DENVER, Feb. 14,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of National Donor
Day—and every living organ donor—DaVita announced it increased paid
leave for organ donation to four consecutive weeks for
benefits-eligible teammates (employees) who donate their bone
marrow, liver or kidney.
The policy change is designed to ease worries about lost wages
or using accrued paid time off for the procedure and recovery. For
example, the usual hospital stay for a living kidney donor is four
to six daysi. Recovery continues at home with follow-up
appointments and medications.
"Now is the time to unite and support the selfless, generous
individuals in our communities who take courageous action and give
the gift of life," said Dr. Jeff
Giullian, chief medical officer for DaVita Kidney Care. "We're calling on fellow
employers to join us in adopting this policy and help support
thousands of Americans awaiting life-giving organ donations."
There were more than 41,000 transplants in the U.S. in
2021ii. Of those, approximately 6,500 were living donor
transplants. Yet there are currently more than 106,000 candidates
on a wait list for an organ transplant. Because the demand for
organs continues to outpace the supply, living donations help more
patients have access to transplants and help decrease time on the
waitlist.
Last year DaVita and the National Kidney Foundation (NKF)
launched a year-long pilot within NKF's THE BIG ASK: THE BIG
GIVE® platform to help better support patients in
finding a living donor, and help improve health equity in kidney
transplantation.
DaVita and many others in the kidney care community have
supported state and federal legislation to remove this and other
barriers to living donation. Recently, the Living Donor Protection
Act was introduced in Congress. Among other things, the bill, if
adopted as drafted, would allow an individual to be a living donor
without impacting their own insurance status.
"We must come together—patients, physicians, providers,
advocates, policymakers, employers—and transform the U.S.
transplant system for patients and donors," continued Dr.
Giullian.
DaVita recently invested in several innovative companies aiming
to transform the transplant experience for patients. In January,
DaVita announced its acquisition of MedSleuth, which makes software
for transplant centers that supports greater connectivity among
transplant candidates, physicians and care teams to help improve
the experience and outcomes for kidney and liver transplant
patients.
And in 2021, DaVita Venture Group announced investments in other
transplant innovations that have the potential to transform care,
including:
- A needle-free test to help determine if a patient's body is
rejecting a transplanted kidney
- Technology for bioengineering fully transplantable organs
To learn more about DaVita and its commitment to improving
equitable access to transplantation, visit
DaVita.com/Transplant.
About DaVita Inc.
DaVita (NYSE: DVA) is a
comprehensive kidney care provider focused on transforming care to
improve the quality of life for patients globally. The company is
one of the largest providers of kidney care services in the U.S.
and has been a leader in clinical quality and innovation for more
than 20 years. DaVita is working to help increase equitable access
to care for patients at every stage and setting along their kidney
health journey—from slowing progression of kidney disease to
streamlining the transplant process, from acute hospital care to
dialysis at home. As of December 31, 2021, DaVita served
203,000 patients at 2,815 outpatient dialysis centers in the
U.S. The company operated an additional 339 outpatient dialysis
centers in ten countries worldwide. DaVita has reduced
hospitalizations, improved mortality and worked collaboratively to
propel the kidney care community to adopt an equitable,
high-quality standard of care for all patients, everywhere. To
learn more, visit DaVita.com/About.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking
statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These
forward-looking statements are based on management's current
expectations. Various important factors could cause actual results
to differ materially from these forward-looking statements,
including the risks identified in our U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission filings. DaVita disclaims any obligation to update any
forward-looking statement contained in this press release, except
as may be otherwise required by law.
Contact Information
Media:
Megan Anthony
(720) 631-2170
megan.anthony@davita.com
i https://www.kidney.org/transplantation/livingdonors/what-expect-after-donation
ii https://unos.org/data/transplant-trends/
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SOURCE DaVita