation made for Three Square Food Bank
January 30, 2012
DaVita is presenting an $8,000 check to Three Square Food Bank Monday.
The donation will take place at 10 a.m. at Three Square Food Bank near Pecos and Craig roads.
The check presentation is part of DaVita Inc's nationwide initiative to give one million dollars to local charities.
Each recipient is selected by local teammates rather than company executives.
DaVita Inc. is a Fortune 500 company which is a leading provider of kidney care in the United States.
Three Square is Southern Nevada's only food bank which provides assistance for Clark, Lincoln, Nye and Esmeralda County.
The food bank provides more than 22 million pounds of groceries and meals for people in need every year.
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County nursing home inks lease with dialysis provider
January 30, 2012
Commissioners have agreed to lease space at the Ashtabula County Nursing and Rehabilitation Center to Total Renal Care, a DaVita dialysis service.
The board voted last week to approve the 96-month lease. County Administrator Janet Discher said the lease is for 2,300 square feet at the entrance area of the Kingsville Township nursing home that is owned by the county and managed by Generations Healthcare Management.
Discher said the space was previously used as a daycare that was opened to serve the young children of nursing home employees. In practice, however, few employees used the amenity.
Although the daycare usually ran at capacity, it was not producing revenue for the nursing home. When the lease ran out in 2011, commissioners decided to end the arrangement.
Commissioners have been meeting with Total Care for about a year to discuss leasing the space.
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Denver's Springtime Marathon Announces a Run Through Mile High Stadium
January 30, 2012
Epic stadium run-through - seven miles of water on the urban marathon course - and a new 10 mile race. The Kaiser Permanente Colfax Marathon, Half Marathon & Marathon Relay is Denver's springtime marathon and has lots of new features for 2012. Get ready for the ultimate urban tour of Denver, Aurora and Lakewood on Sunday, May 20, 2012.
Highlights for 2012 event:
The 7th edition - a Boston Marathon qualifier - begins and ends in Denver's City Park. The Urban 10 Miler course starts at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, follows the final miles of the marathon course, including a run through Mile High Stadium and ends in City Park.
"Every year, we strive to keep the marathon course fun," said Race Director Creigh Kelley. "This marathon course doesn't just stay on Colfax. It's truly an urban course, taking runners through the streets of our city, and giving them access to great landmarks like Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium."
The race welcomes local charities to participate in the DaVita Charity Partners program, where nonprofits recruit runners to raise funds for their cause. In 2011, 73 charities participated, making the Kaiser Permanente Colfax Marathon the fourth largest charity program in the country.
"Our race mission is to encourage a healthy and fit community, and provide a distance for everyone," said Andrea Dowdy, Executive Director of the race for the third year. "In our seven years, we've seen a lot of great changes along the Colfax corridor, and we want the course to reflect that vibrant, caring community spirit."
"The Kaiser Permanente Colfax Marathon supports our mission to improve the health of the communities we serve. We are thrilled to be the title sponsor of this great event again this year and we want to encourage folks to take part in the fun," said Jandel Allen-Davis, MD, Kaiser Permanente Vice President of Government and External Relations.
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Eco-devo panel OKs incentives for DaVita research center in Lakewood
January 30, 2012
Colorado Economic Development Commission (EDC) members voted Monday to approve nearly $120,000 in incentives for DaVita Inc. to build a research facility in Lakewood for which it plans to hire 58 employees.
The vote follows the dialysis center operator’s confirmation last week that it has chosen the St. Anthony Hospital campus as the location for its second U.S. research center.
The center, which will go in one of two medical office plazas under construction on the campus, is expected to employ high-paying executives and medical professionals.
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Mayor unveils economic plan designed to make Denver a "world-class city"
January 30, 2012
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock today unveiled a one-year strategic economic development plan designed to "create world-class opportunities" for Denver's businesses, residents and neighborhoods.
The plan, called "JumpStart 2012," "clearly outlines major steps the Denver Office of Economic Development will make to build business development, lending and investment in our community, and talent development for a world-class workforce," the mayor said in a message introducing the report.
Hancock has identified economic development as a top priority for the city since his first day in office, he said in the message.
"It's critical for us to have a laser-sharp focus on building Denver's business climate, to advance economic prosperity for the city of Denver, its businesses, neighborhoods and residents," said Hancock.
Paul Washington , executive director of the Denver Office of Economic Development, said in the report that OED will undertake seven strategic initiatives under the one-year JumpStart 2012 plan.
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DaVita donates $2,000 to Salvation Army
January 29, 2012
On Jan. 20, DaVita Clarksville and DaVita Clarksville North presented the Salvation Army with a $2,000 check as part of the company’s local charitable giving initiative, which distributed nearly $1 million to help non-profit organizations throughout the United States grow and thrive.
The Salvation Army is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization known for its thrift stores and charity work. The Salvation Army of Clarksville provides emergency shelter and food assistance at its center on Kraft Street.
The DaVita facilities chose to donate to the Salvation Army because of its long history of dedicated service to helping those in the Clarksville community by addressing both physical and spiritual needs.
“DaVita Clarksville and DaVita Clarksville North are proud to live our mission and values by giving back to the community,” said Carol McAdoo, DaVita facility administrator. “The Salvation Army contributes so much good to the Clarksville area and we’re proud to partner with such a deserving organization.”
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DaVita readies new research center in Lakewood, plans to increase staff
January 27, 2012
DaVita Inc. will open a research center on the St. Anthony Central Hospital campus in Lakewood later this year and expects to hire 58 executive and medical professionals for it, company officials said.
The Denver-based kidney dialysis center operator (NYSE: DVA) announced in November that it planned to bring about 200 jobs to the Denver metro area by opening a new call center and research center here, but didn’t specify locations.
The research center, scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2012, will be located in one of the two new medical office plazas that St. Anthony is building.
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"DaVita Way of Giving"
January 26, 2012
DaVita Way Of Giving: Nikki Odlivak, president and CEO of CASC, second from right, accepted the "DaVita Way of Giving" donation from the Richmond Kidney Center at the CASC Offices, St. George. From left: Philip Varughese, facility administrator, Richmond Kidney Center; Marianne Bury, social worker, Richmond Kidney Center; Ms. Odlivak, and Paula Todman, social worker, Richmond Kidney Center.
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City prevailed despite tough 2011, mayor says
January 26, 2012
It was quite bumpy, but according to Mayor David Gillock, North Ridgeville was able to pull through 2011, thanks to union concessions and keeping close tabs on finances after losses in state funding and other road blocks.
Gillock gave his ninth State of the City Address Jan. 19 at the North Ridgeville Chamber of Commerce-sponsored event. He said 2011 was tough, as it began with union contract negotiations and reductions in local government funding.
2011 Highlights
In his address, the mayor mentioned several other 2011 projects that were successful, as well as projects anticipated for 2012. They included:
- DaVita Dialysis opened two locations in North Ridgeville; a large solar panel installation at Lake Ridge Academy.
- The Quasar Project broke ground at French Creek Waste Water Treatment Plant, which will ultimately generate power by capturing methane, and which may one day fuel city vehicles.
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DaVita donates to T.J. and Friends
January 26, 2012
DaVita Washington Dialysis presents a $2,000 check to T.J. and Friends Foundation. On hand for the presentation were (l-r) Dr. B.N. Kuppuswamy, DaVita medical director; William Johnson, T.J. and Friends board member; Darren Scarborough, T.J. and Friends board member; Blake Thompson, T.J.
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Unite Way Campaign Has Reached 79% of Goal
January 26, 2012
The United Way campaign for 2011-2012 has reached 79 percent of the $500,000 goal.
Pat DeMonte, executive director of the Tiffin-Seneca United Way, said that while the figure is slightly below last year at this time, she is not discouraged.
"I think the economy has certainly played a part in the slower response, but we hope we have been able to reach as many people as possible," she said. "The community once again has been generous in their efforts, and we were pleased to be able to get into some new companies this year where we could talk to their employees, and have gotten some surprise donations from companies who have never given this year."
DeMonte said this year's contributions from some corporations and employees have been up, and eight divisions already have given above goals set by the campaign, with many others nearing completion.
DeMonte said she expects donations from some local and out-of-county foundations to be coming in soon. In addition, DaVita Dialysis Clinics - which include Wauseon Dialysis, Toledo Dialysis, Seneca Dialysis, Sandusky Dialysis, Point Place Dialysis and Northwood Dialysis - are to present the organization $7,000 Friday morning.
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DaVita acquires controlling interest in Bangalore company
January 25, 2012
Denver-based DaVita said today that it has acquired controlling interest in NephroLife, a Bangalore-based kidney care company.
DaVita had previously held a minority investment in NephroLife. Financial terms weren't disclosed.
"DaVita NephroLife is a strong cultural fit with DaVita," said DaVita chief executive Kent Thiry. "While it will take time for this venture to realize returns, this is a logical, long-term opportunity."
NephroLife operates nine clinics in India, offering a range of nephrology care including dialysis and vascular surgery.
"India represents a positive, long-term opportunity with transformational growth in the health care arena," said Atul Mathur, DaVita's president for the Asia-Pacific region.
The Bangalore business will now be called DaVita NephroLife.
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DaVita acquires controlling stake in India’s NephroLife as overseas push continues
January 25, 2012
DaVita Inc. said Wednesday it has acquired a controlling interest in NephroLife, a kidney care company based in Bangalore, India.
It’s part of a continuing push by the Denver-based kidney-care company to expand its global reach through overseas acquisitions.
DaVita previously held a minority stake in NephroLife, which operates nine clinics in India. The business will now be called DaVita NephroLife.
“DaVita NephroLife is a strong cultural fit with DaVita,” Kent Thiry, DaVita’s chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “While it will take time for this venture to realize returns, this is a logical, long-term opportunity.”
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DaVita Acquires Majority Stake in NephroLife India
January 25, 2012
DaVita announced it has acquired controlling interest in NephroLife, a leading Bangalore-based kidney care company. DaVita® had previously announced making a minority investment in the company. Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“DaVita NephroLife is a strong cultural fit with DaVita,” said DaVita Chairman and CEO Kent Thiry. “While it will take time for this venture to realize returns, this is a logical, long-term opportunity.”
“This is a unique opportunity in a region where DaVita has focused its attention,” said Dennis Kogod, DaVita Chief Operating Officer. “We will continue that focus in India and other areas in the Asia-Pacific region.”
NephroLife currently operates nine clinics in India, offering a range of nephrology care including dialysis and vascular surgery.
“India represents a positive, long-term opportunity with transformational growth in the health care arena,” said Atul Mathur, DaVita’s president for the Asia-Pacific region.
As a leading provider of kidney care services in the United States, DaVita has achieved clinical outcomes that have improved year-over-year for more than a decade and will share that expertise through its active management of the company.
“Our vision is to become a role model for health care,” said DaVita NephroLife’s Managing Director Shriram Vijayakumar. “Our innovative, integrated care has strong economic value for society.”
DaVita is currently providing dialysis services in the Asia-Pacific region in Singapore and has an agreement to develop and operate dialysis clinics in Malaysia.
Bridge of Life - DaVita Medical Missions™, a nonprofit organization founded by DaVita, has been conducting missions in rural India since 2008. The focus has been opening dialysis clinics in Phalodi and Jodhpur, updating the clinic’s water purification systems, and providing extensive training for over one hundred kidney care professionals.
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DaVita HQ Update #5
January 25, 2012
The DaVita Headquarters building is beginning to make its full presence in the area. The crane has been taken down, the facade is climbing up the building day by day, and you can begin to see the real shape of this building (not to mention a nice slanted roof).
Looking directly at the front of the project from 16th Street, you can see the nice seamless glass wall, matching its neighbor building as well as some other buildings in the area. On the other side, facing 16th Street directly, it looks like there will be a complete wall of glass as the facade. Neat!
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Emergency preparation for dialysis patients
January 25, 2012
In case of inclement weather, there are steps kidney patients can take to maintain their health.
How can dialysis patients prepare for an emergency?
Specific to inclement weather, one of the highlights of [a] plan is a shopping list of renal-friendly foods that can be purchased ahead of time and kept on hand. This diet is reviewed with [our] patients prior to any forecasted emergency as well as routinely throughout the year. Patients are instructed to monitor and restrict their fluid intake during this time. Patients are also encouraged to create an emergency kit, which includes phone numbers for doctors and their dialysis center, three days' worth of medications with a list of the dosage amounts, access to clean water, food, can opener, first-aid supplies, battery-operated flashlight and radio, and, if diabetic, a week's worth of necessary supplies. Dialysis patients should register with their local county emergency management agency. A weather-alert radio is always a good idea too.
For more information on being prepared, Click Here.
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DaVita Way of Giving: Local Clinics Give $1,000,000 to Charities
January 24, 2012
DaVita announced today that DaVita Way of Giving, an unusual locally-focused charitable giving initiative, will result in over $1,000,000 in donations to non-profit organizations across the country.
While many companies make charitable contributions to national non-profit organizations, the DaVita Way of Giving is unusual in that company leaders empowered clinics across DaVitas® 43-state footprint to select the locally-focused charity of their choice for a company contribution.
Nearly 600 clinics participated in the DaVita Way of Giving, and more than 600 charities throughout the U.S. will receive contributions. In some cases teammates in an individual clinic selected the local charity that would receive a $1,000 contribution. In others, numerous clinics in a particular community joined together to select a beneficiary that would receive a larger contribution.
DaVita is a community first and a company second. Thats why we call it the DaVita Village, said Kent Thiry, DaVita CEO and chairman. We wanted to empower everyone in the Village especially our caregivers in the clinics to make a difference through DaVita giving.
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DaVita Way of Giving: Local Clinics Give $1,000,000 to Charities
January 24, 2012
DaVita announced today that “DaVita Way of Giving,” an unusual locally-focused charitable giving initiative, will result in over $1,000,000 in donations to non-profit organizations across the country.
While many companies make charitable contributions to national non-profit organizations, the DaVita Way of Giving is unusual in that company leaders empowered clinics across DaVita’ s 43-state footprint to select the locally-focused charity of their choice for a company contribution.
Nearly 600 clinics participated in the DaVita Way of Giving, and more than 600 charities throughout the U.S. will receive contributions. In some cases teammates in an individual clinic selected the local charity that would receive a $1,000 contribution. In others, numerous clinics in a particular community joined together to select a beneficiary that would receive a larger contribution.
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Study Sheds Light on What Many Kidney Failure Patients Stomach
January 24, 2012
This study is appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). The findings indicate that greater efforts are needed to prevent and treat upper GI bleeding in these patients.
Poor kidney function puts people at risk for upper GI bleeding, which occurs in the esophagus, stomach, or first part of the intestine. Kidney failure patients on dialysis are particularly prone to developing the condition, which can lead to serious complications.
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The FAIR Foundation Sponsors an Online Poll to Determine If Citizens Would Accept $50,000 to be an Organ Donor
January 24, 2012
he FAIR Foundation, a national non-profit organization working to reverse America’s organ donor crisis, is sponsoring an online poll to determine if citizens, as a living donor or a deceased donor family, would accept $50,000 to be an organ donor.
FAIR’s President and CEO, Dr. Richard Darling states, “Our country is experiencing an organ-donor crisis. What crisis? A transplant patient dies, on average, every 58 minutes waiting of the ‘Gift of Life’ because our government relies primarily on just one organ-donor policy—altruism.”
Statistics from the federally mandated non-profit that oversees organ transplant in the USA, UNOS, and the United States Renal Database show there are almost 113,000 patients on the waiting list today and another 317,000 patients are undergoing difficult 3-hour kidney dialysis treatments three times a week but they are not even on the transplant list yet.
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DaVita Appoints Christopher Riopelle as Senior Vice President
January 23, 2012
DaVita announced the appointment of Christopher Riopelle as Senior Vice President of Operations. Riopelle is returning to DaVita® after working in the private healthcare sector for the past three years. Previously, Riopelle was a DaVita teammate for eight years, engaging in a variety of roles. He will report to Chief Operating Officer Dennis Kogod and Chief Executive Officer Kent Thiry.
“The DaVita mission, vision and values are deeply important to me and there was no other opportunity that offered as much personal and professional fulfillment as working with my DaVita teammates,” said Riopelle. “I can't describe how energized I am to get re-engaged with the DaVita Village and our great headquarter city of Denver.”
