DaVita, a prominent provider of kidney care services, proudly announced today that 54 of its nephrology nurses have been honored with the prestigious DAISY Award® for Extraordinary Nurses during National Nurses Week. This accolade is part of The DAISY Foundation’s mission to acknowledge nurses who consistently deliver exceptional, compassionate care across more than 6,500 healthcare facilities nationwide.
“Nurses play a crucial role in the healthcare landscape, and they are the backbone of the care we provide at DaVita,” expressed Tina Livaudais, DaVita’s chief nursing officer. “I’m deeply moved by the stories of compassion, empathy, and selflessness exhibited by each of our DAISY recipients. This award celebrates the clinical excellence they bring to our patients every single day.”
DaVita’s unwavering dedication to clinical excellence is evident in the comprehensive care it delivers to patients throughout their kidney care journey. The 54 DaVita nurses honored with the DAISY Award this year represent various dialysis treatment settings offered by DaVita, including:
- 40 in-center hemodialysis nurses
- 6 home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis nurses
- 8 acute dialysis nurses providing care in hospital settings
The recipients of DaVita’s DAISY Award were nominated by their peers (teammates) and patients for their contributions to driving clinical outcomes and consistently embodying DaVita’s Caring Behaviors, encapsulated in the acronym WE CARE: Welcome, Empathize, Connect, Actively Listen, Respect, and Encourage.
The DAISY Foundation™ was established in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by his family. Patrick passed away at the age of 33 in 1999 due to complications from Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), an auto-immune disease. DAISY stands for Diseases Attacking the Immune SYstem. The care Patrick and his family received from nurses during his illness inspired this unique initiative to thank nurses for their profound impact on the lives of patients and their families.
“When Patrick was critically ill, our family witnessed firsthand the remarkable skill and care provided by nurses day and night,” shared Bonnie Barnes, FAAN, co-founder of The DAISY Foundation. “However, these unsung heroes are often not recognized for the extraordinary, compassionate work they do. The kind of work DaVita nurses are called upon to do every day epitomizes the essence of the DAISY Award.”
A robust nursing workforce is indispensable for caring for patients with kidney disease. DaVita has intensified its efforts to address the critical shortage of nursing professionals in the United States. The company’s initiatives to inspire the next generation of nursing talent and support nurses throughout their careers include:
- Offering a nephrology-practice specialty curriculum through Chamberlain University, the largest online nursing school in the U.S.
- Implementing a five-level career mapping model, Clinical Ladders, to empower teammates with the tools and resources for career advancement.
- Providing tuition reimbursement for full- and part-time teammates interested in pursuing nursing degrees.
- Establishing the holistic Bridge to Your Dreams program, which assists high-performing teammates in obtaining an associate’s degree in nursing through financial aid, specially tailored resources, and support with nursing role placement at DaVita.
