DaVita diversifies its reach

Trauma Columnist · Feb 22, 2012

Yep - the paradigm is shifting again: nephrologists used to be the primary care doc for all dialysis pts, now we encourage pts to have their own family doc and looks like in the future (at least for Davita pts), we might be their primary care doc again.

madwife2002, BSN, RN · Feb 22, 2012

I think that the renal pt will get a more rounded care if just looked after by one doctor, instead of two who do not communicate

Guttercat, ASN, RN · Feb 23, 2012

trauma and madwife...

not sure you read the entire article. this is about "redi-care" medical clinics in anticipation of aco's/the aca. it is indeed far outside of the scope of renal.

the dialysis chain has opened a primary care clinic for its own employees, or "citizens" in company parlance, in tacoma, wash., and wants to expand the clinic's care to other employers in the area. that clinic will serve as a research and development model for davita's wider health care ambitions, davita chairman kent thiry said in talks with the denver post and wall street analysts last week

read more: davita has wider health care ambitions; patients wary - the denver post davita has wider health care ambitions; patients wary - the denver post

read the denver post's terms of use of its content: terms of use - the denver post

NDXUFan · Feb 23, 2012

I see the article as mixed.

Trauma Columnist · Feb 23, 2012

I don't want to be everyone's primary care doc - I have over 200 pts I see every single week - there is no way I could provide primary care well and cont to do this job.

I do handle most of my pts HTN issues. I also delve into cardiac, DM, etc.. However, I have no derm experience so to show me a rash, well the pt might as well guess too - lol. Can I do pelvics on dialysis? Uh...probably not. What about rectal/prostate checks? Uh nope, not me.