Riopelle rejoins DaVita with nearly 20 years of experience in the health care industry. He most recently served La Vie Care Centers, a private equity owned skilled nursing company, as Chief Operating Officer – a role requiring oversight of approximately $1.0 billion in annual revenue and 19,000 employees. In that role, Riopelle helped lead a team that engineered a financial, operational and cultural turnarounds leading to the successful sale of the company last month.
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Davita steps in when kidneys fail
January 23, 2012
The kidneys are a remarkable machine. Not only do these fist-sized organs filter impurities from the blood, since most people are born with two of them, they’ve got built-in redundancy. If one goes haywire, there’s another one to take over.
But when both cease to function – and according to WebMD they can work at only 10 percent capacity before negative symptoms present themselves – the body becomes poisoned.
For those people who face complete kidney failure, there is really only one choice; they must rely on kidney dialysis.
Josine Petrini, a nurse at the DaVita Dialysis unit in Tyler Memorial Hospital, explained that dialysis involves hooking an artificial kidney up to the patient through a “fistula.”
A fistula is a surgically-created connection between a vein and an artery. With the fistula in place, blood can be drawn, processed through the artificial kidney, and then returned to the same basic location.
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New Test To Detect Kidney Disease in Diabetes - 10 Years Earlier
January 21, 2012
Today I ran across a Joslin Diabetes Center study about diabetes and early detection of kidney disease. The study results are of particular interest to me for several reasons. I’ve worked with so many people with diabetes, diagnosed with kidney disease and they didn’t even know they were at risk before ending up near or on dialysis. Secondly, while working in a DaVita dialysis center I was involved in a research study called the Nutrition and Inflammatory Evaluation of Dialysis Patients (NIED) Study that has provided extremely useful data about the connection between chronic inflammation and kidney disease. Third, diabetes is one of the chronic diseases in my own family so being as healthy as possible is an important personal goal.
The Joslin study researchers identified two protein receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptor 1 and 2 (TNFR1 and TNFR2) that are elevated in people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The presence of these markers in the bloodstream can predict your risk of kidney function loss as much as 10 years in advance. That’s huge considering many people are unaware they have kidney problems until they are in the later stages of chronic kidney disease.
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DaVita Opens in Hamden
January 20, 2012
On Tuesday, January 10, DaVita Hamden Dialysis, located at 2000 Dixwell Avenue, held its Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. DaVita Inc., a FORTUNE 500® company, is a leading provider of kidney care in the United States, delivering dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita — which is Italian for “giving life” — strives to improve patients’ quality of life by innovating clinical care, and by offering integrated treatment plans, personalized care teams, and convenient health-management services. DaVita’s Community Care is comprised of four essential components: 1) Building a Community, 2) Building the Greatest Kidney Care Company the World has Ever Seen, 3) Being a Role Model for American Health Care, and 4) Sending Forth Ripples of Citizen Leadership. For more information, please visit www.davita.com or call 800.424.6589.
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Wayside Christian Mission Receives $5,000 from DaVita Way of Giving
January 20, 2012
Workers from two Louisville DaVita dialysis facilities presented Wayside Christian Mission with a check for $5,000 Friday.
It's part of the company program called DaVita Way of Giving. The group chose Wayside because of the work it does for the community.
Magen White of DaVita Dialysis explains, "Wayside is probably the biggest organization in our area that provides care for homeless and those in need. A lot of people come here and the only meal they get, get warm, or a place to sleep at night."
DaVita workers also volunteered their time to serve lunch at the shelter.
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Clinic gives big check to Blessings in a Backpack
January 19, 2012
Blessings came in the form of backpacks and big checks in Clark County Thursday.
Davita Dialysis donated a check in the amount of $7 thousand to Blessings in a Backpack at Jonathon Jennings Elementary School.
Each clinic in Jefferson, New Albany, Scottsburg and Salem Indiana came together to present the check.
Blessings in a Backpack provides students who live in low income homes a back pack filled with non-perishable food to take home for the weekend. This helps ensure students will get an adequate meal when they are not in school.
Linda Hill with Davita Dialysis said, "In a time of the economy where we're at right now a lot of families are struggling just to be able to provide food for their children."
Davita Dialysis called their charitable giving initiative "the Davita way of giving."
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Habitat for Humanity Receives K.T. Community Foundation Grant
January 18, 2012
DaVita announced that Habitat for Humanity in Dublin, Ga., was awarded a grant from the K.T. Community (KTC) Foundation.
KTC Foundation, which is funded by DaVita® CEO Kent Thiry and his wife, Denise O’Leary, provided the grant to supply tools and materials to paint the interior of a Habitat for Humanity home. For the past several years, DaVita teammates from across Georgia and South Carolina have volunteered to paint the interior of Habitat for Humanity homes as part of DaVita’s ”Village Service Day” projects.
This year, five local teammates volunteered to paint the interior of a Dublin home. As with many Habitat for Humanity builds, the local community has also embraced this project by volunteering their time and by generously assisting with building costs. Other community volunteers for this 10-week project include the Dublin Rotary Club and several local churches.
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DaVita Inc. Schedules 4th Quarter 2011 Investor Conference Call
January 17, 2012
DaVita announced today that it will hold its quarterly conference call to discuss fourth quarter results on Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The company plans to release its results at market close the same day.
This call is also being webcast and can be accessed at the DaVita IR web page or over CCBN’s Investor Distribution Network. You can join this call on:
When calling in, please refer to the “DaVita Q4 2011” call and provide the operator with your name and company affiliation.
Investors who are unable to listen to the DaVita earnings conference call will be able to access a replay via our website at www.davita.com. There will be no telephone replay.
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Olson meets with kidney patients to talk about their needs
January 17, 2012
Congressman Pete Olson visited the DaVita Dialysis Center in Pearland last Friday to meet patients and caregivers and learn about dialysis and other kidney care needs for Texas residents.
“A critical part of my job is seeing firsthand the important work being done to care for those with serious medical needs,” said Representative Olson. “I am impressed with the work happening here and appreciate the chance to see DaVita's efforts to help with kidney disease up close."
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HELP receives $1,000 grant from DaVita dialysis foundation
January 16, 2012
DaVita through the Salinas Valley Dialysis Center provides clients with dialysis. The charitable arm of DaVita asked local centers to nominate a nonprofit that works in the local community to receive a donation. Registered nurse Candice Jansen nominated Healthy Eating Lifestyle Principles for the nutrition education it provides within Monterey County.
HELP received $1,000 from DaVita because of Jansen's nomination. HELP will put the money toward community education, such as classes for Girls Inc. and for parents at the Boys & Girls Club of Monterey County.
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Net in-migration to Colorado from other states growing
January 15, 2012
Doug and Heather Klof moved to Denver from Los Angeles via Portland in March as part of DaVita's corporate relocation.
"I came to visit in February and fell in love with Denver," said Heather Klof. "It was a very easy move for us and a good transition. We are happy here."
Doug Klof moved to Denver to work at the headquarters of DaVita, a provider of kidney dialysis services that announced it would relocate its headquarters from California to Denver in 2009.
Although Heather has struggled to find a job, she has kept busy volunteering in the Highland neighborhood.
Heather said Colorado offers a good middle ground between her family in Wisconsin and Doug's in Oregon, and the couple, who are expecting a child, are closing soon on a house in the Sloan's Lake neighborhood.
Michelle Ackerman, a real estate broker at Redfin who helped the Klofs find their home, estimates that people relocating from out of state represented about 60 percent of her business last year.
"Many of the buyers I have worked with tell me it is Colorado's low property taxes, quality of life pertaining to crime and traffic, our many outdoor activities and relatively low housing prices," she said.
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DaVita Unit Acquired ModernMed
January 13, 2012
Yesterday, DaVita Inc.’s (DVA) subsidiary – Paladina Health LLC – announced the acquisition of ModernMed, which operates business-based clinics and physician practices in 12 states across the US. However, the terms of the transaction remained undisclosed.
ModernMed’s extraordinary network of providers coupled with a history of excellent care are expected to blend well with Paladina and DaVita’s long-term strategy of growth through meaningful acquisitions. Moreover, now that the uncertainties related to the bundling rule and the capital markets have eased, more acquisitions were probable.
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Former DaVita Teammate To Receive AAKP Award
January 12, 2012
Harvard-based nephrologist Theodore Steinman and former DaVita chief medical officer Charles McAllister have been selected to receive the American Association of Kidney Patients' 2012 Medal of Excellence Award. The award recognizes a renal physician(s) for their extraordinary skills and devotion in the field of nephrology.
Steinman has been in nephrology practice for over 50 years and currently serves as Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Director, Dialysis Unit, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston. He is past-president of the Renal Physicians Association, past chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation, and has served on numerous committees with the National Kidney Foundation, including its Medical Advisory Board and the Kidney Disease Outcome Quality Initiative (K/DOQI).
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DaVita Inc. to Present at JP Morgan Healthcare Conference
January 09, 2012
DaVita announced today that it will participate in the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference being held January 9-12, 2012 at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, CA.
Kent Thiry, Chairman and CEO, will be presenting on Wednesday, January 11, at 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time.
The presentation will also be broadcast live and by replay. To access the live broadcast, listeners should go to:
The presentation will be available for replay via the above link and via DaVita's website at http://www.davita.com for 30 days following the event.
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DaVita Urges Dialysis Patients to Prepare for Winter Weather-Related Emergencies
January 05, 2012
DaVita announced today important emergency preparedness information for dialysis patients during the winter season. DaVita® is reminding patients and their families to prepare for weather-related emergencies by creating kits stocked with medication and emergency diet provisions.
“Kidney disease doesn’t take vacations or stop when winter weather hits,” said Richard Bruner, division vice president of DaVita and member of DaVita’s emergency response team, DaVERT. “Dialysis is a life-sustaining treatment and, because of that, encouraging our patients to adequately prepare for any kind of disaster is of high importance for DaVita.”
Dialysis patients require treatments at least three times per week and are at high risk during natural disasters and weather-related emergencies. DaVita recommends patients create an emergency kit that includes phone numbers for doctors and their dialysis center; three days’ worth of medications with a list of the dosage amounts; clean water, food, a can opener, first aid supplies, a battery-operated flashlight and radio; and, if diabetic, a week’s worth of related medical supplies.
For short-term emergencies such as snow and ice buildup, patients should follow their regular diet closely for one to two days; however, when a widespread emergency or disaster happens, patients are encouraged to immediately begin a three-day emergency diet to limit the amount of fluid and waste their body accumulates. DaVita also recommends that patients keep a copy of the diet with emergency supplies as a guide.
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Nocturnal Dialysis Treatment Growing In Popularity
January 05, 2012
It’s growing in popularity among those who suffer from kidney disease and require dialysis. Many people are seeking a center who will perform the required treatment at night, it’s called nocturnal dialysis.
Jeanne Fitzpatrick is the Facility Administrator at DaVita Diaylsis Center in University City. She says nocturnal dialysis is better for the body because the treatment is delivered at a slower rate and because it’s for a longer period of time.
“And it also enables them to function during the day, if they need to work. This gives them the ability to dialyze at night for seven, eight hours.”
Who is a candidate for nocturnal dialysis?
“Somebody who is ambulatory, independent, that can get to treatment. Somebody who wants to have their days free so they can work. Not necessarily a younger patient but it does work well with younger patients. They need to be compliant with their treatments.”
Fitzpatrick says there are several ways those with kidney disease who require dialysis can receive it in the traditional center during the day, peritoneal or home hemodialysis at home or the nocturnal dialysis in the center.
For full article, Click Here.
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DaVita offering night dialysis at Philadelphia site
January 03, 2012
DaVita Inc. has started a nocturnal dialysis program at its University City facility in Philadelphia.
Nocturnal dialysis treatments are given three days a week and last for 7.5 to eight hours, as opposed to the three or four hours administered during daytime visits.
Officials at Denver-based DaVita said some patients choose overnight dialysis because it allows them to sleep during the night while they are undergoing treatment, which is less disruptive to their lives.
“A nocturnal dialysis option gives patients lifestyle flexibility that otherwise wouldn’t be available,” said Jeanne Fitzpatrick, facility administrator for the University City clinic. “We saw a need for patients to be able to dialyze overnight to have their days free.”
The nocturnal program currently runs on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday nights beginning at 8 p.m.
More than 31 million Americans are affected by chronic kidney disease, which can progress to kidney failure and require dialysis.
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It's a very different New Year's Eve for Mike, Denise Bushnell after kidney transplant (with video)
December 31, 2011
This celebration of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s has deepened meaning for Mike and Denise Bushnell.
One year ago, the Fairport Harbor couple wondered what the future held for them as they counted down the days to March 22 and Mike’s scheduled kidney transplant surgery at Cleveland Clinic.
Although the success rate of live-organ kidney transplants is 96 percent, the Bushnells understood the risks involved. That was especially true for Mike, who’d battled kidney disease since being diagnosed 26 years earlier with adult onset diabetes.
Fast-forward to now, with the kidney donated by 61-year-old Denise functioning smoothly inside her 63-year-old husband, and the Bushnells will tell you every day feels like New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day rolled into one.
“It’s been an amazing journey,” Mike said during a recent interview.
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DaVita planning fourth dialysis center for Metro East
December 30, 2011
DaVita Inc. plans to invest $2.5 million in a new dialysis center in Shiloh.
DaVita has filed an application with the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board to open a 12-station dialysis center at 1095 N. Green Mount Road. The review board is scheduled to consider the application at its Jan. 10 meeting.
Denver-based DaVita already operates dialysis centers in Belleville, Maryville and Sauget in the Metro East. The company reported $161.9 million in patient revenue for dialysis centers it runs in Illinois in 2010, up 8.1 percent from $149.4.
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DaVita Recaps Banner Year in 2011
December 29, 2011
DaVita released a year-end recap of major achievements for the company in 2011.
“DaVita had a strong year in 2011,” said Kent Thiry, DaVita Chairman and CEO. “Our clinical outcomes are the best or among the best in the industry; we took some great steps to support, educate and empower our patients; and we’re growing both domestically and internationally.”
Major initiatives and highlights for DaVita® in 2011 include:
Clinical Excellence
Patient Service
Business Growth
Education, Empowerment, Corporate Citizenship
For full press release and more information, Click Here.
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DaVita steps in when kidneys fail
December 28, 2011
The kidneys are a remarkable machine. Not only do these fist-sized organs filter impurities from the blood, since most people are born with two of them, they’ve got built-in redundancy. If one goes haywire, there’s another one to take over.
But when both cease to function – and according to WebMD they can work at only 10 percent capacity before negative symptoms present themselves – the body becomes poisoned.
For those people who face complete kidney failure, there is really only one choice; they must rely on kidney dialysis.
Josine Petrini, a nurse at the DaVita Dialysis unit in Tyler Memorial Hospital, explained that dialysis involves hooking an artificial kidney up to the patient through a “fistula.”
A fistula is a surgically-created connection between a vein and an artery. With the fistula in place, blood can be drawn, processed through the artificial kidney, and then returned to the same basic location.
Bob Charles of Dimock, one of the 46 patients who undergo thrice weekly dialysis at DaVita, said that the fistula in his right arm has made it easier for him.
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Three’s a Charm: DaVita Teams up with Idaho Youth Ranch and United Way of Treasure Valley for Boise Village Service Day
December 28, 2011
DaVita Inc. announced that DaVita’s teammates (employees) partnered with the Idaho Youth Ranch and United Way of Treasure Valley to perform a Village Service Day in Boise, Idaho.
More than 100 DaVita® teammates who had gathered for a divisional meeting decided to spend a day volunteering for service projects in the Boise community. Through coordination with the United Way, teammates were sent to a Boise food bank, the Easter Seals Goodwill and the Idaho Youth Ranch (IYR).
“The generosity of DaVita’s volunteers in partnering with the Idaho Youth Ranch to rescue children who face dangerous situations in our community is sincerely appreciated,” said Stacey Moody, IYR’s Business Contributions Representative.
DaVita teammates and volunteers from the United Way spent their day rejuvenating the food bank garden and bagging food, as well as cleaning, sorting clothes and preparing merchandise for display at Easter Seals Goodwill. They also designed holiday end-cap displays, disposed of old inventory, and priced and sorted clothing. At the Idaho Youth Ranch distribution center, volunteers sorted, priced and categorized more than 2,200 pieces of clothing for display in Idaho.
