DENVER, April 9, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita Kidney Care stands with the National Kidney Foundation and its open letter urging hospitals and health systems not to limit care to end stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients with COVID-19 who need life-saving interventions. This advocacy effort is in response to news reports that some state governments and hospital systems are examining crisis-management policies that would restrict access to critical COVID-19 treatments, such as ventilators, for certain patient groups, one of which is patients with ESKD.

Statement attributable to Dr. Jeff Giullian, chief medical officer for DaVita Kidney Care:
"We appreciate the incredible strain many hospitals and their care teams are under because of COVID-19, and we deeply appreciate their heroic work. We're working hard to help keep dialysis patients treating safely in our centers and out of the hospital to reduce the burden on the system. That said, when our patients need acute care due to COVID-19, they deserve the same access to life-saving treatment as everyone else. For that reason, DaVita stands with the National Kidney Foundation in encouraging hospitals and health systems to refrain from instituting policies that restrict care for ESKD patients with COVID-19 who need critical care interventions to survive."

To learn more about what DaVita is doing to help keep patients safe during the COVID-19 disaster, visit www.DaVita.com/COVID-19-Information.

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. Through DaVita Kidney Care, the company treats patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage kidney disease. DaVita is committed to bold, patient-centric care models, implementing the latest technologies and moving toward integrated care offerings for all. Through these efforts, DaVita has also become the largest provider of home dialysis in the country. As of December 31, 2019, DaVita served 206,900 patients at 2,753 outpatient dialysis centers in the United States. The company also operated 259 outpatient dialysis centers in ten 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.

Media Contact Information:

Ashley Henson
Director, Communications
Ashley.Henson@DaVita.com
303-876-6626

SOURCE DaVita Kidney Care