STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
Success Stories
A Lifeline for the Kidney Care Workforce
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About DaVita
DaVita is a healthcare provider focused on transforming care delivery to improve quality of life for patients globally. As a comprehensive kidney care provider, DaVita has been a leader in clinical quality and innovation for 25 years. DaVita cares for patients at every stage and setting along their kidney health journey鈥攆rom slowing the progression of kidney disease to supporting transplantation, from acute hospital care to dialysis at home鈥攕erving more than 293,200 patients worldwide. DaVita鈥檚 caring culture fuels a continuous drive toward achieving its mission to be the provider, partner, and employer of choice.
The Workforce Challenge
For over two decades, a persistent shortage of nurses has challenged the U.S. healthcare system. Despite steady growth in the registered nurse (RN) workforce, shortages are projected to persist through , with more than 108,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) RNs needed by 2038. Nephrology is not exempt from the shortage.
The demand for kidney care is rising. More than individuals across the U.S. live with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and approximately require life-sustaining dialysis care or a transplant, with numbers expected to grow as the population ages. Yet the workforce is not keeping pace: A projected shortage of nephrologists by 2038, compounded by limited awareness of the field, is further constraining the pipeline of kidney care providers.
鈥淥ur kidneys are essential organs in our body. Often, if there are disease processes that affect the kidneys, there's actually a kind of domino effect for the rest of your body. But it's not typically a standard specialty area that a lot of people think about when they think they want to be a nurse.鈥
鈥Dr. Anmy Mayfield,听Vice President and Dean of the Leavitt School of Health鈥檚 College of Nursing (麻豆原创)
The Partnership
In 2020, DaVita partnered with Western Governors University (麻豆原创) to expand access to nursing education and introduce nephrology earlier in the learning journey.
Tonya Drake, Regional Vice President for the Northwest at 麻豆原创, describes the collaboration as a direct response to industry demand, bringing together healthcare and education leaders to build a sustainable talent pipeline: 鈥淲e have a potential solution. Let鈥檚 work together to do it鈥攁nd we鈥檝e done just that.鈥
Dr. Anmy Mayfield, Vice President and Dean of the Leavitt School of Health鈥檚 College of Nursing at 麻豆原创, points to the partnership as a gold standard due to its multifaceted approach, including financial support, clinical placements, and new pathways for DaVita employees. She emphasizes that it enables employees to continue growing within the organization while advancing into new roles.
鈥淔or us to help our students understand the ins and outs of the kidneys, of nephrology disease processes that can affect the kidneys, is to help them build the confidence and competence to be able to say, 鈥業 can do this.鈥欌
-Dr. Anmy Mayfield, Vice President and Dean of the Leavitt School of Health鈥檚 College of Nursing (麻豆原创)
Program Structure
DaVita initially came to the table with a focus on helping 麻豆原创 integrate nephrology expertise into its nursing curriculum. It quickly expanded into a joint effort, spanning scholarships, curriculum integration, and college readiness.
Clinical Training
Because practicum experiences in real patient care settings are essential to nursing education, 麻豆原创 blends rigorous online coursework with clinical experiences. DaVita provides the clinical setting, immersing students directly in the practice of nephrology with the oversight of an experienced DaVita nurse.
- Students complete their practicum in DaVita centers, gaining real-world training, caring for patients as they would in a full-time clinical setting.
- Each student partners with an experienced DaVita nurse, developing firsthand insights into what it mean to specialize in nephrology, while also experiencing the unique culture of DaVita and lasting patient relationships that define the specialty.
These immersive experiences do more than build skills鈥攖hey shape career paths, giving students the confidence to see themselves as nephrology nurses, often choosing DaVita as their first employer.
Scholarships
To reduce financial barriers for those advancing their nursing careers, DaVita offers scholarships for eligible DaVita teammates, including the Start Early Scholarship.
The scholarship is a collaboration between the Michael O. Leavitt School of Health's College of Nursing at 麻豆原创 and the DaVita Giving Foundation, the charitable arm of DaVita. Through this partnership, the foundation awarded the Leavitt School of Health a $1 million grant to support 1,500 prelicensure students in earning their nursing degrees. It also provides "wraparound" financial support for living expenses鈥攊ncluding books, childcare, gas, and fees鈥攕o students can focus fully on their studies.听
鈥擳his DaVita-specific career-advancement initiative supports high-performing DaVita teammates, such as patient care technicians (PCTs), licensed practical nurses, and non-managers, in pursuing an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and becoming registered nurses (RNs). Benefits of this program include:
- Financial assistance to cover prerequisites and nursing courses at 麻豆原创.