"It is an honor to work for a company such as DaVita, a company that believes in supporting its communities enough to allow us the opportunity to serve in a capacity that is meaningful and useful," said DaVita Market Liaison Gina Safford, RN. “The day we spent working at our assorted Boise community thrift stores and food banks was fulfilling, rewarding, and fun; thank you DaVita!”
The Idaho Youth Ranch operates residential treatment homes in Idaho for at-risk children and also provides family counseling and adoption services. Revenue from IYR Thrift Stores partially funds the homes, programs and services. “We’re looking forward to working again with DaVita volunteers, who have kindly offered to help in some of our 27 thrift stores,” Moody added.
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Workers' wellness can turn a profit
December 25, 2011
Denver kidney dialysis giant DaVita offers both rewards and major premium incentives for employee wellness pledges, saying more than 26,000 workers chose the voluntary screenings to get rewards. Only 2,500 declined to participate, said wellness director Jennifer Sharff, and she revels in the successes she hears.
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DaVita buys controlling interest in three New jersey dialysis clinics
December 21, 2011
St. Joseph’s Healthcare System in New Jersey has sold the controlling interest in its three dialysis units in to DaVita Inc, NorthJersey.com reported.
DaVita will provide patient care administrative services. The three dialysis centers care for more than 600 patients and is the largest hospital-based dialysis program in the state, NorthJersey.com reported.
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DaVita Continues Clinical Outcomes Industry Leadership in 2011
December 21, 2011
DaVita announced today a key milestones achieved in 2011 that have resulted in improved patient care.
“Quite simply, our patients generally live longer and enjoy a better quality of life than they would have 10 years ago,” said Dr. Allen R. Nissenson, DaVita’s chief medical officer. “This success is the result of a comprehensive, coordinated, focused approach to delivering high quality kidney care."
DaVita® has a holistic approach to kidney care that is patient-centric and considers all aspects of the quality of treatment. As a result, for 11 consecutive years DaVita patients have demonstrated improved annual clinical results in several critical areas, including survival rates, bone and mineral metabolism management, dialysis adequacy and preventative care such as immunizations.
Such landmark achievements in 2011 include the following:
DaVita QIP Tops Dialysis Industry – In late December, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its 2012 End-Stage Renal Disease Quality Improvement Program (QIP) Performance Measures results. The ratings are based on anemia management and dialysis adequacy, and the results showed that DaVita significantly outperformed the rest of the industry in QIP performance measures with 76 percent of the company’s clinics ranking in the top clinical performance tier.
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DaVita to buy 3 dialysis clinics in Chicago area
December 21, 2011
Silver Cross Health System in Joliet, Ill. plans to sell three dialysis clinics for $30 million to DaVita Inc., Crain's Chicago Business reports.
DaVita is buying a 29-station dialysis clinic in Joliet, a nine-station clinic in Morris and a 19-station clinic in Silver Cross’ new hospital in New Lenox, which is scheduled to open in February.
Last year, DaVita bought dialysis clinics from the University of Chicago Medical Center.
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Twenty-Five Organizations Receive Office Depot Award for Leadership in Greener Purchasing
December 12, 2011
Office Depot, celebrating 25 years as a leading global provider of office supplies and services, today announced that 25 organizations from across the U.S. were recognized by the Company for Leadership in Greener Purchasing. The awards were presented during Office Depot’s Greener Purchasing Summit & Awards Ceremony on November 15 in Oakland, California. To supplement the Awards Ceremony, speakers from Office Depot, Google, Saatchi & Saatchi, and the University of Washington presented on greener purchasing best practices. David Gottfried, founder of the U.S. Green Building Council and CEO of Regenerative Ventures, delivered the keynote address.
"Greener purchasing of office supplies can serve as a good proxy for an organization’s overall environmental commitment," said Yalmaz Siddiqui, Senior Director of Environmental Strategy for Office Depot. “The winners are an elite group – our top 25 greenest purchasers from over 7,500 customers that we evaluated using our unique green spend analysis and reporting tools."
The awards are based primarily on the percentage of the customers' expenditure with Office Depot (from January to June 2011) on products with greener attributes such as recycled content; energy-efficiency; non-toxicity; and/or ecolabels such as FSC, EPEAT, GreenSeal, and EcoLogo. Customers whose business relationship with Office Depot only covered one or two product categories such as paper or ink and toner were excluded from the analysis, as the goal was to recognize those with broad-based, environmentally preferable purchasing programs.
"Many of our customers choose to buy supplies from Office Depot in part due to our unique ability to support their environmental goals," said Steve Calkins, Senior Vice President of Contract Sales for Office Depot. "We’re proud to recognize the organizations who show true leadership in greener purchasing and hope they serve as models for others to follow."
The following organizations received leadership awards during the Greener Purchasing Summit & Awards Ceremony:
Corporate Winners:
Bechtel Corporation - Leadership in Greener Purchasing
CB Richard Ellis - Leadership in Greener Purchasing
Chevron - Leadership in Greener Purchasing
COACH - Leadership in Greener Purchasing
DaVita - Leadership in Greener Purchasing
Eddie Bauer - Leadership in Greener Purchasing
Facebook - Special Recognition for End User Engagement
Google - Special Recognition for Greener Supply Cabinets
JM Family Enterprises, Inc. - Leadership in Greener Purchasing
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DaVita's 2010 Annual Report
December 09, 2011
DaVita has released it's 2010 Annual Report. Click Here to read more.
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DaVita Releases Holiday Kidney Diet Delights Recipe Collection: No-Cost Healthy Recipe Collection Created by DaVita Dietitians Available Now
December 07, 2011
DaVita announced the launch of its new holiday recipe collection, Kidney Diet Delights, Volume 2. The collection of nine kidney-friendly recipes submitted by DaVita® dietitians is available for download at no cost at DaVita.com/cookbook.
The holiday cookbook is the second collection in an introductory guide to the more than 700 kidney diet recipes on DaVita.com. Recipes cater to CKD non-dialysis, dialysis and diabetes diet types and include ideas for holiday “Lite Bites and Beverages, main courses in a “Festive Feast” and indulgences in “Season’s Sweets.” The collection joins Kidney Diet Delights, Volume 1, also available to download at no cost.
For the full press release plus links to the cookbook and other kidney friendly recipes, Click Here.
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Good News: Muskegon nurse works as a volunteer in Guatemala
December 07, 2011
Mandy Anderson of Muskegon traveled to Guatemala this fall, but it wasn’t a trip for rest and relaxation.
Anderson worked as a volunteer at the Hospital Pedro de Bethancourt in San Felipe, Guatemala, a village of about 8,000 residents.
Anderson is a registered nurse in Muskegon for DaVita Inc., a company that provides kidney care for patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease.
In October, Anderson worked in Guatemala with Henry Escobar, a biomed technician for DaVita based in California, helping to establish a new dialysis clinic at the San Felipe hospital as part of the Bridge of Life-DaVita Medical Mission.
"Throughout the developing world, hundreds of thousands of people are dying of kidney disease because they lack access to dialysis," Lauren Moughon of DaVita wrote in a news release to The Chronicle.
"One clinic at a time, Bridge of Life — DaVita Medical Missions, an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization originally founded by DaVita Inc., offers hope, treatment, and for many, a return to productive life," Moughon said. "They do this by establishing dialysis clinics in developing countries and training medical providers in administering this life-saving treatment."
Anderson said she and Escobar are the first DaVita volunteers to go to San Felipe to set up an acute facility in the hospital.
Before their travel to Guatemala, Anderson and Escobar raised funds to help sponsor their trip and efforts at the hospital while raising awareness about chronic kidney disease. Those funds help to cover their travel expenses and supplies. It also paid for educational resources to "educate patients, train medical staff and provide life-saving dialysis care" where treatment may not be accessible, according to the mission program's website.
To read the full story, Click Here.
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DaVita Signs 7 Year Deal With Amgen
December 05, 2011
Thousand Oaks, California-based Amgen signed a seven-year agreement with dialysis provider DaVita Inc., based in Denver, Colorado, to replace a deal expiring Dec. 31 that will meet at least 90 percent of DaVita’s requirements to treat anemia, Tanner said in a client note, Nov. 18.
Amgen also signed a non-exclusive agreement with Fresenius Medical Care AG for an undisclosed amount of years, Tanner said. Fresenius and DaVita are the largest dialysis providers respectively by annual revenue.
Medicare, the U.S. health program for the elderly and disabled, began this year reimbursing for all services associated with end-stage kidney disease in one bundled payment to attempt to save money.
“In a bundled reimbursement environment, peginesatide could provide an attractive alternative to dialysis providers seeking to maximize profits,” Tanner said.
For full article, Click Here.
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Saunders Tops Off New DaVita Headquarters in Denver
December 04, 2011
The project team for DaVita and Saunders Construction held a topping-off ceremony on Nov. 10 for the new headquarters of the kidney care company.
The final steel beam was placed on the north corner of the 256,400-sq-ft, 14-story building in Denver’s Central Platte Valley, just west of LoDo. The ceremony celebrated completion of the highest point of the building, which was designed by MOA Architecture.
The completed tower will accommodate almost 1,000 employees and serve as a training site for the company in a program it calls DaVita University. The new headquarters will incorporate several features that promote the company’s team-oriented culture. Those include: rooftop exterior terraces, three two-story interior garden areas, a top level marketplace, community spaces, large employee training area and a student union. In addition, the top floor and the corners will be devoted as general work spaces, not private offices.
“It’s appropriate to celebrate the end of this phase of the construction process with our great team, as it’s their hard work that has successfully brought us to this point”" said Greg Schmidt, president of Saunders Construction.
As of the topping-off ceremony, the project team has used more than 34 million pounds of concrete on the building and installed 17,370 tons of reinforcing steel. DaVita plans to open the new headquarters in summer 2012.
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DaVita Dialysis To Relocate To Crestwood's Sappington Square
December 02, 2011
DaVita operates Renal Treatment Centers, which provides kidney dialysis care to about 131,000 patients in several states, Allen said. The company has 26 facilities in the greater St. Louis area.
The move will allow the dialysis center to increase its space from 3,600- square-feet to 6,300-square-feet, said Tiffany Jackson, manager of the Crestwood facility. The space on the east end of the Creve Coeur Camera building will provide easy access to patients who use wheelchairs, Jackson said.
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Mirani joins DaVita Labs
December 01, 2011
DaVita Labs has named Leslie Mirani vice president and general manager.
Mirani brings more than 25 years experience in commercial sales and marketing, primarily renal-focused, in the pharmaceutical industry. Mirani’s previous roles included working for Human Genome Sciences as an immunology sales director and as vice president for Amgen’s nephrology business unit for 18 years.
“Leslie’s extensive background will give us the momentum to move forward with our future goals and continue to provide great service, quality, technology and education to keep us at the front end of new developments within the industry,” said DaVita Labs president Chris Rucker.
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Developing Successful Leaders: DaVita's CEO Says It Takes a Village
November 30, 2011
Leadership is not something that can easily be taught. Management can be taught, but leadership is a human skill that requires learning about yourself and other human beings, Kent Thiry, CEO of DaVita, told a Stanford Graduate School of Business audience.
For a CEO who speaks often about leadership, DaVita Inc.'s Kent J. Thiry says it's not something that can easily be taught in business school. Management, yes, but leadership is a human skill.
"If you want to learn more about leadership, learn more about human beings, starting with yourself," Thiry said in a Nov. 17 speech at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Leadership isn't a function of position, either, he said. "Leadership is a function of behavior, so don't fall into the trap of 'well, I can't really be a leader until they promote me to vice president.'" Leaders lead, regardless of the time or place, he said: "Leadership is a way of life. It's not a temporary tactic. It's not a tool. It's not a practice. It's a function of how you behave."
Those were two bits of advice from the chairman and CEO of one of the largest U.S. providers of dialysis services for patients with kidney failure. DaVita has 1,400 dialysis centers in 43 states. The $6 billion Denver-based company has 34,000 employees.
To read more about Developing Successful Leaders, Click Here.
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Dialysis: Opportunity In Indian Healthcare Sector? And Kent Thiry
November 30, 2011
I recently had the opportunity to lunch with the legendary Kent Thiry, CEO of the leading dialysis chain, DaVita and one of the most respected business leaders USA. It was fascinating to understand his point of view on the market opportunity for healthcare entrepreneurs in dialysis and day care centers in general. I share some of these below.
What creates opportunity in Indian healthcare?
Entrepreneurs in the healthcare sector in India often lament the lack of paying power amongst those who need health services the most. Kent pointed out that market forces determine healthcare in India. The customer pays, and hence he/she is demanding. Service providers are forced to be nimble and transparent. The US, with its government backed medical insurance has allowed service providers to build relatively bloated cost structures.
DaVita has been present in India quietly for 3 years as a non-profit, providing critical life-saving services through their limited presence so far in state owned hospitals. In a market with over 1 million customers needing dialysis each year and 7.5 million identified at risk, the market opportunity is immense.
To read more of this article by Sandhya Hegde, Click Here.
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DaVita Announces Top Holiday Travel Destinations for Dialysis Patients
November 29, 2011
DaVita announced today the top 10 holiday destinations for dialysis-friendly travel.
Just a few decades ago, traveling while on dialysis would have been difficult, if not impossible, for most patients. But with nearly 1,800 dialysis facilities across the country, today DaVita® easily arranges dialysis travel for many patients who travel to visit family or escape the cold during the holidays.
“Today’s dialysis patients live longer and live better. Our team of travel support specialists at DaVita makes vacationing during the holidays worry-free for patients across the country,” said MaryCatherine Graves, director of Guest Services at DaVita.
The following list was compiled based on previous years’ placement requests from DaVita’s Guest Services team:
- Las Vegas
- Orlando/Celebration, Fla.
- Houston
- San Antonio
- New Orleans
- Atlanta
- San Diego
- Los Angeles
- Charlotte, N.C.
- Phoenix/Scottsdale
DaVita’s Guest Services team provides travel support to facilities in the U.S. at no cost to dialysis patients, both DaVita and non-DaVita patients.
To arrange travel, patients can contact a DaVita Guest Services specialist at 1-800-244-0680 and visit DaVita.com/travel for more information.
DaVita is a registered trademark of DaVita Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
For press release, Click Here.
For coloring pages that focus on Traveling While On Dialysis, Click Here.
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Private Firm to Run Danbury Hospital Dialysis Unit
November 28, 2011
Danbury Hospital is now negotiating to let a private company -- DaVita Inc. -- operate the Nelson Gelfman dialysis unit at the hospital.
Hospital officials informed the dialysis staff of the plans last week, Michael Daglio, senior vice president for operations at Western Connecticut Health Network, the umbrella organization that runs Danbury and New Milford hospitals, confirmed Tuesday.
The move is the second time this year that Danbury Hospital has hired a private company to run a hospital service. In April, it announced that Atlanta-based Morrison Management Services would take over Danbury Hospital's foods service operation.
Danbury Hospital has also put a private doctors' group, Onsite Neonatal Services, in charge of its newly opened Spratt Family neonatal intensive care unit.
Daglio said Western Connecticut Health Network is making these moves in an effort to deliver better care at the hospital and to save money. The network's president and chief executive officer, Dr. John Murphy has stressed in recent months that because of the vast changes in the nation's health care system, all hospitals will have to find ways to deliver high-quality care to their patients in the most cost-effective way possible.
But Mary Consoli, president of the Danbury Nurses Union, Unit 47, said Tuesday that the changes show the new business model that's taking shape at Danbury Hospital.
"It's becoming a corporation, not a community hospital anymore,'' Consoli said.
Daglio said Tuesday that the change in the dialysis unit was simply acknowledging changes in the way patients get kidney dialysis.
"Look around and you'll see that Danbury Hospital is one of the few hospitals in the state that still runs its own dialysis center,'' Daglio said.
The Nelson Gelfman center -- named after the hospital's former chief of nephrology -- has 19 dialysis stations and serves 125 patients. It is the only dialysis unit serving northern Fairfield County and southern Litchfield County.
Daglio said that while DaVita will run the center, patients might not notice a change.
The dialysis center will remain at the Danbury Medical Arts Building on Osborne Street. It will still bear Gelfman's name. And Dr. Winston Shih, the current chief of nephrology, will still be in charge of the unit.
"We want to maintain the quality of care,'' Daglio said. To read more, Click Here.
