DENVER, Oct. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- In areas
impacted by Hurricane Michael, DaVita
Kidney Care dialysis clinics have opened their doors to
anyone needing treatment. Open clinics will accept all patients
regardless of where that patient normally receives treatment.
DaVita Kidney Care is a division of
DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA), a leading provider in kidney care
services.
"Uninterrupted access to care is critical for dialysis patients,
so we are prepared to support anyone in need, whether you typically
treat with one of DaVita's coastal clinics or even with another
dialysis provider," said Jeffrey
Giullian, MD, MBA, vice president of medical affairs at
DaVita.
DaVita activated its emergency response plan in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, North
Carolina, South Carolina
and Virginia in the days leading
up to Hurricane Michael. In preparation for Michael, DaVita
deployed water tankers, fuel tankers, generators, additional
supplies and medication to help ensure that centers can begin
treating patients in impacted locales as soon as possible.
"Over the next 24 hours, our focus is accounting for our
patients and teammates, assessing centers in impacted areas and
identifying safe shelters," continued Dr. Giullian.
DaVita's national emergency management team will direct and
support centers in affected areas and route patients to locations
which can safely provide dialysis care. DaVita proactively dialyzed
thousands of patients in approximately 200 centers.
DaVita's 2,600 local teammates have been providing patients with
relevant medical information (prescription, dietary instructions
and fluid restrictions) should they need to dialyze at a different
center. DaVita has been communicating evacuation information with
patients and coordinating with other dialysis and health care
providers, including hospitals, to help ensure continuity of care
for all patients. DaVita will help track where patients will be
transferred and hold regularly scheduled check-ins with local teams
to help coordinate the safety of those who are impacted.
In the coming days, patients and their family members can visit
blogs.davita.com/emergency-management for information on center
openings during this emergency. Dialysis patients may call DaVita
Guest Services at 1-800-400-8331 for help locating dialysis centers
and scheduling treatment. If in need of urgent medical care, dial
9-1-1.
DaVita Urges Dialysis Patients to Heed Boil Water
Advisories
DaVita is urging dialysis patients to adhere to
boil water advisories in their areas. Currently, municipalities
across multiple states impacted by Hurricane Michael are under boil
water advisories due to flooding.
"Clean water is critical for dialysis patients whose immune
systems are vulnerable to infection," said Dr. Giullian. "In areas
under boil water advisories, taking precautions with everyday tasks
like bathing, washing hands, and cooking is imperative for the
safety of those on dialysis."
Public health advisories related to the safety of boiled water
have been issued stating the potential harm to dialysis patients of
using non-boiled water. During a Boil Water Advisory, dialysis
patients should avoid any contact with non-boiled water due to the
elevated infection risk.
DaVita urges dialysis patients to be aware of and follow these
advisories. Dialysis patients with either a central venous or
peritoneal dialysis catheter or other types of vascular access
should use boiled water for bathing or general hygiene. It is
unsafe for any individual with a dialysis catheter, whether on
in-center hemodialysis, home hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis,
to bathe in water or clean the dialysis access with non-boiled
water when there is a Boil Water Advisory in effect. Doing so puts
those patients at significant risk of infection, hospitalizations
and even death.
It is recommended that patients check with their local dialysis
team and clinical professionals prior to exposing any
dialysis-related access to municipal water when under a Boil Water
Advisory.
Emergency Preparedness for People with Kidney
Disease
Kidney patients on dialysis should add several items
to their emergency kit that will help meet their needs if an
emergency happens. The kit should include the following:
- Emergency phone numbers for doctors and dialysis centers,
including alternate nearby dialysis centers
- At least three days' worth of any medicines needed as well as a
list of medicines and the dosage amount
- For patients with diabetes, a week's worth of supplies
(syringes, insulin, alcohol wipes, glucose monitoring strips)
- At least three days' worth of emergency food
Place these items in a container or bag that can be carried
easily if evacuated or moved from home. Rotate the emergency kit's
stock to make sure supplies are not past their expiration
dates.
For more information on emergency preparedness, visit
https://www.davita.com/education/ckd-life/emergency-preparedness-for-people-with-kidney-disease.
About DaVita Kidney Care
DaVita Kidney
Care is a division of DaVita Inc., a Fortune 500® company,
that through its operating divisions provides a variety of health
care services to patient populations throughout the United
States and abroad. A leading provider of dialysis services
in the United States, DaVita Kidney Care treats
patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal
disease. DaVita Kidney Care 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. As of June 30, 2018, DaVita
Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at
2,580 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United
States serving approximately 201,000 patients. The company
also operated 253 outpatient dialysis centers located in 10
countries outside the United States. DaVita Kidney
Care supports numerous programs dedicated to creating
positive, sustainable change in communities around the world. The
company's leadership development initiatives and social
responsibility efforts have been recognized by Fortune, Modern
Healthcare, Newsweek and WorldBlu. For more information, please
visit DaVita.com.
Contact Information
Courtney
Culpepper
(303) 876-6600
Courtney.culpepper@davita.com
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SOURCE DaVita Kidney Care