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DENVER, Oct. 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita Kidney Care, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. (NYSE: DVA) and a leading provider of kidney care services, is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the DaVita Village Emergency Response Team's (DaVERT) preparation for and response to various natural and manmade disasters that have impacted kidney care patients around the country.

"While no one ever wants to think about disaster striking, the simple truth is that we are all vulnerable to becoming victims of some type of natural disaster or emergency situation, and dialysis patients are at special risk because they need life-sustaining treatments several times weekly," said Shaun Collard, vice president of clinical operations and executive director of DaVERT. "Thousands of people are affected by disasters each and every year, but DaVERT is dedicated to helping minimize the impact on the health care community." 

Over the past decade, numerous natural disasters have interrupted the operation of dialysis clinics across the U.S., impacting the delivery of life-sustaining treatments to thousands of dialysis patients. In response, DaVita Kidney Care formed DaVERT, a group of clinical and operations experts from around the country, to help protect the safety and quality of life for our patients during times of emergency. 

A Decade of DaVERT Protection
Over the past 10 years, DaVERT has minimized the effect of numerous patient-impacting events that gained local, regional and even national attention, including these disruptive natural disasters, which collectively caused billions of dollars of damage to the impacted areas:

• Four Florida Hurricanes – 2004
• Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma – 2005
• Hurricane Ike – 2008
• Hurricane Sandy – 2012
• California fires – 2013
• Colorado floods – 2013
• Numerous winter snowstorms throughout the years, including Nemo in 2013 and the Gulf Coast in 2014

"When we were assessing the kidney care landscape a decade ago, there was a universal agreement that there was a gap with regard to emergency preparedness and disaster response and determined that there was a significant  need to create a team to fill this gap," said Tom Bradsell, founder of DaVERT and manager of the program. "There was no legislative or regulatory mandate requiring us to create an emergency preparedness program, just an unyielding goal of lessening the impact of potentially disruptive occurrence on our patients. And as the needs of our patients have grown, DaVERT has grown with them."

DaVERT helps prepare clinical and corporate teammates; reinforce policies and procedures; and educate and notify patients prior to and during weather emergencies. The team takes inventory of the facility and its supplies, protects the integrity of the facility and biohazard storage, and prepares for on-site support of any potential operations interruptions (e.g., bringing in generators to restore power). DaVERT also practices and educates teammates on facility evacuation procedures. 

How Dialysis Patients Can Prepare Themselves
When a widespread emergency or disaster happens, patients are encouraged to begin a three-day emergency diet immediately 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.

Visit DaVita.com to see the full three-day emergency diet and additional emergency preparedness information, including:

• Emergency preparedness for people with kidney disease
• Preparing for the unexpected with home dialysis
• Diabetes Emergency Plan

For additional questions, or for assistance during a weather-related event, call DaVita Guest Services at 1-800-400-8331.

DaVita and DaVita HealthCare Partners are trademarks or registered trademarks of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc.

About DaVita Kidney Care

DaVita Kidney Care is a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners 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 disease 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, 2014, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,119 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 168,000 patients. The company also operated 84 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

Media:
Vince Hancock 
Vince.hancock@davita.com 
(303) 876-6618

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SOURCE DaVita