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Watching Your Sodium
November 28, 2011
Jamie L. Bailey, dietitian at Davita Memphis Central joined Fox-Good Morning Memphis with some great low-sodium food samples.
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Grant to Fund Church Outreach Projects
November 24, 2011
A national foundation has provided a Moultrie church with money to support its outreach into the community.
The K.T. Community Foundation, founded by Kent Thiry and his wife, Denise O’Leary, recently announced its grant to Rapha Christian Fellowship but did not release the grant amount. Thiry is CEO of DaVita Inc., a leading provider of kidney care services.
According to Kayla Watson, Rapha’s program outreach coordinator, the fellowship will use the money to fund three programs:
• Clothing giveaways, held six times a year.
• Meals, held several times a year.
• The Dream Team, a group of volunteers who make repairs to homes.
Watson said this is the second year Rapha has received the grant from the KTC Foundation for these purposes.
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DaVita opens South Jackson location
November 23, 2011
DaVita has moved one of its locations to South Jackson.
The company provides kidney failure patients with dialysis and disease information. The company has two facilities in Jackson. One remains in North Jackson at 217 Sterling Farm Drive. The other facility was moved from Carriage House Drive to 46 Harts Bridge Road to better serve South Jackson residents, said Kay Rich, facility administrator.
"All these people out south had to drive north," she said, "and we came to a place where their transportation is closer for them."
Rich said the former location had only eight patient treatment stations. The new facility has 16 patient treatment stations, and staff members to treat twice as many patients. The stations are three feet apart. Each is equipped with a TV and headphones.
"We were seeing about 32 patients per week," Rich said. "I now have 43 patients, and I have a capacity of 64, if we ran two full shifts, six days a week."
To read the full article, Click Here.
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Dialysis companies proposing more Chicago-area expansions
November 22, 2011
National dialysis clinic operators DaVita Inc. and rival Fresenius Medical Care A.G. continue to push to expand in the Chicago area. The firms have each submitted two applications to the Illinois Health Facilities and Services Review Board since Oct. 12 to develop new local clinics. Denver-based DaVita wants to spend a combined $8.6 million on two locations: a new 16-station facility at 3934 W. 24th St. in Little Village and a 32-station operation slated for 43rd Street and Cottage Grove Avenue in Bronzeville. The location would replace a 20-station site at 1531 E. Hyde Park Blvd. near the lakefront. Meanwhile, German giant Fresenius has asked the board for permission to develop a $3-million, 12-station dialysis clinic at 900 Technology Drive in north suburban Libertyville, as well as a $4-million, 16-station operation at 3000-3070 S. Cicero Ave. in west suburban Cicero. Fresenius is making sure “we offer clinics where the patients are,” said a spokeswoman for Fresenius' U.S. subsidiary, based in Waltham, Mass. DaVita said in a statement that the “need for kidney care is growing particularly in the West and South Side of Chicago.” In October, the facilities board approved 85 new dialysis stations for the Chicago area but rejected an additional 28, fearing some areas already are saturated.
For article, Click Here.
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Hands On Nashville, DaVita & Second Harvest Partner with Agency to Improve Services in the Community
November 21, 2011
East Nashville Cooperative Ministry, Hands On Nashville, DaVita and Second Harvest Food Bank have launched a partnership to complete a three-day renovation of their 807 Main Street facility in East Nashville that began Thursday, November 17.
The renovation will enable the East Nashville Cooperative Ministry to meet the rapidly increasing demand for emergency food assistance, provide food education to the community, engage more volunteers and improve the curb appeal of the neighborhood.
More than 180 DaVita employees will kicked off the project on Thursday, November 17, as part of the company’s IT Support Services conference being held in Nashville last week. Hands on Nashville also recruited additional community volunteers to complete the renovation on Friday, November 18 and Saturday, November 19. The agency reopened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, November 21 at 10:00 am after Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee restocked the food pantry with staple food items and produce.
This project started with HON developing a large-scale service event for DaVita employees,” said Amy Maloney, Hands On Nashville’s Director of Corporate Relations and Events. “DaVita chose to partner with East Nashville Cooperative Ministry, and as we looked more into the nonprofit’s facility needs we realized that a full renovation was in order. Not surprisingly, the Nashville community stepped up to the challenge.”
For full article, Click Here.
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New mixed-use development slated for Denver's Central Platte Valley
November 21, 2011
A mixed-use development is planned for a 1.9-acre parcel in the redeveloped Central Platte Valley.
The 1601 Wewatta project is zoned to 140 feet in height and offers 450,000 square feet of office space, 70,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, and up to 110,000 square feet for a hotel, according to the development's website.
It is a joint venture between Jordon Perlmutter & Co. and Hines.
"We're doing some preliminary design work on it," said Jim Smith, director of development for Jordon Perlmutter & Co. "We do not have an anchor tenant yet, but we are starting to look into the marketplace for it."
Smith said the project's architect should be selected within 30 days.
"We would time the project so that it is completed about the same time as the RTD project is to be complete in 2014," he said.
Developers are in discussions to include apartments in the project, said listing agent J. David Hart, senior vice president with CBRE. That's the reason they're initially looking to fill just 350,000 square feet of the potential 450,000 square feet of office space, he said.
"With all that's going on in that market — with DaVita's headquarters, with the success of 1900 16th St. and 1515 Wynkoop — it's time for a new project," Hart said. "We continue to see demand from out-of-state users and a real desire to be on that end of town."
For full article, Click Here.
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2012 Training Top 125 Winners Announced
November 18, 2011
Training magazine, the leading business publication for learning and development professionals, today announced the finalists for the annual Training Top 125, which ranks companies’ excellence in employer-sponsored training and development programs. The rankings for the 125 leading organizations will be unveiled during an awards gala at the Training 2012 Conference & Expo, to be held February 13-15 in Atlanta, GA.
“We tweaked the 2012 Training Top 125 criteria, placing additional emphasis on the qualitative scoring and requiring even more specific evidence of the effectiveness of training programs and their role in the achievement of corporate strategic goals,” said Lorri Freifeld, editor-in-chief of Trainingmagazine. “The competition was fierce this year, and it was a very difficult task to choose the winners from the many excellent applications we received. Congratulations to the 2012 winners, who demonstrated their unwavering commitment to, passion for, and investment in training.”
Now in its 12th year, the Training Top 125 ranking is based on myriad benchmarking statistics such as total training budget; percentage of payroll; number of training hours per employee program; goals, evaluation, measurement, and workplace surveys; hours of training per employee annually; and detailed formal programs. The ranking is determined by assessing a range of qualitative and quantitative factors, including financial investment in employee development, the scope of development programs, and how closely such development efforts are linked to business goals and objectives.
To find out the full list of finalist companies including DaVita, Click Here.
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DaVita builds a village for employees, patients
November 18, 2011
DaVita is a Fortune 500 company and one of the country’s largest providers of dialysis services to people with kidney disease, with more than 1,600 clinics.
But the Denver-based company calls itself a community or a village — a “unique place where we care for our patients, each other and our world.” Employees are referred to as “teammates.”
To read full article, Click Here.
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DaVita gets new contract for Amgen's anemia drug
November 18, 2011
DaVita, Inc., the Denver-based blood dialysis giant, reached a new contract to buy Amgen's anti-anemia drug, Epogen, through 2018.
The pact, announced by Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based Amgen in a Securities & Exchange Commission filing this week, covers 90 percent of anemia drug use at DaVita (NYSE: DVA) over seven years, Amgen said. It replaces an existing Epogen supply contract the companies have covering this year.
Epogen is the sole biotech drug approved to treat anemia in kidney dialysis patients in the United States.
The longer-term agreement with DaVita is important to Amgen (Nasdaq: AMGN) as its Epogen patent nears expiration and the drugmaker faces the possibility of domestic competition and generic versions made by other manufacturers.
Amgen, Colorado’s largest biotech employer, produces the bulk ingredients for Epogen at its plant in Longmont.
DaVita is the second-largest dialysis company in the U.S., and that makes it a major dispenser of anemia drugs that doctors prescribe to dialysis patients
Amgen also has a contract starting in January to supply Epogen to the largest domestic dialysis clinic operator, Fresenius Medical Care, and the combination on contracts locks in Epogen sales to 59 percent of the dialysis market, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The overall value of the contract was not disclosed, though Amgen did say it provides DaVita with a discounted price.
Epogen sales have fallen in recent years as regulators reduced reimbursement payments on the drug as a way to pressure doctors and dialysis clinics to reduce the amount of the drug prescribed to patients.
For full article, Click Here.
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Former Burger King in Millcreek being converted to dialysis site
November 18, 2011
A former Burger King restaurant on West Eighth Street in Millcreek Township is undergoing what might be called a whopper of a change.
The former fast-food place at 2563 W. Eighth St. is being converted to a DaVita Center of Excellence for kidney dialysis patients.
Work on the interior renovation started about one month ago, said Rob Miller, project architect. He works for Davison Smith Certo Architects, Inc., in Westlake, Ohio.
For full news article, Click Here.
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Kidney dialysis center coming to Mint Hill
November 18, 2011
By March, Mint Hill will welcome a kidney dialysis center and 15 more jobs.
Colorado-based DaVita plans to open a 6,100-square-foot clinic at 11308 Hawthorne Drive behind the Carolinas Medical Center building near downtown Mint Hill. The company, which already operates five clinics in the Charlotte area, wants to be closer to its Mint Hill and Matthews patients “to provide them the highest quality of life,” DaVita Regional Operations Director Tammy Leahy said in an e-mail.
The company wouldn’t say how many of its patients live in Matthews or Mint Hill, citing privacy concerns. “Transportation is often one of a patient’s biggest challenges with dialysis, and having a clinic closer to home makes that part easier,” Leahy said.
The Mint Hill center will provide dialysis services for up to 16 patients at one time and is now hiring 15 employees to operate the clinic. The center also will offer patient visits with a dietician and social worker and provide a pharmacy service.
DaVita is leasing space from building owner RHGC Investments of Garner, which bought the building and its 1.08 acres from Novant Health in June for $800,000, according to online Mecklenburg County records.
DaVita operates or provides administrative services at 1,777 dialysis facilities nationwide, including 63 clinics in North Carolina. Locally DaVita operates branches at 2321 W. Morehead St., 3204 N. Sharon Amity Road, 6450 Bannington Road and 6620 Old Statesville Road, all in Charlotte, and 1975 Carolina Place Drive in Fort Mill.
For full article, Click Here.
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Photo gallery: Denver-area 2011 'Best Places to Work' award winners
November 18, 2011
The Denver Business Journal announced the winners of its 2011 Best Places to Work awards Friday morning at a breakfast held at the Marriot City Center downtown.
The DBJ teamed up with Quantum Workplace of Omaha, Neb., to help compile the results of employee surveys that were used to determine the winners.
To see pictures of the Best Places to Work Winners, Click Here.
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DaVita Announcing Opening of Research Facility and Call Center in Metro Denver Area
November 17, 2011
DaVita announced today that it has chosen the Denver metropolitan area to locate two expanding parts of the company’s business. In total, DaVita® will be bringing as many as 200 quality jobs with benefits to the metro area. The location of each facility has not yet been announced.
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DaVita on 9News
November 17, 2011
DaVita CEO Kent Thiry discusses the new call center and clinical research facility that will bring more than 200 jobs to Colorado. Part 1.
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2-year-old Colorado program grants tax breaks for creation of high-paying jobs
November 15, 2011
Arrow Electronics and DaVita have staked out a majority of the tax breaks under a 2-year-old program that rewards employers that create higher-paying jobs.
But nine other companies have applied to participate in the Colorado Job Growth Incentive Tax Credit, including two unidentified firms still weighing their plans to bring jobs to the state.
The lesser-known applicants are involved in everything from designing a replacement for the space shuttle to helping students finance their college education.
What they share in common is an agreement with the state to bring new jobs that pay 110 percent or more of the average in the county where the jobs are being added.
In return for creating 3,258 jobs over a five-year period, the 11 participants have the potential to earn up to $29.5 million in state income-tax credits.
"This is an incredibly valuable tool for the state to have that we didn't have before," said Alice Kotrlik, the state's deputy director of economic development.
Unlike some other programs that pay for "presence," the job-growth incentives are performance-based. To read more, Click Here.
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DaVita Headquarters Halloween Hoopla: A Hauntingly Good Time
November 15, 2011
DaVita celebrated Halloween in style at the company’s temporary downtown headquarters in Denver, complete with a costume contest and impromptu talent show.
DaVita’s teammates (employees) competed both as teams and individually in the costume contest. Team costumes included “Nudist Colony on Strike,” by DaVita Marketing (Marketeers); “Famous Zombies,” by DaVita’s Compliance group (Team Quest); “Ninjas,” by DaVita Strategic Development (Scouts); “The Scooby Doo Gang,” by Payor Relations; “Puzzle Pieces,” by BDP Central (The Funky Bunch); “Nerds,” by Internal Training and Development (The Wisdom Team); and “Wiggin-Out,” by DaVita Insurance Management.
The celebration reinforced several of DaVita’s core values, specifically the values of Team and Fun. Highlights from the competition included a serenade by DaVita’s Compliance group (Team Quest) and an interpretive dance by DaVita’s Communications team (D-COMM).
For pictures and video, Click Here.
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DaVita Launches Spanish-Language Website: Offers Easy Access to Resources for Spanish-Speaking Patients Suffering from Chronic Kidney Disease
November 15, 2011
DaVita announced today the launch of its Spanish-language website.
DaVita’s website is one of the most popular online destinations for CKD education and resources for kidney care patients and their families. The Spanish-language website will provide easy-to-access information online for Spanish-speaking individuals and families.
“CKD education and awareness is at DaVita’s core,” explains DaVita Chairman and CEO Kent Thiry. “This website allows us to extend our educational reach to the Spanish-speaking population.”
Hispanics are among the top five ethnic groups at risk for CKD and are nearly two times as likely to develop kidney failure as Caucasians.
Features of the website include the following:
For full press release, Click Here.
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DaVita to Present 11 Abstracts at the American Society of Nephrology's Kidney Week 2011
November 10, 2011
DaVita announced today the presentation of 11 studies at this year's American Society of Nephrology's (ASN) Kidney Week. DaVita® will be at booth 1801 during the November 8-13 meeting in Philadelphia.
ASN's Kidney Week is the world's premier nephrology meeting and serves as a platform for more than 13,000 kidney professionals from around the globe to exchange knowledge, learn the latest scientific and medical advances, and listen to leading experts in the field.
DaVita Chief Medical Officer Allen R. Nissenson, M.D., noted, "At this year's ASN meeting study results from innovative clinical improvement programs and health economic analyses will be presented by DaVita researchers and its research partners."
For full press release, Click Here.
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Where In The Town: New Building Will Be Sky High
November 10, 2011
Gregg spent Thursday morning with Saunders Construction at the construction site of kidney-care company DaVita's new headquarters near Denver's Union Station.
Saunders Construction will celebrate its 40th anniversary next February, and company's president Greg Schmidt says sustainability is a key ingredient and goal for them, as well as "developing strong relationships with the thousands of people involved in the projects."
You'll recognize the work done by Saunders Construction since they built the new IKEA store, several builds across Colorado college campuses, the Broomfield events Center and the new Clyfford Still Museum near downtown Denver, which opens on Friday, Nov. 18.
The 270,000-square-foot DaVita building will be completed in the summer of 2012 and is estimated to cost around $90 million. Home of one the largest kidney dialysis companies in the nation, the building will house hundreds of employees and serve as a training site for the company.
For more information, check out www.davita.com and www.saundersci.com.
For a glimpse at our new headquarters, Click Here to watch the video.
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DaVita Continues International Expansion Efforts With German Acquisition: Company to Deliver its First Dialysis Services in Europe
November 09, 2011
DaVita announced today that its wholly owned European subsidiary, DV Care GmbH, has acquired ExtraCorp AG, a German company that owns two dialysis centers and manages two additional dialysis centers in Germany. This transaction represents DaVita's initial entry on the European continent and another step in DaVita's global expansion strategy.
As a result of the acquisition, DaVita's European subsidiary now owns and operates two dialysis centers located in Salzgitter and Seesen and manages two dialysis centers located in Dresden and Freital. Each centerwill provide a range of dialysis services in each center, primarily focused on in-center hemodialysis.
