DENVER, Aug. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- DaVita Kidney Care, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. (NYSE: DVA), and a leading independent provider of integrated health and kidney care services in the United States, today announced that DaVita Hospital Services has been re-accredited for Ambulatory Health Care from The Joint Commission effective 2016.

Per the commission website, "The Joint Commission accredits and certifies nearly 21,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization's commitment to meeting certain performance standards."

"Re-accreditation validates our organization's commitment to quality improvement and patient safety," said Amanda Hale, vice president of DaVita Hospital Services for DaVita Kidney Care. "As health care delivery models become more focused and dependent upon improved clinical outcomes and quality performance metrics, DaVita Hospital Services strives to be a leader in continually improving the quality and safety of the care we administer." 

The Joint Commission worked collaboratively to outline national industry standards by which safety and quality of inpatient kidney disease and apheresis therapies will be measured in the future. DaVita, its hospital partners and other entities will be able to, for the first time, systematically monitor and evaluate the quality and safety of care provided.

"DaVita Hospital Services was awarded this designation after a thorough vetting process that involved two-and-a-half months of surveys at more than 156 DaVita inpatient dialysis sites" said Michael Kulczycki, executive director, Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation, The Joint Commission.

For the past three years, DaVita identified key areas for improvement, created training presentations and documents, provided WebEx training sessions and coordinated 156 hospital site visits for The Joint Commission Surveyors and DaVita teammates. Accreditation allows DaVita to monitor and evaluate the safety of kidney care and apheresis therapies against ambulatory industry standards. The accreditation allows for increased focus on enhancing the quality and safety of patient care; improved clinical outcomes and performance metrics, risk management and survey preparedness. Having set standards in place can further allow DaVita to measure performance and become better aligned with its hospital partners.   

In 2013, DaVita became the first inpatient kidney care service provider to receive Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation. The Ambulatory Health Care Accreditation is a three year certification that validates an organization's commitment to meeting certain performance standards.

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 failure 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, 2016, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,293 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 185,000 patients. The company also operated 127 outpatient dialysis centers located in 11 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.

Media Contact:

Madison Spahr
Communications | DaVita Kidney Care 
2000 16^th Street |Denver, Co 80202
(310) 490-7257
Madison.Spahr@davita.com 

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160817/398805LOGO 

SOURCE DaVita Kidney Care