DENVER, March 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita Kidney
Care, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. (NYSE: DVA) and
a leading provider of kidney care services, will host a Google+
Hangout on Air to educate individuals about kidney disease on World
Kidney Day.
Join the "We're in This Together: Be #KidneyAware on World
Kidney Day" Google+ Hangout on Air and be part of a global kidney
disease awareness initiative on Thursday,
March 12 at 5 p.m.
PT/8 p.m. ET by registering at
bit.ly/WKDHangout2015.
Panelists for the Google+ Hangout on Air are:
- Mahesh Krishnan, M.D.,
international chief medical officer and vice president of research
and development for DaVita Kidney
Care
- Amy McDermott, LMSW, social
worker for DaVita Kidney Care
- Lawanda Woods, RN, MSN, Kidney
Smart educator
"Kidney disease grows eight percent each year across the globe,"
said Dr. Krishnan. "The trouble is that many people have kidney
disease and don't realize it. Our goal is to help people get to
know their kidneys, understand their risk for kidney disease and
how a simple blood test can confirm the disease."
According to WorldKidneyDay.org, 600 million people around the
world have some form of kidney disease. That number continues to
grow and many don't even know they have the disease. When caught
early enough, the progression of kidney disease can be slowed down
or, in some cases, even prevented with a kidney-friendly diet and
help from an integrated care team. If kidney disease continues to
progress to end stage renal disease, dialysis or kidney
transplantation are the only options for survival. Roughly 1.4
million people worldwide are on dialysis, and that number continues
to rise each year.
People at the greatest risk for kidney disease include those
with diabetes and high blood pressure, as well as older adults.
Minority populations – particularly Hispanics, African-Americans
and American Indians – are also at a disproportionately higher rate
of developing kidney disease. Additional risk factors include
people with cardiovascular disease, obesity, high cholesterol,
lupus and a family history of the disease.
To learn more about kidney disease and take the 60-second risk
quiz, visit DaVita.com/LearnYourRisk.
For those already living with kidney disease, DaVita Kidney Care offers resources to help
manage the disease.
Specialized instructors, such as nurses and dietitians, lead
no-cost, 90-minute Kidney Smart® classes where
individuals can learn:
- How to create an action plan that's personalized to your
lifestyle and will help you manage your kidney health
- What causes kidney disease and how to delay its
progression
- What diet resources are available to help you manage
your diet and cook a variety of flavorful, kidney-friendly
meals
- Why continuing to work may keep you happier and
healthier
- How insurance counselors can help you navigate coverage
or financial questions
To find a U.S.-based Kidney Smart class near you, visit
KidneySmart.org.
Other resources DaVita Kidney
Care offers include:
- myDaVita – an online community designed to help you manage your
health, find support from others, and engage family and friends in
an interactive forum. Sign up at DaVita.com/JoinMyDaVita to share
stories, gain insights and make connections with others.
- DaVita Diet Helper – Taking charge of your health through diet
management is a critical way to slow down the progression of kidney
disease. In addition to 1,000-plus kidney-friendly recipes, DaVita
Diet Helper™ offers a way to track potassium, phosphorus and sodium
levels. Learn more at DaVita.com/MyDietHelper.
- Find a Nephrologist – It is important to find the right
nephrologist to help you manage your kidney disease. Go to
DaVita.com/FAD to locate a nearby nephrologist.
- Stay Employed – Working while on dialysis can have both
physical and emotional benefits, including lower rates of
depression, fewer hospitalizations, and higher scores on general
health and vitality tests. Find out more about the benefits of
working and how to have conversations about kidney disease with
your employer at DaVita.com/WorkingBenefits.
DaVita Kidney Care dialysis
centers around the world will also be hosting screening to help
individuals know their risk. DaVita Kidney
Care currently operates centers in China, Colombia, Germany, India, Malaysia, Poland, Portugal, Saudi
Arabia, Singapore,
Taiwan and the United States.
To learn more about DaVita Kidney
Care's commitment to patients worldwide, visit
DaVita.com/International.
About DaVita Kidney
Care
DaVita Kidney Care is a division
of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc., a Fortune 500(r) 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 Dec. 31, 2014,
DaVita Kidney Care operated or
provided administrative services at 2,179 outpatient dialysis
centers located in the United
States serving approximately 170,000 patients. The company
also operated 91 outpatient dialysis centers located in 10
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.
DaVita and DaVita HealthCare Partners are trademarks or
registered trademarks of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc.
Contact Information
Media:
Bianca Violante
Office: (303) 876-6614
Bianca.Violante@davita.com
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SOURCE DaVita Kidney Care