"DaVita and DV Care are committed to continuing the same high-level of care to end-stage renal disease patients in Germany. Additionally, these four clinics are an ideal platform for our European expansion efforts," said Bjorn Englund, DaVita's managing director for Europe. "ExtraCorp has paved the way for us by delivering outstanding care for its patients at these facilities, and we look forward to building on this momentum."
For full press release, Click Here.
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Goldenheirs Hear of Kidney Health
November 08, 2011
Davita Dialysis nurses Gene Wells and Debra Griffin talked to Goldenheirs at the group’s October meeting. The nurses teach patients how to use their dialysis equipment at home.
Their goal is to promote kidney awareness. The No. 1 cause of kidney failure is diabetes, and high blood pressure is the No. 2 cause. This especially is true in older people.
Goldenheirs, a senior group, also met Nov. 1 in the fellowship hall of First Baptist Hinesville. Representatives from the Liberty County Tax Assessors’ office were the featured speakers.
Plans for the Christmas luncheon were finalized during the meeting.
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DaVita Exceeds Goal for Patient Vaccinations Early in Flu Season: Flu Shots a Matter of Life and Death for Kidney Patients
November 07, 2011
DaVita announced that the company has reached its goal of vaccinating 90 percent of its patient population from the flu this season. According to internal reporting, at the end of October DaVita's patient inoculation rate already was at 90.4 percent.
To reach its 90 percent patient goal, DaVita(R) teammates (employees) and attending physicians worked together to educate patients on the importance of getting a flu shot. DaVita recognizes the critical need for protection against the virus and therefore offers the vaccine at no cost to patients.
"I'm thankful for the knowledge and experience of my caregivers," said DaVita patient Elaine Tolno at the DaVita Belcaro Dialysis Facility in Denver, Colo. "They didn't tell me I had to get a flu shot; they explained to me why it's important for dialysis patients to get vaccinated. Now I'm better informed and protected."
Studies have shown that high vaccination rates relate directly to fewer hospitalizations, which can lead to a better quality of life for dialysis patients. To combat the spread of the seasonal flu virus DaVita provides flu vaccines for its patients and teammates.
"CKD patients are at a higher risk for complications due to the flu virus," explained Dr. Allen R. Nissenson, DaVita's chief medical officer. "This vaccine not only improves the quality of patients' lives - it saves lives."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seasonal flu activity can begin as early as October and continue to occur as late as May. Flu activity most commonly peaks in the U.S. in January or February. DaVita also encourages anyone who has physical contact with a dialysis patient to receive a flu vaccination early in the flu season.
For press release, Click Here.
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Man Credits Vintage Bicycle With Renewed Lease On Life
November 06, 2011
You'd expect that something called the "Red Phantom" would be a super hero. And it is.
In fact, it gets credit for saving the life of Henderson resident Wheeler "Whitey" Dotson, who declares that without the Phantom, "I wouldn't be alive today. I believe that with every fiber of my being."
No, the Red Phantom isn't a costumed, muscle-bound, building-leaping character.
It's a single-speed Schwinn bike that debuted in 1955 and was sold for only two years. Whitey had always wanted one, and at Christmas, 1997, he was given one by Barbara, who wed him 53 years ago.
Whitey now pedals that bicycle — and another much more contemporary Schwinn belonging to Barbara — an average of 42 miles a week, including an eight-mile round trip three times a week from his and Barbara's Pleasant Pointe apartment to the local DaVita Gardenside Dialysis Center.
The 73-year-old Air Force veteran and retired trucking company owner is a cancer survivor, but has failed kidneys, diabetes, and
high blood pressure.
That illness triple-threat knocked him for a loop and when he began dialysis to cleanse his blood five years ago, he "was in a wheelchair and laid around on the couch all day."
Two of his five children are nurses, and they begged him to get up from the sofa and do as much as he could to strengthen his body. So did Barbara, and the other adult offspring.
That resigned lay-about wasn't the dynamic man they had always known and they were fearful of losing him.
Gradually, their pleas and the advice of the supportive staff at DaVita, "my second family," got to him "and I got my bike out."
Little by little he grew stronger, and the Whitey his family had long admired began to emerge.
To read this inspiring story in full, Click Here.
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20 Dialysis Machines For Hospitals
November 03, 2011
Twenty dialysis machines have been donated to three hospitals across the island by Bridge of Life, based in the United States of America.
The hospitals are University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) and St Joseph’s in Kingston, and Mandeville Regional in Manchester.
The dialysis centres at these three hospitals are managed by Nephrologist Professor Everard Barton.
Executive Director of Bridge of Life, Lori Vaclavik, said her organisation, in association with the DaVita Medical Mission, is pleased to be working in Jamaica to provide lifesaving treatment for people affected by end stage renal disease.
She said Jamaica was selected as a country in which to work, “because of the existence of good hospitals and because there are already skilled doctors, technicians and nurses who understand kidney care.”
The machines will enable the effective treatment and care of 150 additional persons who have been diagnosed with renal end stage disease.
Bridge of Life has brought a team of experts to conduct training sessions with about 60 to 80 kidney care professionals in the hospitals, including nurses and patient care technicians.
“We are about providing equipment and training, and empowering people in their country to provide health care. We are confident that the medical professionals in the three hospitals will be able to do that,” she added.
She pointed out that the training at each facility will take place over a three-week period, and that the team is committed to transferring the requisite knowledge needed for the administering of quality treatment.
Volunteer with Professor Barton at the UHWI, Blossom Laidlaw, said that contact was made with the Bridge of Life through a Jamaican doctor from Harvard University, Dr Harvey Ketwaru.
The UHWI now has a total of 14 dialysis stations; St Joseph’s, eight and the centre at the Mandeville Regional has five machines.
For full article, Click Here.
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DaVita 3rd Quarter 2011 Results
November 03, 2011
DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA) today announced results for the quarter ended September 30, 2011. Income from continuing operations attributable to DaVita Inc. for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 was $138.2 million and $346.7 million, or $1.45 and $3.57 per share, respectively, which for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 excludes an after-tax non-cash goodwill impairment charge of approximately $14.4 million, or $0.14 per share, that was recorded in the second quarter of 2011 related to our infusion therapy business. Income from continuing operations attributable to DaVita Inc. for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 including this item was $332.3 million, or $3.43 per share.
For full press release on 3rd Quarter Results, Click Here.
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New Option For Healthcare Coming To Downtown Tacoma DaVita Launches Innovative Primary Care Clinic
November 03, 2011
An innovative approach to local healthcare is coming soon to Tacoma.
Opening in conjunction with DaVita’s downtown office building in early 2012, this will be the first of the national organization’s primary care clinics to start popping up throughout the region.
The clinic will be accessible to individuals, families and small businesses throughout the area who are looking for another option for primary care. Patients, or their employers, pay a flat rate of $69 per month ($29 per month for children under 18) to receive all their basic healthcare needs, including regular check-ups, urgent care appointments, preventative health and referrals to specialty services.
The new division of DaVita will be called Paladina Health – a name chosen for its connection to the new clinic’s advocacy for its patients.
For full article, Click Here.
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U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn Visits Dialysis Center
November 03, 2011
U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Brentwood, visited the DaVita Inc. Williamson County Dialysis Center recently to meet patients and caregivers and learn about dialysis and particular kidney care needs for Tennessee residents.
“This disease affects millions of Americans, including many in the Tennessee Seventh Congressional District, and it is good to learn more about the advances in treatments and care,” Blackburn said in a press release from DaVita.
More than 31 million Americans are affected by chronic kidney disease, most of whom are unaware they have it. The chance that an American adult has it is nearly 12 times greater than an American woman’s risk of getting breast cancer. High-risk groups include African-Americans, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans and seniors (those 60 and over). Primary risk factors include diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease or a family history of these conditions.
For information, contact the center at 615-794-4423 or visit 3983 Carothers Parkway in Franklin.
For full article, Click Here.
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Top Company 2011: DaVita - Winner In The Healthcare Category
November 02, 2011
It doesn't sound like a promising business model when the CEO says one of the company's primary goals is to have fewer people need its services. Kent Thiry likely won't see his company move toward that goal any time soon. The Fortune 500 dialysis company takes care of about one of every three of the 350,000 dialysis patients in America.
"Unfortunately, we're still a growth industry, fueled by diabetes and hypertension primarily, which are growing throughout America," Thiry says. "We have that basic demand growing because of all the diabetics and hypertensives out there and the aging of America. That's one of the big drivers."
Nearly 85 percent of DaVita's patients pay for their treatment through Medicare and Medicaid, Thiry said. Thus, the growing federal deficit and the potential changes in health-care payments have him concerned.
"To the extent we start losing reimbursement there, it gets difficult for us to do a good job," he says.
At DaVita, Thiry is also known as the "mayor of DaVita Village," a title that alludes to its homespun and collaborative nature. The company, whose name, logo and core values were selected by its employees, has been named four years running to WorldBLU's Most Democratic Workplaces list.
"Every eight weeks we have a Voice of the Village call, where I get on the phone with a lot of senior folks," Thiry says. "There are about 2,500 people on each of those calls scattered around America. They get an update and ask any question that they want. And everybody gets to hear how the leadership answers those questions."
For full article, Click Here.
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DaVita Jumps 192 Spots to Number 242 among Newsweek U.S. Green Rankings
October 27, 2011
DaVita announced today that it has been ranked number 242 - up 192 spots from last year's ranking - on the 2011 Newsweek U.S. Green Rankings list.
This is the third year Newsweek has compiled its green rankings; DaVita® has been ranked each year so far. Newsweek U.S. Green Rankings comprise the top 500 companies in America, highlighting those leading in environmental performance. Data is collected and verified in cooperation with Trucost and Sustainalytics, two leading environmental-research firms. The firms work to assess companies' environmental footprint, management and disclosure.
"At DaVita we're pursuing innovative solutions to reduce our footprint while maintaining high-quality patient care," said DaVita Chairman and CEO Kent Thiry. "Newsweek's recognition gives us confidence we're making real progress toward that goal."
Click Here to read about recent honors.
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DaVita Announces Government Inquiry
October 25, 2011
DaVita announced today that it has been advised that it will be receiving a request for documents, which could include an administrative subpoena from the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The request is in connection with an inquiry by the United States Attorney's office for the Eastern District of New York regarding payment for infusion drugs covered by the New York Medicaid composite payment system for dialysis. We believe this inquiry is civil in nature. We do not know the time period covered by the inquiry.
We understand that certain other providers that operate dialysis clinics in New York and provide services to New York Medicaid patients also may be receiving or have received a similar request for documents. We intend to cooperate with the government to provide responsive documents.
To the Company's knowledge, no proceedings have been initiated against it at this time, although the Company cannot predict whether proceedings might be initiated.
Over the last twelve years, our strong record of compliance has been well established in the healthcare industry. The Company has worked hard to create and sustain a culture of compliance at DaVita, as well as the policies and systems to support that culture. We respect the government's responsibility to ensure the appropriateness of provider practices. We intend to work cooperatively in response to this inquiry and look forward to resolving the matter.
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Adventist, DaVita Teaming Up To Tackle Kidney Disease
October 21, 2011
To provide extended services to patients in areas that need it most, Adventist Health/Central Valley Network has partnered with DaVita Dialysis to provide kidney and dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end-stage renal disease.
Adventist Health became a joint venture partner on Sept. 1 with the new DaVita Lemoore Dialysis Center.
DaVita, which is Italian for "giving life," is a Fortune 500 company and the largest provider of dialysis services in the U.S. Dialysis provides an important service for kidney patients by removing waste and excess water from their blood, a function normally performed by healthy kidneys.
The newly opened center has 16 dialysis chairs with a maximum capacity to dialyze up to 96 patients. There are 14 staff members, including a social worker and dietitian.
To read more about this partnership, Click Here.
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Do Good. It’s Contagious.
October 21, 2011
One of the high points of yesterday’s Denver Business Journal Powerbook lunch – in addition to Sharon Linhart’s recognition as the 2011 honoree in the Media and Communications category – was the keynote talk by Kent Thiry, chairman and CEO of Denver-based DaVita Inc. DaVita is the largest independent provider of kidney dialysis services in the U.S. for patients suffering from chronic kidney failure.
DaVita is an unusual company and Kent is an unusual CEO. DaVita describes itself as a community first and a company second, and Kent’s business card identifies him as “mayor of DaVita village.” DaVita has teammates, not employees – and when teammates gather, often wearing feathered musketeer hats and brandishing plastic swords, you’ll frequently hear the cry “All for one,” and the full-throated response “And one for all.”
Hokey? Maybe, but something’s working: over the past three years, DaVita shares have outperformed the S&P 500, the NASDAQ and the Dow.
Kent shared these thoughts on leadership yesterday:
- Begin with the end in mind – and be able to describe it specifically. If you can’t explain your goals clearly, you haven’t thought about them enough.
- Speak your dreams and encourage others to do the same. If you proclaim your objectives out loud, you increase your own commitment and compliance.
- Just as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, leadership is in the eye of the led.
- Management is a business skill; leadership is a human skill. To be an effective leader, you must understand human behavior – beginning with your own.
- Leadership is not a function of position, it’s a function of behavior. Anyone in any role at any level can be a leader.
- No one washes a rental car. Leaders convince (and permit) people to take ownership.
- A community (including a business, which in DaVita parlance is a community) produces most what it honors most.
- Intentionality rules. People can smell it.
- Leaders lead, now. They don’t wait for the moment or react to circumstances.
- You can’t pour from an empty cup. Leaders must continually renew their capacity to lead.
Parting words from “KT”: “Do good, it’s contagious.”
For full post, Click Here.
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Sending Forth Ripples: New digs a 'game changer' for Youth Project
October 21, 2011
GREAT BARRINGTON -- Railroad Street Youth Project has long been hailed for its efforts to empower local youths. Now it has a headquarters with an image to match its reputation.
The nonprofit organization held an open house on Thursday to show off $125,000 in improvements made to its Bridge Street drop-in center. What once was a drab shell, organizers say, is now an inviting space that has only increased its presence among area teens.
"It's unbelievable," said executive director Brenda Barlow. "It's a game changer; kids are coming in droves."
The brightly colored space now boasts an inviting communal space, a row of computers and a host of needed infrastructure improvements.
Eric Bruun has been involved with Railroad Street since its inception nearly 12 years ago. A member of the board of directors, Bruun remembers what the space looked like four years ago when they relocated to Bridge Street and said the makeover provides a space to match the work being done there.
"It's astonishing," said Bruun. "It's gone from drab and tired to colorful and exciting."
Efforts to refurbish the space began last year, even though organizers never expected they could do much with their shoe-string budget. But then the improvements came, and they came from an unexpected source.
Barlow contacted DaVita, a Denver-based dialysis provider, after she was informed of the company's annual bike tour to promote kidney disease awareness and donate to community based organizations.
DaVita agreed to come to Great Barrington to kick off its tour last September, donating $50,000 for infrastructure improvements and bringing in 150 employees to refurbish the space. DaVita also was able to raise $75,000 for furniture, computers and even a pinball machine.
"We were just stunned by their generosity," said Brian Tobin, Railroad Street board chairman. "We never would have been able to do this on our own; we just didn't have the money for it."
Caleb King, a local teen involved with Railroad Street, said the upgrades have piqued the interest of a diverse group of his peers. But more importantly, he said, it has allowed them to take advantage of the constructive opportunities the organization provides.
Click Here for link to full article.
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Dialysis on demand: at-home treatment gains popularity among patients
October 19, 2011
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - An easier and less invasive way to undergo dialysis, according to many patients, is gaining popularity here the Grand Valley.
"I'm in renal failure. I have approximately six percent kidney function left," says Vietnam veteran Tom Richards. Richards recently switched to at-home dialysis, which he says has given him back more energy and mobility in life.
Richards suffered a kidney infection after serving as a navy medic corpsman oversees during the war. "An 82 millimeter mortar went off behind me... I ended up with 47 pieces of shrapnel in my kidneys," says Richards.
Dialysis treatments now filter Richards' blood of toxins. But he's no longer spending his dialysis days at Grand Junction DaVita Center, where he once spent more than four hours during treatments, three times each week. "You're in an open room with 18 other people...Some of these people are really sick, more so than me. That's depressing," says Richards, who says he lost several friends to kidney failure, who he met while taking dialysis at the center.
Richards is one of five patients in the Grand Valley hooking himself up at home, for much shorter treatments, more frequently. At-home dialysis patients dialysize five or six days a week, instead of undergoing three, longer in-center treatments. "The feeling is so much better. I have more energy, more motivation," Richards says.
