JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 30, 2013-- DaVita®, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. (NYSE: DVA) and a leading provider of kidney care services, will be conducting a hurricane preparedness exercise in Jacksonville, Fla., on June 1.

Over the past few years a number of 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 formed the DaVita Village Emergency Response Team (DaVERT), a cross-functional group of clinical and operations experts from around the country, to prepare for and address disasters (both natural and otherwise).

The Jacksonville drill, which will take place at DaVita’s Memorial Plaza Dialysis Center, will provide a simulation of the precise steps – both proactive and reactive – that DaVita will take if alerted to a hurricane that is expected to touch ground and impact one or more of its dialysis facilities on the Eastern Seaboard or the Gulf Coast.

“Of course natural disasters are largely unpredictable, but we’re determined to minimize the impact that the hurricane or other emergency is likely to have on our patients,” said Mark Taylor, DaVita divisional vice president. “It is critical to host drills like this because of the importance of avoiding treatment interruptions and maintaining patients’ safety and quality of life.”

The disaster preparedness drill will cover DaVita’s real-time response from the time the company is alerted to a weather event by the National Hurricane Center. The actions include preparing clinical teammates and reinforcing policies and procedures; educating and notifying patients; taking inventory of the facility and its supplies; securing the facility and biohazard storage; preparing for on-site support of potential operations interruption (e.g., bringing in generators to restore power); and practicing facility evacuation procedures.

Various local community organizations, including the Northeast Florida Chapter of the American Red Cross, will be on site at the event to support DaVita’s efforts and to educate the community on the importance of hurricane preparedness.

In order to prepare for the unexpected, DaVita recommends dialysis patients create an emergency kit that includes:

• Emergency phone numbers for their doctors and dialysis center, as well as contact information for a nearby dialysis center
• At least three days’ worth of prescribed medications, as well as a list of the dosage amounts
• If diabetic, a week’s worth of supplies (syringes, insulin, alcohol wipes, glucose monitoring strips, etc.)
• Access to clean water, food, a can opener, first aid supplies, and a battery-operated flashlight and radio

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. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About DaVita

DaVita is the dialysis 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 kidney care in the United States, DaVita delivers dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita 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 March 31, 2013, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,991 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 156,000 patients. The company also operated 41 outpatient dialysis centers located in nine countries outside the United States. DaVita 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.

Source: DaVita

DaVita
Vince Hancock, 303-876-6618
vince.hancock@davita.com