DENVER, Sept. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita Kidney Care, a division of DaVita Inc. (NYSE:DVA), a leading provider in kidney care services, today announced that it has activated its emergency response plan in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia in preparation for Hurricane Florence's impact on the United States. Each coastal state from Florida to Maine is monitoring the progress of the storm as there is a greater amount of uncertainty noted in the long-term forecasts.

These plans focus on proactively dialyzing thousands of patients ahead of the storm in more than 300 centers in approximately 200 cities. DaVita's 5,000 local teammates have been providing patients with relevant medical information (prescription, dietary instructions and fluid restrictions) should they need to dialyze at a different center. DaVita has been communicating evacuation information with patients and coordinating with other dialysis and health care providers to help ensure continuity of care for all patients. DaVita will help track where patients will be transferred and hold regularly scheduled check-ins with local teams to help coordinate the safety of those who are impacted.

In the coming days, patients and their family members can visit blogs.davita.com/emergency-management for information on center openings during this emergency. Dialysis patients may call DaVita Guest Services at 1-800-400-8331 for help locating dialysis centers and scheduling treatment. If in need of urgent medical care, dial 9-1-1.

Emergency Preparedness for People with Kidney Disease

Kidney patients on dialysis should add several items to their emergency kit that will help meet their needs if an emergency happens. The kit should include the following:

• Emergency phone numbers for doctors and dialysis centers, including alternate nearby dialysis centers
• At least three days' worth of any medicines needed as well as a list of medicines and the dosage amount
• For patients with diabetes, a week's worth of supplies (syringes, insulin, alcohol wipes, glucose monitoring strips)
• At least three days' worth of emergency food

Place these items in a container or bag that can be carried easily if evacuated or moved from home. Rotate the emergency kit's stock to make sure supplies are not past their expiration dates.

For more information on emergency preparedness, visit https://www.davita.com/education/ckd-life/emergency-preparedness-for-people-with-kidney-disease.

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 June 30, 2018, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,580 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 201,000 patients. The company also operated 253 outpatient dialysis centers located in 10 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.

Contact Information
Courtney Culpepper
303.876.6600
courtney.culpepper@davita.com

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/davita-prepares-thousands-of-dialysis-patients-for-hurricane-florence-300710622.html

SOURCE DaVita Kidney Care