"He still has quality time, even in that chair, with his grandchildren," says Margene Richards, Tom's wife, of his switch to at-home dialysis.
At-home hemodialysis patients say they have more freedom to enjoy their days, thanks to less recovery time.
"Because they're getting their dialysis more frequently, they tend to feel a lot better than when they're only coming in center three times a week," says Elizabeth Cook, a dialysis nurse at the DaVita Center.
The DaVita center says a growing number of patients are hoping to switch to at-home dialysis, especially those who live far from the center, or who simply want to have a more normal weekly routine. "I dialysize for two hours and 12 minutes. Sometimes I get up right away and am ready to go," says Richards.
Nationwide, the number of dialysis patients is expected to double over the next five years, with less expensive, at-home treatments becoming more and more common. The DaVita center says it currently has about a handful of patients waiting to train to take their dialysis at home. DaVita serves about 120 patients throughout the Grand Valley.
For full article, Click Here.
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Hispanic Business Magazine 100 Influentials: Kim Rivera
October 19, 2011
Our very own Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Kim Rivera, was recently named as HispanicBusiness Magazines 100 Influentials in a corporate setting.
Ms. Rivera joined DaVita in 2010. She has extensive experience in business litigation, corporate law, international law and compliance. She began her practice in the litigation group at Jones Day, and then joined Rockwell Automation where she served as vice president law and chief litigation counsel. She also served as vice president and associate general counsel-international and compliance for the Clorox Co. In that room, she was responsible for Clorox's global compliance program, the delivery of legal services to its international businesses, and oversight of litigation and employment law matters. She is a graduate of Duke University and Harvard Law School.
Click Here for the full list of honorees. To read the full article on The Influence of Diversity, Click Here.
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DaVita Announces Estimate of Third Quarter 2011 Results
October 18, 2011
DaVita is announcing an estimate of certain third quarter 2011 operating results in advance of the announcement of its actual third quarter operating results, which is expected to occur after market close on November 3, 2011. Our estimate of operating results for the third quarter of 2011 includes:
- Operating income in the range of $314 million to $322 million.
- Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations in the range of $1.43 to $1.48.
- Normalized non-acquired treatment growth of approximately 4.6%.
- Continued deterioration in our mix of treatments reimbursed by non-government payors as a percentage of total treatments.
- Operating results of DSI beginning September 1, 2011
Our estimate of third quarter operating performance is driven by strong treatment volume growth and by decreased operating cost from a decline in utilization of physician-prescribed pharmaceuticals due to continued evolution of clinical practices and physicians responding to the new FDA label for Epogen. These estimated results exclude any unidentified unusual or nonrecurring material charges.
For full press release and more information on Third Quarter 2011 Results, Click Here.
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Drop-In Center A Cure For Cynicism
October 18, 2011
Consider me a cynic. But if someone offers you a whole lot of money and asks for nothing in return, wouldn’t you say, "What’s the catch?" Which is what I did say more than once. But in fact, there was no catch when DaVita Inc., a leading provider of kidney care services based in Denver, chose Great Barrington as the location of its annual service day, and Railroad Street Youth Project as the recipient of a sum of money, no strings attached, to pay for something the organization needed.
As a member of the RSYP’s development committee, I know there is a lot the organization needs -- funding for programs and projects as well as money to hire and pay staff to administer those programs and projects. But RSYP is dedicated to empowering young people and what they said they needed more than anything was a better Drop-in Center. The RSYP Drop-in Center is the Schneider Youth Building on Bridge Street in Great Barrington, and it had become care-worn over time. It was crowded with shabby furniture and make-shift offices; it felt dark and dreary. Everyone agreed, it needed to be a more welcoming place for the 14-25-year-olds who come for counseling, advocacy and referral services, socializing, meetings, activities, to do their homework and hang out.
So with $50,000 in donations: $25,000 from DaVita and $25,000 from the K.T. Community Foundation (a foundation started by DaVita Chairman and CEO Kent Thiry and his wife, Denise O’Leary, which benefits charitable programs), the remodeling of the Railroad Street Youth Project Drop-in Center began in mid-summer. Youth and adults from the community joined forces to design a new floor plan and remodel the space.
Then, on Sept. 18, more than 400 bike riders (DaVita employees, physician partners and patients) arrived in Great Barrington as part of a 250-mile tour from Great Barrington to Madison, Connecticut. They had each raised a minimum of $750 to $2,000 in donations to benefit The Kidney TRUST, a nonprofit organization with the mission to reduce the human and economic cost of chronic kidney disease across the United States and to "raise awareness for chronic kidney disease, which affects approximately 31 million American adults, 90 percent of whom are unaware they are suffering from it."
To continue reading about Drop-In Center a Cure For Cynicism, Click Here.
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American Kidney Fund's Annual Gala, The Hope Affair, Celebrates 40 Years of Caring on October 25 Along With Spokesperson Laila Ali
October 17, 2011
The third annual American Kidney Fund national gala, The Hope Affair, will take place on Tuesday, October 25, 2011, at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC. The Hope Affair will honor four special individuals, including a kidney patient, a nephrologist, a caregiver and the organization's "Calendar Kids" Art Contest winner while celebrating AKF's 40 years of caring with renal industry leaders and policymakers. Washington, DC's FOX 5 news anchor, Shawn Yancy, will serve as the evening's emcee.
"We are delighted to bring together the nation's kidney community for The Hope Affair as we celebrate the American Kidney Fund's 40th year of caring for kidney patients in need," said LaVarne A. Burton, President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Kidney Fund. "This year, we are proud to honor four inspiring individuals who have provided much hope to their local communities. It also gives us great pleasure to share our celebration with Laila Ali, the American Kidney Fund's celebrity health champion."
To read more, Click Here.
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Solar Hot Water Saves Health Care Dollars
October 17, 2011
When we write about solar thermal technology, we’re usually talking about large-scale power plants or residential solar hot water systems. But solar thermal technology is versatile, scalable and appropriate for a wide range of applications that require heat. An interesting – and potentially life saving – application for solar thermal technology is in the health care industry.
DaVita, a provider of kidney dialysis services for patients with chronic kidney disease, installed a solar thermal hot water system at their Scottsburg, Ind., clinic in 2010. The dialysis process involves heating water to a temperature equivalent to the human body before it is filtered in the blood cleaning process, and the company hoped that the solar hot water system would help reduce clinic’s natural-gas use. And it has, trimming gas consumption by 75 percent, compared to other facilities in the region, the company said.
Click Here, for full article.
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Winners: 'Have a Ball' tourney raises funds to help keep kids safe
October 17, 2011
Sponsors of Safe Kids Washoe County's third annual "Have a Ball" mini-golf tournament at Wild Island, including Western Surgical Group, Amerigroup Community Care, Blue Moon Promotions, KPS3 Marketing, Maggie Tole, Jane Miller, REMSA, Care Flight, Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center, RTC, the Gubbels family, Drinkwater Law Offices, Northern Nevada DUI Task Force, Northern Nevada Immunization Coalition, Rotary Club of Reno Sunrise, Wild Island and Washoe County Save N' Sober Foundation. More than 28 teams participated and raised more than $5,000 to help fund safety education programs to keep children safe from accidental injury.
Bishop's Benefit event
raises record amount
Everyone who contributed to Catholic Charities of Northern Nevada's fourth annual Bishop's Benefit, including all the table sponsors, the event committee, Silver Legacy, Knights of Columbus, auction item donors, Bishop Randolph Calvo and the board of trustees of Catholic Charities. The event hosted more than 350 guests, who were treated to a dinner, auction and awards ceremony honoring the Knights of Columbus's Northern Nevada Councils, which were awarded the Bishop's Humanitarian Award. A record amount of money was raised, which will help meet the need for food, clothing and shelter.
Beer Hike raises $1,600
for Land Conservancy
The approximate 100 people who trekked to Marlette Lake on Sept. 24 for the 12th annual Beer Hike sponsored by Silver Peak Restaurant and Brewery to benefit the Nevada Land Conservancy. Ten volunteers hike in three five-gallon kegs of Silver Peak's beer and commemorative T-shirts to raise $1,600 for the group's mission to preserve and protect the special places and open spaces of Nevada for future generations.
Atlantis donates restaurant coupons to House Calls group
The Atlantis Resort, for its donation to House Calls, a Fernley non-profit that provides reassurance and reminder calls to elderly residents who live independently. The Atlantis donated coupons for Toucan Charlie's Buffet and Grill to be included in birthday cards for House Calls clients in the coming year.
K.T. Community Foundation contributes to HAWC center
The K.T. Community Foundation, for a grant to Health Access Washoe County for paint for the interior of the HAWC Community Health Center. The foundation is funded by Kent Thiry, CEO of DaVita Inc., and his wife Denise O'Leary. On Oct. 6, more than 90 DaVita employees, their spouses and friends gathered at the center to revitalize its interior just in time for the beginning of Saturday hours for the clinic.
Once Upon A Child sponsors Library Benefit Day event
Jennifer Cole and her staff at Once Upon A Child, for sponsoring a Library Benefit Day, which raised $546.50 for Friends of Washoe County Library. The day featured a special story time by librarian Brenda Baxter.
For full article, Click Here.
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Sending Forth Ripples To Our Denver Community: May meeting with Hickenlooper helped Arrow Electronics CEO decide to move headquarters to Colorado
October 14, 2011
Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper and his wife, Helen Thorpe, gathered four corporate chieftains and their wives in their Park Hill home in May and asked two questions: What is your greatest failure? And how did you come back?
Thorpe went first, then Kent Thiry of DaVita. Eventually, the guest of honor spoke.
Arrow Electronics chief executive Michael Long said one of his biggest failures was when he closed a business unit and laid off its many employees "because we couldn't get things done that needed to be done." After the experience, he said, he became more focused on the people who make up Arrow's workforce.
The ice was broken, and after everyone spoke, a conversation ensued about running global businesses based in Colorado and strengthening the state's economy. After the gathering, Long said, he was more convinced than ever that shifting Arrow's headquarters of 75 years from Long Island, New York, to the Denver area was the right move.
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Annual DaVita Ride - Backroads Donate Towels to Threading Hope
October 13, 2011
Thank you to the Backroads employees who collected donated towels from the DaVita riders during the 5th annual ride (this year throughout NY, MA and CT). A 240 mile ride to celebrate the work the employees of DaVita provide and raising funds (over $700,000) for Kidney Awareness.
Backroads supports 400+ riders for the Tour DaVita, from support vans to camp set up and breakdown, and along the way meeting amazing people with captivating stories. Two of the riders this year were also patients and at times had to leave for dialysis. It was my honor to be on team Light Blue this year and what a wonderful group of riders. Their early morning smiles and energy for the ride was invigorating....
Threading Hope is a Humanitarian entity of dl-couture. It works directly with non-profits and foundations to bring hope to children and those in need in underprivileged countries, providing not just a blanket for warmth but a personalized quilt designed by textile artist Kristina Green, or donated by our wonderful quilters around the globe.
Mrs. Green is the co-founder of “Threading Hope” with Danell Lynn. Joining together in a life long passion of helping others and bringing beauty and hope into times of pain that feel hopeless. Mrs. Green is one of the women behind the passionate quilts, she is a fabric artist personalizing every stitch, every patch, and every inch is made from her heart.
Click Here, for pictures and Threading Hope's webpage.
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Foundation Names Honorees
October 12, 2011
Three Denver-area business leaders and two companies will be honored at the Women's Vision Foundation's 14th annual Women's Success Forum, Oct. 21 at the Colorado Convention Center. Mary Rhinehart, senior vice president and chief financial officer at Johns Manville, was named Woman of the Year; Jim Hardin, vice president and controller at United Launch Alliance, Ally of the Year; and Stacy Garfield, subcontract program manager at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., the Betsy Bernard Emerging Leader winner.
In addition, Xcel Energy was named Corporate Advocate and DaVita Inc. won the Corporate Vision award.
Information: womensvision.org or 303-470-7576.
For full article, Click Here.
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Support Groups A Welcome Part Of Kidney Patients' New Lives
October 09, 2011
In the two months since he began dialysis after his kidneys began to fail, Michael Quinn thought there must be something wrong with him.
The Sutersville man has experienced shortness of breath, severe cramping in his legs and generally feels "wiped out" after the sessions, which remove the waste from his blood three times a week, three hours a day.
"It's been a really bad experience," said Mr. Quinn, 56, a registered nurse.
Worse than that, his wife, Tina, said, he has felt depressed by it all because "he's felt like he was the only one" who went through it.
A neighbor pointed him to the Western Pennsylvania Kidney Support Groups, an organization that strives to bring together some of the more than 10,000 people in the region who are on dialysis, are kidney transplant recipients, living donors, or their caregivers, to talk about the common experiences they share.
"The idea is to tell our stories to each other," said Jack Silverstein, 64, a kidney transplant patient from Monroeville and one of the main organizers of the group. "It can be tough for other people to relate. Not everyone has been near death like we have."
From its origin over a decade ago, the group has evolved into five chapters -- Pittsburgh West, Pittsburgh East, Westmoreland County, South Hills and a pediatric group -- with nearly 300 members and a growing demand for more groups.
To read the full article, Click Here.
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DaVita Ranked No. 23 in Top Places to Work in Pittsburgh
October 07, 2011
What makes employees want to come to work and to work hard while they are there? Appreciation.
A good "thank you" for a job well done goes a long way with workers in Pittsburgh.
That was one of the findings by Workplace Dynamics when it surveyed workers in the region: 70 percent (the highest of any category) said feeling appreciated was important.
Rankings for pay, flexibility and benefits came in low on the importance scale because those three aspects have to be in place before employees will start to appreciate a job -- or even stay in a job.
To continue reading article, Click Here.
For complete list of Top Places to Work in Pittsburgh, Click Here.
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Volunteers From DaVita Giving Back To The HAWC Clinic
October 06, 2011
A clinic that helps those who don't have health insurance is getting a new paint job thanks to the Davita Dialysis Center.
About 90 volunteers painted the inside of the HAWC Community Health Center on Wells Avenue.
Officials with Health Access Washoe County say the remodel will not only raise worker morale, but it will also help patients better connect with those workers. "We're just trying to make it feel like you would if you were going to your doctor's office. That it's warm, it's friendly, and that they're receiving real high quality care," says Eve McEneaney.
The HAWC clinic says it's seen a rise in new patients because of the economy.
HAWC officials say they've seen an average of 65,000 patients a year.
To watch the video, Click Here.
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DaVita Labs to Present Falcon Lab Application at National Renal Administrators Association 2011 Annual Meeting
October 03, 2011
DaVita Labs, a chronic kidney disease specialty laboratory, will display the company's latest version of its Web-based application, Falcon Lab(TM), at the National Renal Administrators Association (NRAA) 2011 Annual Meeting.
The October 5-7 meeting will be held at the New Orleans Marriott in New Orleans. The company will be located at booth #202 during the meeting.
Falcon Lab(TM) is designed as a renal-specific, Web-based application that provides 24/7 access to advanced ordering, data analysis and reporting tools for patients with CKD and ESRD. Falcon Lab demonstrations are available at NRAA by scheduling an appointment with Brenda Lavati at brenda.lavati@davita.com.
For the full press release on the Falcon Lab Application, Click Here.
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DaVita's First Solar Thermal Dialysis Clinic Trial Shows Substantial Energy Reduction
September 29, 2011
DaVita announced today that the company's first-ever dialysis clinic using solar thermal technology has shown a 75 percent reduction in natural gas consumption versus comparable DaVita facilities in the region.
The solar thermal technology was installed as a trial at DaVita's Scottsburg, Ind., facility in 2010 and initial data has been analyzed in 2011. In the dialysis process water must be heated to a temperature equivalent to the human body before it is filtered in the blood cleaning process. To lessen the amount of fossil fuels consumed in the water heating process solar thermal panels were installed on the roof of the facility, using the sun to naturally increase the average temperature of water used for treatment.
"DaVita strives to identify innovative ways to reduce our energy consumption," said Kent Thiry, chairman and CEO of DaVita. "We're very encouraged by the initial results from this trial."
DaVita will continue to analyze and evaluate the data for the remainder of the year. If the pilot remains successful after this time, DaVita hopes to expand the use of solar thermal technology at more facilities across the country. In the meantime DaVita is testing other energy reduction technologies, including a water turbine in San Francisco, in an effort to continuously improve and learn.
