DaVita Dialysis honored for patient care

DaVita's Yuma South Dialysis was recently presented three national awards recognizing the overall effectiveness of its program and quality of its patient care.
 
The clinic was awarded the Shining Star Award, the Most Valuable Program Award and the Accountability Award during the recent annual DaVita national convention in Washington, D.C.

DaVita bills itself as the largest independent provider of dialysis services in the United States with acute units in over 700 hospitals and 1,300 outpatient dialysis facilities.
 
The company convenes annually in Washington to promote end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and request government funding to educate the public about managing diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease.
 
Diabetes and high blood pressure are common health problems in the United States and often are present in the same person. They are also the leading causes of chronic kidney disease.
 
ESRD occurs when chronic kidney disease progresses from the kidneys functioning at 60 percent or less to only 15 percent or less. Once ESRD is diagnosed, dialysis or kidney transplantation is needed.
 
Dialysis is a method of removing wastes and extra fluid from the blood when the kidneys are unable to do so.
 
Facility administrator and registered nurse Donna Gebhart attributes the Yuma clinic's success to its patients.
 
"Patients might be educated on their disease on how to manage it, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they will follow through with what's right."
 
Dialysis patients visit the clinic three times a week for about four hours. They also have to follow a very restrictive diet because dietary changes can help slow the progression of kidney disease, help make up for the loss of kidney function and can greatly affect how well they feel.
 
A person with ESRD must pay close attention their protein, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sodium, caloric and fluid intake.
 
Managing ESRD involves the combined effort of the patient and a health care team. Members of the health care team may include: primary care doctor, internist, specialist, pharmacist, nurse, dietitian and medical social worker.
 
Margaret Carrillo, 73, is one of 300 DaVita dialysis patients in Yuma. She began hemodialysis last April after a fistula was created in her lower left arm as an access point to get blood in and out of the dialysis filter so that the cleansing process could take place.
 
Hemodialysis uses a dialysis filter to remove waste products and excess water from the blood. Blood travels through the dialysis filter and is returned to the body through needles, which are inserted into the fistula.
 
A fistula is created by directly connecting an artery and a vein in the arm. As blood flows to the vein from the newly connected artery, the vein grows bigger and stronger. Once the fistula has matured, it can provide good blood flow for many years of dialysis.
 
DaVita provides the public with a free Kidney Education and You (KEY) program once a month, taught in both English and Spanish.    Due to the rise of dialysis patients in Yuma, another DaVita dialysis clinic will open next summer at the intersection of Avenue 7E and 32nd Street.
 
The Yuma South Dialysis clinic is at 3010 S. 4th Ave., and the Yuma Dialysis clinic is at 2130 W. 24th St.