Northwell Health, Davita join forces to deliver, expand kidney care services

DaVita HealthCare Partners headquarters-Denver, CO. Photo by Google

Northwell Health, New York State's largest healthcare provider and private employer, and DaVita Kidney Care have announced a joint venture that will expand renal disease healthcare services to thousands in Queens and Long Island.

DaVita currently runs more than 2,300 dialysis centers in 11 countries, including in the United States.

Moving forward, the joint venture will unfold in phases but will eventually include: physician education and support, chronic kidney disease education, network of outpatient centers, hospital services, vascular access, integrated care, clinical research and transplant services, the organizations said.

[Also: DaVita buys Renal Ventures for $415 million, adds 36 dialysis centers]

As part of phase one, construction is already underway for Nassau County's first freestanding home dialysis center in Floral Park, and is scheduled to open this year. Nurses at the facility will educate patients on how to use in-home dialysis equipment and do home visits to ensure they are doing things right, allowing patients the opportunity to maintain their independence and care for themselves in the comfort and privacy of their own homes.

The DaVita/Northwell partnership will encourage more in-home treatment at the new  Long Island and Queens joint centers. DaVita and Northwell have already assumed joint ownership and operation of a Port Washington Dialysis Center. Later this year, two other existing DaVita facilities in Huntington Station and Syosset will also become part of their network. By its fifth year, the joint venture should serve 1,200 patients in the area.

[Also: DaVita forms joint venture with kidney hospital in China]

Additional expansion into Staten Island is also planned.

"Bringing together the resources of two high-quality health care providers like Northwell Health and DaVita will significantly enhance the services we'll be able to provide to kidney dialysis patients throughout the New York area," said Steven Fishbane, MD, chief of nephrology and vice president of dialysis services at Northwell Health, and medical director of the new dialysis network being established with DaVita. "It's a major development that will lead to new cutting-edge advancements in the delivery of nephrology services, including greater expansion of in-home dialysis services, which are currently limited to about 325 of the approximately 7,000 residents of Long Island and Queens receiving dialysis treatment."

[Also: What's in a name? Northwell Health renaming shows power of brand in consumer-driven healthcare]

DaVita Kidney Care is a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc., a Fortune 500® company that, through its operating divisions, and treats patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. As of March 31, 2016, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 2,278 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 180,000 patients.

Northwell Health, which was formerly known as North Shore-LIJ Health System for a major rebranding campaign this winter, employs 61,000 people and includes 21 hospitals and nearly 450 outpatient practices. The system serves more than 1.8 million people annually in the metro New York area and beyond. 

Twitter: @BethJSanborn