DaVita places a high value on reducing the company's environmental footprint and is credited with opening the nation's first LEED-certified dialysis facility as well as the first dialyzer recycling pilot.
Visit DaVita's newly launched sustainability page at http://www.davita.com/about/sustainability to learn more about the company's efforts.
For full press release, Click Here.
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The Facts of Chronic Kidney Disease
September 29, 2011
Chronic Kidney Disease can affect anyone and it's important to know the facts and what you can do before it's too late. Susan Bridger with the Davita Facilty joined Good Morning Memphis with more information.
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Hurricane Irene: Coordinated Response Prevents Dialysis Disruption
September 28, 2011
As Hurricane Irene headed for the East Coast of the United States, the dialysis community was prepared for the worst. These efforts, coupled with changes in storm strength and the weekend timing of landfall, largely had their desired effect, with most units from North Carolina to Maine up, running, and dialyzing patients the day after the storm.
“Irene was a large, powerful storm that impacted millions of people along the Eastern Seaboard, many of whom had never experienced the direct effects of a hurricane,” wrote Seth Holloway, MPH, CPH, Emergency Management Specialist for the Kidney Community Emergency Response (KCER) Coalition, in an e-mail message.
“The kidney community, through preparation, collaboration, and coordinated response, greatly diminished the storm's potential impacts to the dialysis and transplant populations, undoubtedly saving many lives.”
To continue reading this article, Click Here.
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Support group revives picnic
September 28, 2011
Patients from the DaVita Dialysis Center revived their annual picnic Sept. 18 at Lake Etta County Park after a three-year absence.
Deborah Bliss coordinated the picnic and is a social worker at DaVita. She said prior to the three-year break, the center would sponsor the picnics, but budget cuts made it impossible to continue.
“We raised the money with help from a couple of our doctors, Northwest Ambulance and Prompt Ambulance to get food and drinks,” Bliss said about this year’s event.
The support group meets once a month at Methodist Hospital to talk about problems and achievements and to socialize.
Some of the 210 dialysis patients and their families talked, played games and listened to a variety of music provided by Lester Steverson, a DJ who is also a patient, at the event.
To read the full story, Click Here.
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DaVita Clinical Research Launches New Advisory Committee Preparation Services
September 27, 2011
DCR’s team helps lead drug and device sponsors from presentation outlines through execution at FDA Advisory Committee meetings. Sponsors benefit from a strategic partnership with dedicated presentation experts who translate messages into powerful slides in real time. DCR’s team, which has participated in more than 20 advisory committee meetings during the past six years, works side-by-side with sponsors to help ensure advisory committee communication is complete and effective.
The Advisory Committee Preparation Services are divided into two segments: presentation development and presentation execution. DCR’s role in presentation development is to create slides for sponsors that serve as powerful visual aids. Then, through presentation execution services – mock rehearsals, Q&A preparation and slide retrieval – the DCR team facilitates the effective delivery of those slides for sponsors. Similar services are available for other face-to-face meetings between sponsors and FDA, such as type A/B/C meetings.
DCR is pleased to announce as a part of this expansion the addition of Lesley M. Smith to the DCR team. Smith has distinguished herself as both an able practitioner and scholar in the area of strategic communication. She recently earned a M.A. in strategic communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is the only slide developer in the advisory committee preparation industry to write academically on the topic, conducting research on the presentation of data at drug advisory committee meetings.
“Successful slide development is a coordinated effort between clinical, regulatory and communication expertise,” stated Mahesh Krishnan, vice president of clinical research at DCR. “Professional communicators move pharmaceutical teams toward their goal in a way no other function can – a lesson I learned from my own experience preparing for an advisory committee meeting.”
With a staff that is fully committed to advancing the knowledge and practice of kidney care, DCR brings unsurpassed knowledge, skill and expertise to pharmaceutical research, helping ensure the success of clinical trials.
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Top Company 2011 winner: DaVita
September 23, 2011
ColoradoBiz announced today that DaVita is a Top Company 2011 winner in the Healthcare Category. Watch an interview with our Mayor, Kent Thiry, and Colorado Biz, click here.
For details on this announcement, Click Here.
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Cyclists From Across the Nation Come to Berkshires to Raise Awareness of Kidney Disease; Volunteer at Railroad Street Youth Project
September 21, 2011
DaVita announced today the completion of the remodeling of the Railroad Street Youth Project Drop-In Center, which happened with the support of DaVita teammates (employees) as well as $50,000 in donations: $25,000 from DaVita and $25,000 from the K.T. Community Foundation (a foundation started by DaVita Chairman and CEO Kent Thiry and his wife, Denise O'Leary, which benefits charitable programs supported by DaVita teammates and their families).
DaVita(R) volunteers participated in more than a dozen community service projects in Great Barrington on September 17 as a kick-off to Tour DaVita(R), a 250-mile bicycle ride through Massachusetts and Connecticut that raises awareness and funds in the fight against kidney disease.
To read full press release, Click Here.
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Spotlight Shines on Invisible Disabilities Champions at Annual Honors Banquet on 10/02/11 - Including Keynote Speaker Luis Carlos Montalván and His Service Dog Tuesday
September 19, 2011
Invisible Disabilities Association will be honoring the following: National Organization of Rare Disorders (NORD); Dave Dias; Kevin Custer; David Sandusky; Kent Thiry of Davita; Association of Hole in the Wall Camps; Theresa Marchetta of KMGH; Cancer Treatment Centers of America; Margaret A Ferrante MD; David Martz MD of ILADS and Jane Brown. Keynote Speaker will be Luis Carlos Montalván and Tuesday; MC will be Rick Crandall KEZW. Special Guest will be NSA Hall of Fame Speaker Karyn Buxman, RN.
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DaVita Staffing Leaders Walking [Biking] The Talk [Day 1]
September 18, 2011
Tony Blake, Davita's staffing leader and a former EREExpo master of ceremonies, is on a company supported Bike tour to raise funds for research into diseases that require dialysis.
First day was today...86 miles planned in North East. Here is the email he sent last night:
Saturday Night, September 17th, Great Barrington, MA
It's after 9 pm and we're getting settled for the night. We're at a beautiful campsite at the "Ski Butternut" resort.
After a good dinner of chicken, fish, rice and salad we're ready to go to bed.
Today and tonight it was really nice reconnecting with DaVita teammates from across the country that we've met on previous Tours. This is the biggest Tour yet with 420 riders (who raised over $700,000).
We have two patients riding this year to provide extra inspiration and motivation. The big news of the night was that Tour DaVita 6 will likely be in Colorado next year. Not surprising since our new HQ building will open next year in Denver, but still exciting.
To read the full except of Tony's email, Click Here.
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DaVita Ranked #6 In ColoradoBiz List Top 100 Colorado Based Companies
September 16, 2011
DaVita was recognized as the Top Company in Health Care by ColoradoBiz Magazine at a celebration held this week at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
The Top Company program recognizes outstanding firms, either headquartered or with a significant presence in Colorado, based on their financial performance, community involvement and outstanding achievement.
To see full list of Top 100 Colorado Based Companies, Click Here.
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Fifth Annual 250-Mile Tour DaVita Comes to Massachusetts and Connecticut
September 16, 2011
DaVita Inc. will join more than 400 teammates (employees), family members and friends from around the country in Great Barrington, Mass., September 17 to kick off the fifth annual Tour DaVita(R) - a three-day, 250-mile bike ride to raise awareness and funds for the fight against kidney disease, with this year's beneficiary being The Kidney TRUST.
"Tour DaVita isn't a bike race, but rather a collection of like-minded people from across the country cycling together to spread awareness of a disease the affects one out of six adult Americans," said DaVita(R) Chairman and CEO Kent Thiry, who will also be participating in the ride. "I have ridden in Tour DaVita every year to date because this is too important of an event - and frankly, too much fun - to not participate."
To participate in Tour DaVita, riders raised a minimum of $750 to $2,000 in donations each and paid their own travel expenses. Their individual fundraising combined with donations from DaVita and other corporate sponsorship is expected to contribute more than $700,000 to The Kidney TRUST(TM), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission to reduce the human and economic cost of chronic kidney disease across the United States.
For full press release, Click Here.
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DaVita Clinical Research Central Laboratory Expands Its Services And Technology
September 15, 2011
DaVita Clinical Research ® (DCR®), has announced the company's expansion within its Central Laboratory.
DCR's Central Laboratory is focused on providing world-class clinical research in both complex/specialty populations and therapeutic areas, as well as chronic kidney disease (CKD) populations. By year's end, the lab's test menu will increase by 43 percent, maintaining the company's leadership position in advanced renal care while ensuring critical coverage in the areas of oncology, immunology, endocrinology, cardiology and anemia.
The testing facility has expanded its technology through the addition of two new testing platforms, the IMMULITE 2000 XPi Immunoassay System and the AB SCIEX QTRAP 5500 LC/MS/MS system. Other additions include increased specimen management and storage capabilities for both short- and long-term testing. The Central Laboratory facilitates satisfaction with continuous IT advancements, allowing for clean, timely data and ease of customer access to laboratory results. DCR's commitment to "Excellence Through Innovation" is evident by its continual, selective additions of scientific and operational staff coming from the CRO and pharma communities.
In addition, DCR recently announced the launch of its Biorepository Services. The biorepository contains collections of biological material and their pertinent databases that are systemized for the purpose of research. This new, one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art biorepository dramatically improves the odds of a breakthrough discovery by combining samples meticulously collected from our nationwide network of over 1,700 sites richly annotated with patient-level heath information.
"We are proud of our recent investments in equipment and assay development," stated DCR Vice President of Commercial Development Kevin J. Goudreau. "These investments will allow us to supply central laboratory services outside of renal care. We will continue to invest heavily in assay development until the breadth of our offering covers virtually all therapeutic indications."
Full press release, Click Here.
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DaVita Dialysis Opens in Beecher; Facility Administrator Hopes Businesses In The Area Can Help Each Other
September 15, 2011
A new dialysis center in Mt. Morris Township could be a symbol of good times ahead for the Greater Beecher Business District Association, the association president said.
Davita Dialysis, 6141 N. Saginaw Road, officially opened Sept. 9, something that has been in the works for more than a year.
The new location is in response to need in the area, said Facility Administrator Morningstar Hoewe.
“I’ve got a huge response. The community has an eye on this place waiting for us to open,” said Hoewe, who’s been in the dialysis field for about 16 years. “I’ve had nothing but a pleasant time here. Everybody’s arms have been wide open.”
To read full article, Click Here.
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DaVita Made Its First Appearance On The Prestigious InformationWeek 500 List
September 15, 2011
InformationWeek 500 list recognizes the Most Innovative Business Technology Organizations. Only the top 250 of the 500 are ranked, including DaVita, which earned the impressive #100 spot. Of 69 healthcare/medical companies, DaVita is the only kidney care company on the list.
Click Here for the complete list.
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DaVita Teammates Log 1.5 Million Exercise Minutes in Match the Mayor IV Health and Wellness Campaign
September 15, 2011
DaVita announced today that DaVita teammates successfully concluded the fourth annual “Match the Mayor” health and wellness campaign. During the six-week program, over 2,000 DaVita teammates logged over 1.5 million exercise minutes and consumed 140,599 produce servings.
Match the Mayor IV challenged teammates to log their daily exercise and produce servings through the Health Trails program in order to move along a virtual trail and to “match” DaVita’s Mayor in exercise minutes. Kent Thiry, CEO and Mayor of the DaVita Village, kept a daily journal recording his health progress. Teammates interacted with Kent through comments on his blog posts and encouraged each other to complete their exercise goals for the six weeks.
Kelly Frye, an LPN from Jackson, Tenn., stated on the blog: “It's been a great start to a healthier life! I have been working out at least 3 times a week for 60 minutes each time, sometimes I go more days. I have increased my fruit and vegetable servings! I did not lose the 10lbs I had planned…I lost 20lbs!”
Match the Mayor IV was conducted by Village Vitality, a DaVita team dedicated to creating and sustaining a culture of health awareness and improvement among teammates. The DaVita Village Vitality Wellness Team oversaw the program and look forward to providing teammates with the next health awareness campaign.
DaVita is a registered trademark of DaVita Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
For full press release, Click Here.
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DaVita Clinical Research Announces New Biorepository Services
September 13, 2011
DaVita Clinical Research(R) (DCR(R)), a provider of clinical research services focused on kidney research as well as a multitude of specialty therapeutic populations, announces its one-of-a-kind Biorepository Services. These services offer the pharmaceutical industry unique collaborative research opportunities that combine access to high-quality samples combined with well-characterized patient data annotation.
DCR's distinctive Biorepository Services support industry trends toward personalized medicine, empowered drug discovery and productive drug development for biotechnology and pharmaceutical sponsors, as well as platform technology companies. This unique approach is at the forefront of changes with the biorepository industry that will provide meaningful advances toward the future of more effective drug discovery and development.
To read full article, Click Here.
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DaVita Named On The Military Times Edge Magazine: Best for Vets Employers 2011 List For Second Consecutive Year
September 08, 2011
Military Time's EDGE surveyed Fortune 1,000 companies and top government contractors and rated their vet-friendliness in three areas: recruiting, corporate culture and reserve policies. We looked for companies that could prove they make veterans a priority — not just with slogans and statements of support, but with programs, policies and positive track records. DaVita is one of three healthcare companies that made the list.
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DaVita Closes Acquisition of DSI Renal, Inc.
September 06, 2011
DaVita announced today that it has closed its acquisition of DSI Renal, Inc. ("DSI").
DaVita previously announced the signing of the Merger Agreement for this acquisition on Feb. 4, 2011. The closing follows the Federal Trade Commission's issuance of a consent order approving the closing of the acquisition, conditioned on DaVita's divestiture of 30 clinics (the majority of which were acquired from DSI). Specifically, DaVita will be divesting these clinics for $91 million subject to certain adjustments.
DaVita Chairman and CEO Kent Thiry stated, "The DaVita Village is excited to welcome the good people of DSI. We look forward to being able to bring the broader line of DaVita chronic kidney disease services to DSI patients, and we believe that this combination will enhance our ability to meet the needs of patients, physicians, payors and taxpayers over the long-term."
For full press release, Click Here.
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DaVita Clinics Welcomed 28 Political Leaders in August
September 02, 2011
Clinic visits give officials the opportunity to learn about constituents’ kidney care needs.
DaVita announced that the company hosted a total of 28 political leaders in August at various clinics around the country. Government officials representing local, state and national districts had the opportunity to meet patients and care givers and learn about dialysis, particularly the kidney care needs of their constituents.
For the full list of Polictical leaders, Click Here.
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DaVita Names Executives to Lead International Expansion Efforts
August 29, 2011
DaVita announced today the appointments of Atul Mathur and Björn Englund to lead two separate international expansion efforts.
"These appointments signal a sharp focus, and long-term commitment to international growth," said Kent Thiry, DaVita CEO and chairman of the board. "Developing global markets will play an important role in our long-term expansion strategy."
Mathur, a veteran operational and business development executive, will lead the Asia-Pacific region based in Singapore. Englund, who has more than 25 years experience in the European dialysis industry, will lead European efforts.
"Atul and Björn are proven leaders in identifying opportunities and expanding market share," said Dennis Kogod, chief operating officer. "Their track record for management and growth, as well as their understanding of their respective regions, will advance DaVita's overseas growth."
Mathur was most recently a senior vice president of international strategy, business development and partnerships at The American Express Company. In that role he was responsible for business strategy, oversaw partnership opportunities and drove market share growth. Mathur will lead DaVita's Asia-Pacific expansion and brand recognition efforts.
Englund most recently served as vice president for the International Dialysis Center a division of Euromedic International. Prior to that he was in charge of the Budapest-based International Dialysis Centers where he drove double-digit growth of the company's operations, including expansion in Russia, Turkey, Poland and Croatia. Englund will build brand recognition and manage overall operational expansion on the European continent for DaVita(R).
For full press release, Click Here.
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DaVita Honored With Corporate Vision Award from Women’s Vision Foundation
August 18, 2011
DaVita Inc. announced that it received the Corporate Vision Award from the Women's Vision Foundation for demonstrating innovation and exemplary leadership in the support and advancement of women and men in their careers.
