DaVita Nurse Gives Keynote Speech to St. George's Hospital Vascular Access Annual Meeting...( Janet Holland Presents Findings o...),Health

Janet Holland Presents Findings on Importance of Vascular Access in

Dialysis Care

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Dec. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Janet Holland, Director of Vascular Access Management for DaVita Inc., gave a keynote speech during the 3rd St. George's Hospital Vascular Access Annual Meeting in London, England. The event was held at the Royal College of Surgeons and Holland was one of three invitees from the United States. Under Holland's guidance, DaVita has led the U.S. in vascular access management. According to the latest government data, DaVita exceeds national fistula placement averages by 15%, with over 59% of patients using fistulas(1). This achievement is significant because DaVita serves more than 1-in-4 dialysis patients in America -- more than 100,000 people.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020729/DAVITALOGO)

Studies show that patients who meet all four of the CMS Clinical Performance Measures achieve the lowest mortality. DaVita's 2006 gross mortality rate of 17.9% compares very favorably to the latest United States Renal Data System (USRDS) Annual Data Report, which shows an unadjusted national average of 23% in 2004(2). Put another way, the risk of mortality faced by patients dialyzed at DaVita facilities may be as much as 22% lower than the national average.

Holland was the only U.S. nurse invited to present during the one-day symposium on vascular access monitoring. Her lecture, titled The ABCs of Physical Exams for Optimum Hemodialysis Vascular Access, discussed the physical aspects to look, listen and feel for when inspecting a patient's vascular access. Through a multi-disciplinary approach, the surgeon, facility staff and nephrology team work together to provide the best access outcomes for patients during their dialysis treatments. While the surgeons are responsible for creating
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