Award celebrates excellence in nursing, underscoring the kidney care provider's commitment to recognizing the indelible impact of clinicians on outstanding patient care

DENVER, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita, a leading provider of kidney care services, today announced that 54 of its nephrology nurses were honored with the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses during National Nurses Week. The award is part of The DAISY Foundation's mission to recognize nurses who provide outstanding, compassionate care in more than 6,500 health care facilities nationwide.

"Nurses are such a significant part of the health care workforce, and they are at the heart of the care we provide at DaVita," said Tina Livaudais, chief nursing officer for DaVita. "I'm inspired by the stories of compassion, empathy and selflessness that each of our DAISY recipients embodies. This award reflects the clinical excellence they deliver to our patients every day."

DaVita's commitment to clinical excellence is reflected in the care it offers patients during each step of their kidney care journey. The DaVita nurses who received a DAISY Award this year represent each of the dialysis treatment settings that DaVita offers:

• 40 in-center hemodialysis nurses
• 6 home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis nurses
• 8 acute dialysis nurses who deliver care in a hospital setting

DaVita's DAISY Award recipients were nominated by fellow employees (teammates) and patients for helping drive clinical outcomes and consistently demonstrating DaVita's Caring Behaviors, known as WE CARE: Welcome, Empathize, Connect, Actively Listen, Respect and Encourage.

The DAISY Foundation was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by members of his family. Patrick died at the age of 33 in 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little-known but not uncommon auto-immune disease. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses while he was ill inspired this unique means of thanking nurses for making a profound difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

"When Patrick was critically ill, our family experienced first-hand the remarkable skill and care nurses provide patients every day and night," said Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, doctor of humane letters and co-founder of The DAISY Foundation. "Yet, these unsung heroes are seldom recognized for the super-human, extraordinary, compassionate work they do. The kind of work the nurses at DaVita are called on to do every day epitomizes the purpose of the DAISY Award."

A robust nursing workforce is essential for the care of kidney disease patients. DaVita has expanded efforts to help address the critical nursing workforce shortage facing the U.S. The company's programs to energize the next generation of nursing talent to join the nursing field include:

• A nephrology-practice specialty curriculum offered through Chamberlain University, the largest online school of nursing in the U.S.
• A five-level career mapping model, Clinical Ladders, that provides teammates with the tools and resources needed to grow their careers.
• Tuition reimbursement for full- and part-time teammates interested in pursuing a nursing degree.
• The holistic Bridge to Your Dreams program that supports high-performing teammates in pursuing an associate's degree in nursing through financial assistance, uniquely designed resources and support with nursing role placement at DaVita.

To learn more about how DaVita supports nurses throughout their careers, visit Careers.DaVita.com.

About DaVita Inc.
DaVita (NYSE: DVA) is a health care provider focused on transforming care delivery to improve quality of life for patients globally. The company is one of the largest providers of kidney care services in the U.S. and has been a leader in clinical quality and innovation for more than 20 years. DaVita cares for patients at every stage and setting along their kidney health journey—from slowing the progression of kidney disease to helping to support transplantation, from acute hospital care to dialysis at home. As of March 31, 2024, DaVita served approximately 258,600 patients at 3,092 outpatient dialysis centers, of which 2,665 centers were located in the United States and 427 centers were located in 12 other countries worldwide. DaVita has reduced hospitalizations, improved mortality, and worked collaboratively to propel the kidney care industry to adopt an equitable and high-quality standard of care for all patients, everywhere. To learn more, visit DaVita.com/About.

CONTACTS
DaVita Inc.
Newsroom@davita.com

SOURCE DaVita