This award is given annually to one corporation that embraces the mission of the Women’s Vision Foundation through developing creative programs to foster leadership skills, connecting people and inspiring action for a more successful organization and the community it serves.
“This FORTUNE 500® company takes a different approach to diversity in the workplace. The ‘DaVita Way’ creates a community-like environment and innovative management and training style that has been studied and mirrored by other companies and showcased by Harvard and Stanford Universities, and other major business schools as a successful inclusive corporate leader,” Women’s Vision Foundation said of DaVita® in a press release.
More than 1,200 Denver area corporate executives are expected to attend the Women's Success Forum and Tribute Awards Ceremony, to be held on October 21, 2011 at the Colorado Convention Center. Winners fall into five categories—Woman of the Year; Ally of the Year; Betsy Bernard Emerging Leader; Corporate Advocacy Award; and Corporate Vision Award.
Women’s Vision Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, is a leader in the support, advancement and leadership development of women. They are hosting the 14th annual Women’s Success Forum, a conference with internationally known keynote speakers, breakout session workshops and networking.
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Dialysis Center DaVita Opens In Cameron Park
August 16, 2011
DaVita Inc. has opened a dialysis center in Sam’s Town Marketplace in Cameron Park.
The Denver-based company signed a 10-year lease with property owner Sycamore Cameron Park LLC. Shawn Morrow with Terranomics Retail Services represented the property owner.
The region has more than two dozen centers that treat patients with kidney failure, more than half of them owned by DaVita. Business is booming as the number of people with diabetes continues to climb — and new centers are bringing jobs to town.
Click Here to read more.
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ANSI Welcomes New Members
August 05, 2011
In total, 8 organizations were welcomed as members of American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in July 2011: Avaya Inc., Carwild Corporation, DaVita, International Facility Management Association (IFMA), Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, Mohawk Home, and Werner Schaefer. ANSI's constituency works to improve quality of life for citizens by developing, implementing, and promulgating voluntary consensus standards and conformance assessment systems.
These organizations joined a federation that represents more than 125,000 companies and well over 3.5 million professionals. Under the Institute's umbrella, this diverse constituency works together to strengthen the competitiveness of businesses operating in the global marketplace and to improve the quality of life for all citizens by developing, implementing, and promulgating voluntary consensus standards and related conformance assessment systems.
"Active participation in ANSI and its programs can serve as both a strategic and tangible asset for an organization," said Brian Meincke, the Institute's senior director of membership development, membership marketing, and industry outreach. "Not only will they gain access to information and business intelligence that is not available elsewhere, but they will also receive discounts on many products and services. Equally important, they can build relationships that empower them with a voice and influence over the standardization and conformity assessment decisions that directly affect their business."
Click Here for press release.
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DaVita Rx is Honored with Patriot Award
August 03, 2011
DaVita Rx℠, the first and largest licensed, full-service U.S. pharmacy dedicated to serving the unique needs of kidney patients, announced today that it has been awarded the Patriot Award by the National Committe for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.
DaVita Rx℠ teammate (employee) and Army Reservist, Ifeanyi “Isaac” Okuzor-Nwakaego, nominated DaVita Rx and his supervisor, Julianna Ramsey, for the prestigious award. Employers qualify for recognition when they practice leadership and personnel policies that support employee participation in the Guard and Reserve.
Okuzor-Nwakaego, who is a certified pharmacy technician at DaVita Rx, drills one weekend every month and leaves frequently for reservist duties. Most recently Okuzor-Nwakaego left for training in January for three weeks and in May for another three weeks in North Carolina.
“Even when I’m gone my teammates are checking in on me and even sending me care packages – I know I always have their support,” explains Okuzor-Nwakaego. “The care and concern that my teammates show regarding my position in the Army Reserves really comes from our leadership; they don’t just say how to act, they live it and everyone else learns from that.”
Two superiors from Okuzor-Nwakaego’s unit, Lieutenant Colonel Dennis Snelling and Commander Sergeant Major Jeffery Darlington, were in attendance to present the award during last Friday’s homeroom meeting, a weekly gathering of 500 DaVita Rx teammates.
“Receiving this award, on behalf of DaVita Rx, was such an amazing and humbling experience,” remarked Ramsey. “I feel that the real reward for me is having someone on my team like Isaac. He is the one risking his life and training others to do the same.”
This award is an honor for DaVita Rx, which currently employs 11 military veterans and three active duty and military reservists at its Texas location.
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DaVita to Launch Dialyzer Recycling Pilot Project through Collaboration with Waste Management and BD
August 02, 2011
DaVita announced the company is leveraging the expertise of WM Healthcare Solutions, Inc., a subsidiary of Waste Management, Inc., and BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) to launch a dialyzer recycling pilot in 106 DaVita dialysis clinics in Southern California. This recycling pilot project is expected to be the first of its kind in North America.
"We have the potential to offset 350,000 pounds of dialyzer waste in this trial alone, which is incredible because until now, there has not been a 'green' way to dispose of dialyzers or other medical waste," said Kent Thiry, chairman and CEO of DaVita. "This pilot program has the potential to change the landscape of sustainable health care, particularly in the dialysis industry, and we are excited to be at the forefront of it." Click Here to read more about this pilot project.
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Top DaVita Nephrologists Sharing Expertise Through Social Media
August 01, 2011
Today DaVita announced that three of the company's top nephrologists are sharing their nephrology expertise, perspectives and resources through social media.
DaVita's newest bloggers are members of DaVita's Office of the Chief Medical Officer: Allen R. Nissenson, M.D., Mahesh Krishnan, M.D., and Robert Provenzano, M.D.
"We've found that we're able to engage with physicians and the entire kidney care community in a whole new way," said Dr. Allen Nissenson, chief medical officer at DaVita(R). "With social media, we have the opportunity to host key conversations online from public policy to the quality of patient care. There just aren't many resources like this for nephrologists or students studying nephrology." Click Here to read more.
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Central New York Dialysis Begins Affiliation with DaVita Inc
July 30, 2011
Central New York (CNY) Dialysis has entered into a transaction with DaVita Inc., a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with end stage renal disease (ESRD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), to provide consulting and administrative services at the clinic.
“We are pleased about our new affiliation with DaVita, as they share our views regarding patient care and oversight of their dialysis programs,” said Dorothy Schneider, President of CNY Dialysis. Schneider added, “DaVita provides the same high quality of care that CNY Dialysis has provided for the past eleven years. We believe our affiliation with a large national dialysis firm like DaVita will allow CNY Dialysis to continue to provide the same high quality care we have provided, despite the likely changes coming from the new regulatory environment.” Click Here to read more.
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DaVita Adds To Its List of Dialysis Centers In County With Addition Of Oxnard Offices
July 28, 2011
Carlos Aguon lay serenely on the chair looking up at his nurse and smiling. Tired and a little groggy, Aguon, 58, was watching as his blood flowed into the dialysis machine that would do the job his kidneys are failing to do, clean his blood.
"I didn't take good care of myself, so that's why I'm here," the Oxnard resident said. "It just does for me what my body can't do."
Aguon gets a dialysis treatment on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for three hours and 45 minutes as prescribed by his doctor. Until just last month, he would have to go to Camarillo to have the treatment, but with the opening of a new DaVita Corp. dialysis center, Aguon is able to stay in Oxnard, be closer to home and get the same specialized treatment he was getting in Camarillo. Click Here to read the full story.
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DaVita Offers Kidney-Friendly Recipes to Beat the Heat
July 28, 2011
DaVita is highlighting kidney-friendly recipes to beat the summer heat blistering much of the country.
DaVita® has worked with expert dieticians throughout the country to create tasty alternatives to such summertime frozen favorites such as ice cream and milkshakes, which are typically off-limits to dialysis patients. Milk-based recipes are particularly high in potassium, which can cause an irregular heartbeat, and high in phosphorous, which can lead to dangerous calcium deposits in the blood vessels, lungs, eyes, and heart. While dialysis cleans these out of the blood, dialysis patients must limit their phosphorous and potassium intake between treatments.
Click Here to learn more about friendly Recipes to Beat the Heat!
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Mercy Tiffin, DaVita join on dialysis site
July 28, 2011
Mercy Tiffin Hospital and DaVita plan to break ground for a new dialysis center that would house Seneca Dialysis on the Mercy Tiffin health care campus.
Since the inception of this partnership in 1999, Seneca Dialysis has been housed on the campus of the former Betty Jane Center.
Construction of the $1.3 million, 6,200-square-foot facility is scheduled to start this month. The facility is to be completed by March 2012.
Following a license review, the facility would open in May 2012.
Click Here to read more.
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Bridge of Life-DaVita Medical Missions Announces Guatemala Mission to Establish Acute Dialysis Clinic
July 27, 2011
Bridge of Life - DaVita Medical Missions today announced an August 2011 mission to Guatemala to establish an acute care dialysis facility in San Felipe. The charity will open a clinic for those with acute kidney failure in the National Hospital, Pedro de Bethancourt.
"In too many developing countries, like Guatemala, kidney failure leads to death because dialysis is unavailable," said Bridge of Life Executive Director Lori Vaclavik. "Bridge of Life goes to these countries with equipment, expertise and education to establish dialysis clinics and save lives."
To read more about this announcement, Click Here.
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DaVita Reports on Corporate Social Responsibility Efforts
July 26, 2011
Today DaVita released its third annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) report, which highlights the company's philanthropic, sustainability and community-building efforts through 2010.
The 44-page report, titled "Community Care," draws on 20-plus programs developed by DaVita(R) teammates (employees) to enrich the lives of patients, each other and fellow community members. Each of the initiatives falls into one of three categories that comprise DaVita's "Trilogy of Care" -- caring for the world, each other and our patients. The report also outlines the company's clinical leadership and innovation to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.
Click Here to read the full press release and to read the full Community Care report.
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Education, Screening Critical to Early Detection – and Possible Prevention – of Kidney Disease
July 21, 2011
How much thought have you given your kidneys lately? Actually, have you ever thought about your kidneys?
Your kidneys clean your blood by removing waste and excess fluid, maintain the balance of salt and minerals in your blood, and help regulate blood pressure. When the kidneys become damaged, waste products and fluid can build up in the body. If left untreated, diseased kidneys may eventually stop functioning completely. Loss of kidney function is a serious – potentially fatal – condition.
To read the full article by Cheryl Cody, DaVita Divisional Vice President, Click Here.
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DaVita Kidney Rock Coming In August
July 18, 2011
Who ever said health fairs and rock'n'roll can't mix? On August 6 in Denver's City Park residents are invited to enjoy both a 5k run/walk and a concert all to raise Kidney Disease Awareness. DaVita Inc. is sponsoring the DaVita Kidney Rock event that is fun, free, and open to any and all who register.
As a nationwide leading provider for kidney care services, DaVita is passionate about promoting kidney care awareness. More than 31 million people are affected by chronic kidney disease, and DaVita is dedicated to making sure more people get tested, stay educated, and receive treatment.
To continue awareness DaVita is planning an event unlike the health fairs most people would think of. The cause is worthy and the event is sure to entertain.
Beginning at 8 a.m. The Kidney Trust will be providing free kidney disease screenings to any registered participant. The event will include a Kidney Health Expo, games at the kid zone, and refreshments throughout the day. There will also be a special performance by the DaVita Blues All Stars Band.
Click Here for Full Story.
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DaVita CathAway Program Leads to Lower Catheter Rates in Hemodialysis Patients
July 13, 2011
DaVita announced today that the company has made landmark progress in reducing "Day 90+" patient central venous catheter (CVC) rates, further cementing its position as the industry leader among large dialysis organizations in catheter reductions through the placement of permanent accesses.
"The success of our catheter-reduction program is a huge accomplishment for our teammates and physician partners," explains Dr. Allen R. Nissenson, DaVita's chief medical officer. "Decreasing patients' chances of infection, thrombosis, hospitalization and death are the driving forces behind this outstanding continuous quality improvement program."
Click Here to read more.
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DaVita to Hold Kidney Rock 5K Run|Walk
July 12, 2011
DaVita announced it will host a 5K fun run/walk on August 6 in Denver's City Park. The event, called the DaVita Kidney Rock, is free to all registered participants and will feature the Kidney Health Expo, games and prizes at the Kid Zone, refreshments, and a special performance by the DaVita Blues All Stars Band.
"The DaVita Kidney Rock is a celebration for a great cause: raising awareness for a disease that affects one out of every six adults in America, most of whom don't even know it," said Kent Thiry, chairman and CEO of DaVita. "One of our core values is fun and everything we're doing is designed to create a fun, distinctively different atmosphere from what one might expect from a kidney health event."
Click Here to read more about this exciting event.
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DaVita Teammates Donate $20,000 to Joplin Relief Effort
July 11, 2011
The Greater Ozarks Chapter of the American Red Cross is pleased to announce that representatives of DaVita, Inc. presented a check for $20,000 to the Greater Ozarks Chapter of the Red Cross in support of the disaster relief efforts in Joplin, MO.
“During times of great crisis, we rely on the generosity of those who are willing to put their neighbors’ needs before their own. This team from DaVita selflessly supported Joplin’s survivors even though the company doesn’t currently serve the city,” said Greg James, Regional Executive Director of Financial Development of the Red Cross. “This kind of response means the world to us and the survivors of the Joplin disaster.”
At DaVita’s recent “Nationwide” annual meeting, a group of the company’s leaders from Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Texas, Utah and Missouri were recognized for achieving a team goal, and part of that recognition included a $100 award for each individual. Those 200 teammates got together and decided that their collective funds would go to better use if they were pooled and donated to a community with an urgent need.
“These DaVita teammates decided on their own – independently of the company – to make this sacrifice to help a community in desperate need,” said Dave Richardson, Divisional Vice President at DaVita. “For me, it’s incredibly inspiring to see their commitment to building and supporting all communities, not just the ones we serve. Our entire company has been energized by their generosity.”
While DaVita does not provide kidney care in Joplin, the company delivers dialysis services in more than 50 locations throughout Missouri. Click Here to read more.
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DaVita Signs Statement of Support with Military Spouse Employment Partnership
June 30, 2011
This week DaVita committed to the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) by signing a statement of support in Washington, D.C. The kidney care provider is one of 15 new partners inducted to the growing program.
The Army Spouse Employment Partnership (ASEP) expanded to become MSEP per the White House report "Strengthening Our Military Families - Meeting America's Commitment." MSEP includes all branches of the armed forces, guard and reserves in its program, partnering those families with non-profit organizations, federal agencies and Fortune 500® companies with strong initiatives to employ military spouses across the United States.
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DaVita Leases More Denver Space To Handle Growth
June 14, 2011
DaVita Inc. said Tuesday it has leased additional office space in Lower Downtown Denver to accommodate faster-than-expected employment growth.
The expansion comes in advance of the kidney-care company’s planned move late next year into a new headquarters building now under construction. Click here to read more.
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DaVita Clinical Research Expands Capabilities with Investments in Central Laboratory
June 09, 2011
DaVita Clinical Research announced the company’s recent investment in its Central Laboratory, servicing pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries. Click here to read more.
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DaVita Unveils New Corporate Tagline at Annual 'Nationwide' Event
June 06, 2011
DaVita recently unveiled its new corporate tagline at its annual "Nationwide" meeting. The new tagline, "DaVita: Bringing Quality to Life," reflects the company's primary goal of improving quality of life for its approximate 128,000 patients around the country. Click here to read more.
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Commemorating 10 Consecutive Years of Improved Clinical Outcomes
April 08, 2010
DaVita announced that 25,000 DaVita® teammates and guests gathered to celebrate the company’s 10th anniversary and as many consecutive years of improved patient outcomes.
DaVita patients have demonstrated improved annual clinical results in several critical areas including mortality rates, mineral bone disease management and dialysis adequacy management. Specifically, the company produced 10 consecutive years of improvement in the DaVita Quality Index (DQI), a proprietary benchmarking tool created by DaVita and its physician council to measure each facility’s clinical outcomes as they relate to companywide performance. There is a direct relationship demonstrated between the DQI rates and patient survival rates. As DQI rates have risen, patient mortality rates have fallen consistently from year to year.
“DaVita is focused on improving every aspect of kidney care – from raising awareness about early detection to developing innovative treatment options that help people live longer and more productive lives,” said Kent Thiry, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DaVita. “We are proud to be celebrating our first 10 years and to recognize the achievements of our teammates in Colorado and in neighborhoods around the country.”
To read the full press release, click here.
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