Every day, DaVita works diligently to deploy and monitor patient safety protocols within its 2,703 centers. For the caregivers championing patients battling end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), keeping precautions in mind is always critical to avoid infections and support better health outcomes.
Dr. Brendan Bowman and Dr. Unini Odama are vice presidents of medical affairs at DaVita Kidney Care and are responsible for its safety and infectious disease strategies, respectively. They began collaborating in 2021 during the height of the pandemic, dividing and conquering COVID-19 patient protocols and others related to the many infections and diseases that threaten the health of patients undergoing dialysis treatment. Together, the two share physical and environmental measures to aid the organization in preventing and learning from patient safety issues.
One recent success story is a publication from researchers at the U.S. Renal Data System, which notes remarkable nationwide reductions in bloodstream infection-associated hospitalizations and in-facility antibiotic administrations from 2019 through 2020. In the findings, DaVita® clinics attained the earliest improvements and lowest overall hospitalization rates. This news is ideal, considering septicemia (bloodstream infection) is the second leading cause of mortality in patients on dialysis after cardiac arrest.
Combatting potential infections in centers
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults on dialysis are 100 times more likely to have a staph bloodstream infection than adults who are not on dialysis. Proactive prevention-focused research and insights are crucial to avoiding in-center infection transmission and addressing broader patient safety concerns. Drs. Bowman and Odama approach their roles by evaluating current studies, reviewing surveillance and prevention data, and implementing proactive safety measures to stay ahead of present and emerging safety risks that can potentially enter a dialysis center’s doors.
DaVita dialysis centers implement in-center tools that add to traditional safety measures, according to Dr. Bowman.
“We’ve invested in ClearGuard, antimicrobial hemodialysis caps that kill infection-causing bacteria inside central venous catheter hubs,” he said. “These improvements we have observed since 2019 in bloodstream infection rates and hospitalizations validate earlier DaVita research by our colleagues, Drs. Steven Brunelli and David Van Wyck. While ClearGuard has been a significant investment, the ability to keep patients safe and infections at bay is well worth it. It also provides patients peace of mind – a tangible reminder of our commitment to their care.”
Anticipating outcomes through research
The team supporting Dr. Bowman and Dr. Odama is an agile group of geographically diverse infection prevention managers who focus on infection-related issues and develop specialized infection prevention and management protocols to better get ahead of the next potential patient hazard.
In 2022, when Mpox was circulating in Europe, the team prepared a proactive plan for DaVita centers in the U.S. and mapped out a streamlined process designed to protect patients. During this time, center staff training was tirelessly managed to help prevent any in-center transmission of the disease, successfully avoiding Mpox outbreaks at DaVita centers. "We are globally minded with local footprints because we understand what happens in another country can and will likely happen to us," said Dr. Odama. "Control starts from prevention, and prevention begins with upstream surveillance."
Dr. Odama also explained that the team evaluates how to avoid near misses and what additional safety guardrails are needed.
"Our culture of safety empowers us to evaluate the layers of safety practices required as we work to provide quality care to all of our patients," she said.
Collaborating to share best practices
As a best practice, DaVita collaborates with the CDC and other external health-based organizations to identify potential infections and share progress to bridge gaps while keeping vulnerable patient populations in mind.
"We take our patients' safety very seriously and are proud of our ongoing collaboration with external partners to stay at the forefront of prevention," said Dr. Bowman.
Dr. Odama also shared how DaVita empowers other leaders outside of kidney care.
"We need to learn from each other, which is why we don't work in silos. Together, we can combat old and new infections and always prepare for the emerging frontiers of infection management,” she added. “Looking ahead, we must purposefully forge tighter collaborations and work in solidarity, particularly as infectious agents become more resistant to available treatment."
For more information about how DaVita builds a culture of safety in its dialysis centers across the U.S., please visit davita.com.
About the authors
Brendan Bowman, MD, and Unini Odama, MD, MPH, serve as vice presidents of medical affairs at DaVita Kidney Care. The two physicians lead infection prevention and dialysis quality and safety efforts for the kidney care provider.
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