DaVita and Bridge of Life Partner to Provide Health Screenings and Access to Health Care in Haiti and Nicaragua

Partnership will help launch program to train local clinicians serving high-risk patients

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May 16, 2017, 06:13 ET

DENVER, May 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita Kidney Care, a division of DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA) and a leading provider of kidney care services in the United States, and Bridge of Life, a nonprofit organization founded by DaVita Inc., are partnering for Bridge of Life's Chronic Kidney Disease screening medical missions and pilot program for community health workers. Launched in April 2017, the program will be implemented over the next 18 months and aims to increase the availability of health care to those who are high at risk of hypertension and kidney disease in impoverished areas of Haiti and Nicaragua.

Dr. Peter Pierrot during a Bridge of Life mission to Haiti in partnership with his clinic Double Harvest.

Dr. Peter Pierrot, health director of Double Harvest Clinic outside of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti with a few of the community health workers.

"Currently, there is an unmet need in many developing countries for prevention programs related to chronic illnesses," said Greta Walker, senior director of donor relations and communications for Bridge of Life. "This project will transform the methods that local clinics use to address life-threatening chronic illnesses by enhancing the skills and knowledge of health authorities, community health workers and community members."

For the past three years DaVita teammates volunteered through Bridge of Life to help screen individuals for chronic illnesses in remote areas around the world. This year, the program will train health directors of partner clinics, as well as community health workers – community members with basic medical training – to provide ongoing follow-up and preventative health education to high-risk patients identified.

Two local health directors are leading the disease prevention program in their respective regions. Dr. Peter Pierrot, health director of Double Harvest Clinic outside of Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti and Dr. Luis O'Campo, the health director of Susie Syke Clinic in El Crucero, Nicaragua, received in-depth training on program administration in Denver this past April.

"We believe this project will further demonstrate that chronic illnesses can be reduced and controlled when patients have knowledge about healthy diet and lifestyle, as well as access to the necessary medication," said Dr. Peter Pierrot. "I'm looking forward to returning to Haiti and working to continually train and educate our community health workers."

Once trained, the community health workers will provide follow-up care, ongoing prevention education and recommended treatment plans to patients who are high-risk. Bridge of Life expects to serve an additional 325 high-risk patients in the project's first year.

To learn more about Bridge of Life and their global medical missions, visit BridgeofLifeInternational.org.

About Bridge of Life
Bridge of Life (BOL), an independent 501(c)(3) public charity founded by DaVita, is an international nonprofit organization working to improve health, wellness and vitality. BOL has expanded its efforts beyond kidney care to include screening and prevention of chronic illnesses and increased access to primary care services. We strive to empower local staff, community health workers and patients through training and education to make sustainable changes to healthcare. Since 2006, Bridge of Life has impacted over 96,000 lives through 27 international medical missions and 271 domestic screenings and events in 25 countries with the help of over 900 DaVita teammate volunteers. For more information, please visit BridgeofLifeInternational.org.

About DaVita Inc.
DaVita Inc., a Fortune 500® company, is the parent company of DaVita Kidney Care and DaVita Medical Group. DaVita Kidney Care is a leading provider of kidney care in the United States, delivering dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. As of March 31, 2017, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,382 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 189,400 patients. The company also operated 162 outpatient dialysis centers located in 11 countries outside the United States. DaVita Medical Group manages and operates medical groups and affiliated physician networks in California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Washington in its pursuit to deliver excellent-quality health care in a dignified and compassionate manner. As of December 31, 2016, DaVita Medical Group's teammates, employed clinicians and affiliated clinicians provided care for approximately 1.7 million patients. For more information, please visit DaVita.com/about.

About DaVita Kidney Care
DaVita Kidney Care is a division of DaVita 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 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 March 31, 2017, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,382 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 189,400 patients. The company also operated 162 outpatient dialysis centers located in 11 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.