DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mar. 21, 2013-- DaVita®, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc.(NYSE: DVA) and a leading provider of kidney care services, thanks its more than 3,200 social workers and dietitians for their critical efforts in advancing patient care. The month of March marks both National Social Work Month and National Nutrition Month and the specialized services that social workers and dietitians offer in the health care field.

During March, in honor of DaVita social workers and dietitians, the company holds dozens of meetings to invite social workers and dietitians to come together and be recognized for their outstanding contributions to the DaVita “Village” (company).

“Through their endless support and by helping to ease many of the worries patients and their loved ones face, social workers and dietitians represent two of the greatest assets a patient has in dialysis,” said Debbie Benner, vice president of clinical support at DaVita. “We are pleased to recognize these two invaluable groups of individuals who improve the quality of life for our dialysis patients each and every day.”

Social workers take holistic care to heart as they listen to and advocate for each patient’s emotional, psychosocial and physical health. Social workers help patients help themselves as they adjust to a chronic illness. Teaching patients about kidney disease and their treatment options–including possible transplantation–helps patients understand and make informed decisions about their care. In addition, social workers are instrumental in assisting with insurance questions and coordinating travel arrangements for patients. Social workers educate and support patients to help them enjoy a better quality of life.

Dietitians work regularly with patients to guide their dietary choices and create healthy meal plans for specific health needs. Chronic kidney disease requires significant diet modifications, which include monitoring fluids and key nutritional levels such as sodium, phosphorus and potassium. By educating patients, dietitians can help patients avoid complications and improve clinical outcomes.

During the month of March, DaVita dietitians launched the “Connecting our Village” and “Communities to Better Health” initiatives. DaVita dietitians will educate more than 35,000 teammates and empower local communities to make healthy food and lifestyle choices through education in schools, nursing homes, community centers and libraries.

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 Dec. 31, 2012, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,954 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 153,000 patients. The company also operated 36 outpatient dialysis centers located in eight 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
Justin Forbis, 303-876-7496
Justin.Forbis@davita.com