DENVER, Feb. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- DaVita, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc.
(NYSE: DVA) and a leading provider of kidney care services,
recognizes National Donor Day, February
14, and wishes to raise awareness for the tens of thousands
of individuals awaiting a kidney transplant.
National Donor Day raises awareness about the importance of
organ donation. When kidneys are failing, a person has to undergo
regular dialysis treatment to filter toxins from the blood or
receive a kidney transplant in order to survive. According to the
Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), there are
nearly 100,000 candidates waiting for a kidney, making kidneys the
most in-demand organ.
"Receiving a kidney from my daughter changed my outlook on
life," said Stephanie Carson, former
DaVita® dialysis patient from Daytona
Beach, Fla. "Because of her donation, I was able to return
to work as a school bus driver, healthy and energized, and am now
living my life as a brand new me."
Research has shown that dialysis patients who continue to work
and manage dialysis, as Stephanie
Carson did, are twice as likely to receive kidney
transplant. However, some dialysis patients have medical reasons
which may restrict these individuals from being an active candidate
on the transplant list.
DaVita's comprehensive approach to promoting transplant includes
transplant education and use of extensive information, technology
and empowerment tools. DaVita works with regional transplant
centers to provide patients with key materials they need to check
eligibility for a transplant. DaVita is committed to providing the
necessary resources to support patients to prepare for and monitor
their transplant process along with helping patients experience a
high quality of life.
In the past, only a close relative could be a living kidney
donor. Now more distant relatives, and even friends or strangers,
can be donors. In addition to those waiting for a kidney, about
20,000 other candidates are on the waiting list for a pancreas,
liver, intestine, heart or lung. Ongoing efforts to raise awareness
about organ donation have influenced more than 100 million people
in the U.S. to register as an organ donor after death. The
availability of live organ donors, however, continues to be
limited.
The balance of risks and benefits for a kidney transplant varies
depending on age and other health factors. To find out more
information about kidney transplantation and getting on the
transplant waiting list or becoming a donor, visit
DaVita.com/Treatment-Options/Transplant.
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,
2013, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at
2,074 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately
163,000 patients. The company also operated 73 outpatient dialysis
centers located in ten 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.
Contact Information
Media:
Leslie Bartley
(303) 876-6024
leslie.bartley@davita.com
SOURCE DaVita Inc.