Efforts to advance chronic disease prevention
through enhanced education, awareness and support — kicking off
during National Kidney Month
DENVER, March 11,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, The American
Diabetes Association ® (ADA) and DaVita (NYSE: DVA), a
leading provider of kidney care services, announced the expansion
of a multi-year collaboration, focused on advancing chronic disease
prevention, specifically addressing two of the most prevalent
chronic conditions in the U.S. — diabetes and chronic kidney
disease (CKD). The kick-off for this expanded effort coincides with
National Kidney Month, a time when both organizations bolster
efforts to increase kidney health awareness and education.
Chronic disease is the leading cause of death and disability in
the United
States.[1] More than 38 million Americans
are living with diabetes, and approximately one in three American
adults with diabetes has CKD.[2] Because the
symptoms of CKD are often mild and go undetected, it's critical for
individuals to understand their risk factors and take necessary
steps to protect their health.
"At DaVita, we say we're a community first and a company second,
underscoring our deep-rooted commitment to creating healthier
communities," said Dr. Jeff
Giullian, chief medical officer for DaVita. "By combining
our expertise in kidney care with the ADA's leadership in diabetes
education, we aim to make a lasting impact on chronic disease
prevention, specifically in the communities that need it most."
As part of this expansion, DaVita has contributed an additional
$1.5 million to bolster the ADA's
initiatives targeting individuals at risk of or who have diabetes
and CKD, focused on driving hyperlocal and culturally relevant
awareness and engagement in particular within communities of
greater need.
Diabetes and CKD disproportionately affect many communities of
color, including Black and Hispanic or Latino populations. The two
organizations are dedicated to improving health equity by
uncovering new ways to drive awareness in underserved communities,
addressing disparities and barriers to care, and mitigating
clinical biases. The efforts include developing materials in
multiple languages, learning personal cultural context for
lifestyles and dietary considerations, and identifying barriers
that these communities face.
Together, the ADA and DaVita will:
- Create a digital home base with new educational materials that
are easily accessible for patients and health care
professionals.
- Pilot a registered dietitian (RDs) program enabling greater
access to diabetes education and resources to keep RDs
well-informed to better care for patients.
- Sponsor the ADA's State of Diabetes events in
high-priority markets where DaVita and ADA leaders will lead
discussions around some of the most important topics facing their
shared patient populations in today's health care system.
"Through our work with DaVita, we have informed and educated
millions of Americans — but our work isn't finished,"
said Charles "Chuck" Henderson, chief executive officer at the ADA.
"We must continue the momentum and create more opportunities to
promote diabetes and CKD education, especially in high-need
communities with marginalized populations."
To further celebrate National Kidney Month in March, DaVita has
launched a campaign that focuses on "Connecting the Dots" between
kidney health and other chronic conditions, including diabetes. On
March 26, DaVita dietitians will join
the ADA for a live cooking class featuring a tasty diabetes- and
kidney-friendly meal. Learn more and register here.
For more information and resources from the ADA and DaVita,
check out the latest edition of their co-created online kidney care
journey at diabetes.org/kidney.
About the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation's leading
voluntary health organization fighting to bend the curve on the
diabetes epidemic and help people living with diabetes thrive. For
83 years, the ADA has driven discovery and research to treat,
manage, and prevent diabetes while working relentlessly for a cure.
Through advocacy, program development, and education we aim to
improve the quality of life for the over 136 million Americans
living with diabetes or prediabetes. Diabetes has brought us
together. What we do next will make us Connected for
Life®. To learn more or to get involved, visit us
at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (800-342-2383).
Join the fight with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association),
Spanish Facebook (Asociación Americana de la Diabetes), LinkedIn
(American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn), and
Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).
About DaVita
DaVita (NYSE: DVA) is a health care provider focused on
transforming care delivery to improve quality of life for patients
globally. The company is one of the largest providers of kidney
care services in the U.S. and has been a leader in clinical quality
and innovation for more than 20 years. DaVita cares for patients at
every stage and setting along their kidney health journey—from
slowing the progression of kidney disease to helping to support
transplantation, from acute hospital care to dialysis at home. As
of December 31, 2023, DaVita served approximately 250,200
patients at 3,042 outpatient dialysis centers, of which 2,675
centers were located in the United States and 367 centers
were located in 11 other countries worldwide. DaVita has reduced
hospitalizations, improved mortality, and worked collaboratively to
propel the kidney care industry to adopt an equitable and
high-quality standard of care for all patients, everywhere. To
learn more, visit DaVita.com/About.
Media Contacts:
Virginia
Cramer
press@diabetes.org
DaVita Newsroom
newsroom@davita.com
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/infographic/chronic-diseases.html
[2] https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics-report/index.html
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SOURCE American Diabetes Association