DENVER, Feb. 5, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita Kidney Care, a division of DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA) and a leading provider of kidney care services, today announced that it continues to be top in class, according to the end stage renal disease (ESRD) Quality Incentive Program (QIP) report issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The QIP is part of Medicare's ESRD program aimed at improving the quality of care provided to Medicare patients. It was designed and passed into law in part to be the nation's first pay-for-performance quality incentive program. CMS describes the QIP as a "first-of-its-kind program [that] provides the ESRD community with the opportunity to enhance the overall quality of care that ESRD patients receive as they battle this devastating disease."

"The dialysis segment continues to improve quality outcomes year after year," said Javier Rodriguez, president and CEO of DaVita Kidney Care. "We are proud of our clinicians for their relentless commitment and focus on what matters most—delivering exceptional, patient-centered care."

All dialysis providers improved key clinical outcome metrics this year, including:

• Central venous catheters, a common but least desirable form of blood access for dialysis treatments, were reduced by 18 percent.
• Infection rates decreased by 14 percent. ESRD patients have impaired immune systems as well as co-morbid conditions, such as diabetes, that makes them particularly susceptible to infections.
• Dialysis adequacy, the measure that tells clinicians how well dialysis is working to remove waste products from the blood, was improved by 5 percent.

"Improving care for our high-cost, high-need population of patients is top of mind for all providers as we strive to achieve the Triple Aim: better patient quality of life, improved clinical outcomes and reduced total cost of care," said Allen R. Nissenson, M.D., FACP, chief medical officer of DaVita Kidney Care. "When we get that right, we have the ability to make a real, lasting difference for our patients and for the entire health care system."

In addition to improving outcomes as measured by the QIP, many members of the dialysis community are also working with Congress to improve patient care through the enactment of The Dialysis Patient Access to Integrated-care, Empowerment, Nephrologists, and Treatment Services (PATIENTS) Demonstration Act, which would deliver high-quality, integrated care to patients receiving dialysis. The bi-partisan proposal would establish an integrated care program where interdisciplinary teams, led by a nephrologist, provide holistic management for all of the patient's healthcare needs.

About DaVita Kidney Care
DaVita Kidney Care is a division of DaVita 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 September 30, 2017, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,470 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 196,000 patients. The company also operated 230 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.

Contact Information
Media:
Ashley Henson
(303) 876-6626
Ashley.Henson@DaVita.com

SOURCE DaVita Kidney Care