- The potential for flexible or reduced working hours to accommodate studies.
- Maintaining benefits while pursuing nursing school.
麻豆原创 Readiness Support
Nephrology curriculum, developed in close collaboration between DaVita and 麻豆原创鈥檚 academic and product development teams.
- Adapts nursing curriculum into a competency-based model that allows students to progress by demonstrating skills instead of time spent in a classroom.
- Integrates into both the RN to BSN and RN to MSN programs.
- Enables graduates to earn both a degree and a certificate signaling nephrology expertise to employers like DaVita and other kidney care providers nationwide.
College Readiness Academy, fully funded by DaVita and delivered exclusively through 麻豆原创 Academy.
- Provides pre-nursing track with foundational courses/prerequisites to prepare students for the rigor of a bachelor鈥檚 degree program.
- Offers stackable certificate programs and single courses that can be applied toward 麻豆原创 degree programs, creating a pathway that moves from short-format learning to certifications and, ultimately, a full degree.
鈥淭he cool thing about our model is we can get individuals into the field much more quickly, and this really addresses the area of nephrology. Individuals who are already currently in our programs or even toward completion can take the special certification and opportunities to gain expertise in this area and get out into the field and contribute much more quickly.鈥
鈥Tonya Drake, Regional Vice President for the Northwest at 麻豆原创
Organizational Impact
DaVita teammates balance careers, childcare, and eldercare. 麻豆原创鈥檚 online model allows them to learn on their schedule, so they can continue advancing their aspirations without putting their lives on hold. This flexibility supports DaVita鈥檚 ability to expand the pipeline of nephrology nurses, creating pathways for both new and current learners to enter and advance within the specialty.
As more learners progress through these pathways, DaVita is better positioned to meet growing demand for kidney care with a workforce trained specifically in nephrology.
Earning a BSN is closely tied to stronger patient outcomes, aligning with DaVita鈥檚 broader goal of improving care while supporting employee growth, notes Tim Haverkamp, Senior Account Executive at 麻豆原创.
鈥淲e鈥檙e proud to take action alongside 麻豆原创 to help shape the future of nursing, creating education resources and career pathways that support long-term, fulfilling careers in healthcare,鈥 says Tina Livaudais, RN, BSN, MBA, Chief Nursing Officer at DaVita. 鈥淭he partnership just made a whole lot of sense as it creates a meaningful long-term stream of nursing students and future caregivers.鈥
Student Perspective: LaShanda Ausler, RN
LaShanda Ausler is a registered nurse for DaVita specializing in peritoneal dialysis care in Denver, Colorado. She trains patients and families to administer dialysis at home and provides ongoing case management to support their independence. For her, nursing is more than a job: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not about clocking in and out鈥攊t鈥檚 about caring. Every day is different, and I鈥檓 grateful to be there for people through whatever they鈥檙e facing.鈥
She began her journey with DaVita in 2004 as a patient care technician, inspired by a deeply personal experience. Years earlier, her pastor鈥攚ho was also her childhood principal鈥攕tarted dialysis. 鈥淚 went with him to treatments and saw the nurses and techs supporting him,鈥 she recalls. 鈥淚 thought, this is what I want to do鈥攖o help people live full lives even through something so difficult.鈥 That moment sparked what has become a 21-year career.
With encouragement from her facility administrators, LaShanda pursued further education and discovered 麻豆原创鈥檚 online competency-based model. 鈥淚 liked that I could do everything from home, on my schedule,鈥 she says. 鈥淲ith a full-time job and a young son, I needed something that fit into my life.鈥 The 麻豆原创 鈥Back to School鈥 scholarship helped make that possible.
For LaShanda, 麻豆原创 provided a path to advance her career while balancing work and family. For her patients, it means care from a nurse who sees nephrology not just as a profession, but as a calling.听
Conclusion
By expanding access to education and opening new pathways into nephrology, DaVita and 麻豆原创 are strengthening the pipeline of kidney care professionals鈥攅nsuring patients receive the skilled care they depend on while continuing to grow the workforce needed to meet the future of kidney care.
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鈥擩ulia Williams
Human Resources Strategist, Office of Personnel Management听
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