I Hate Dialysis Message Board

Dialysis Discussion => Dialysis: General Discussion => Topic started by: flip on June 03, 2008, 07:54:14 PM

Title: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: flip on June 03, 2008, 07:54:14 PM
Today when I went in to my Five Star Dialysis Center I saw a bunch of people running around in Davita shirts with clipboards and my worst fears have been confirmed. They are selling out to Davita. Our experienced RN's will be replaced with newly trained techs, many of our perks will be gone, many products will be replaced with cheaper ones, and the cattle prods will come out. Sorry, guys but I had to vent somewhere.
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: kimcanada on June 03, 2008, 08:01:05 PM
 :'(  aww Flip that SUCKS, its everything now... bigger is NOT always better...  how long have you been doing hemo?
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: jbeany on June 03, 2008, 08:26:59 PM
That's rotten news, indeed.  Hope the transition isn't too bad for you.
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: monrein on June 03, 2008, 08:44:45 PM
That really sucks.  And so many people here were wanting what you had there.  I do hope it won't be awful awful but any change like that is hard to take.
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: paris on June 04, 2008, 07:27:12 AM
Oh flip, that is too bad. You have liked you center so much and things have been good for you.  Keep us updated on the changes.
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: devon on June 04, 2008, 08:49:16 AM
I am sorry especially if this results in a loss of service and customer satisfaction. 

Frankly I don't know much about Davita (I'm pre-dialysis) but I'm concerned that there is so much negative feeling about this company.  How is it that a company can be successful with such poor customer satisfaction?  Perhaps we need to do something about this.  We shouldn't be tolerating poor service for a moment. 

-Devon
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: twirl on June 04, 2008, 01:06:45 PM

watch those jokes you play; Davita has no sense of humor and that cattle prod -  well, let's just say it could get ugly

all jokes aside, I am not happy about this turn of events.... you spoke so highly of your dialysis center and now this...
really sad for you.......and the other patients
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: Neo on June 04, 2008, 01:11:04 PM
Oh man! that Sucks!  Davita is taking over the world... Its unreal...I hope the transition isn't too rough on you..
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: thegrammalady on June 04, 2008, 01:54:30 PM
it may be a state law, i'm not sure, but in colorado there must be an rn on premises at all times. (however the techs don't have to be nurses) they can't even let us into the treatment area unless a nurse is there. i'm so sorry this is happening i'm where i am because my doctor hates davita, he thinks they are evil.
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: Stacy Without An E on June 04, 2008, 02:41:16 PM
I'm so sorry about the change.  After all the comments I've read on IHD about Davita, I would admit I would be fearful.  Is there another clinic you can transfer to?  You shouldn't have to put up with less than stellar care when it's your life we're talking about.
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: Sluff on June 04, 2008, 04:22:27 PM
Eventually they will probably get in trouble for having such a monopoly on Dialysis centers, especially if there is too much bad press about them.
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: KR Cincy on June 04, 2008, 06:11:22 PM
Flip...if it helps, I've been a DaVita patient for over a year (in center for 6 weeks and home a year) and they've all been great...have taken good care of me and treated me very well...so it's not ALL of DaVita that's a problem.
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: flip on June 04, 2008, 08:47:42 PM
Maybe but it's just me but it seems like most of the problems that get media attention are in Davita clinics. It scares me that patient care may be sacrificed for profit. My center is hospital based and non profit. The staff is all RN's and LPN's, we don't reuse dialyzers, and use the best equipment and supplies available.
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: Chris on June 04, 2008, 09:04:03 PM
Sorry to hear flip. I'm with  you, most of the media I hear is bad about DiVita
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: Gramapat on June 05, 2008, 12:32:33 AM
I've been in center at Davita for 8 months.  I am so glad I didn't read all the bad press about Davita before I started.  I would have been so scared!  The nurses and techs at my center are very good and attentive.  Since I've been here and read all the bad stuff, I am always on the lookout for wrongdoing.  I feel very fortunate to be in the center I'm in.   :2thumbsup;
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: twirl on June 05, 2008, 03:23:15 AM
Flip   this really saddens me    you were always so positive about your dialysis treatment and center         
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: Romona on June 05, 2008, 04:36:53 AM
I hope the quality continues for you.
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: Ohio Buckeye on June 05, 2008, 08:11:51 PM
I hope things go well for you and the others as well.
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: flip on June 05, 2008, 08:29:53 PM
I met with the Unit Administrator today and she assured me that the current staff would remain intact for some period of time and the transition would be gradual. Maybe I'm just over reacting to all the recent news. Hopefully I can be on home hemo in the near future.
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: Chris on June 05, 2008, 10:55:55 PM
Guess that depends how fast the staff can get a job without getting a pay cut if they did stay with DaVita.
flip, didn't you write in another post that DaVita bought a dialysis unit across he street and tried to lure patients away?
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: angellady07 on June 06, 2008, 01:40:34 AM
Flip, we are losing a good portion of our experienced techs to Davita. It seems they pay more. I feel a little uneasy about so many changes. I guess I'll just wait and see. I hope the transition at your center is an easy one.  :waving;
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: flip on June 06, 2008, 06:07:55 PM
Actually it was Fresenius that is building the new center. I guess Davita and Fresenius will be going toe to toe in a month or two.
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: Chris on June 06, 2008, 11:07:51 PM
Ahhh!
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: twirl on June 07, 2008, 03:22:57 AM
keep pulling your jokes and never change
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: kidley on June 07, 2008, 10:04:56 PM
I, too am having to change to Davita.  My super center is just too far away for me to drive to with gas prices being what they are and will be...and I was dreading it until I thought about something.  Since there are so many Davita centers, the odds of something going wrong are greater and the numbers of people who complain also higher just by volume alone.  So, good luck to you and be glad you at least get to keep some familiar faces (in the other patients at least).
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: kitkatz on June 08, 2008, 04:05:31 PM
Kitkatz's tip for all patients:

Document everything.  If something is done and you do not like it write it up. Give it to your head nurse of the unit.
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: IUNurse on June 09, 2008, 06:13:33 PM
I used to work for an awesome company that was bought out by one of the top dogs.  What I found was, you can change the name and change policies, but the staff will only work with what they are comfortable with.  If the staff in your clinic provide top notch care- that will not change.  I would say that if the Unit Administrator is not changing than the quality of your care hopefully will not change either!
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: flip on June 09, 2008, 07:03:08 PM
I'm already seeing changes in the staff because they know that they will be replaced by techs at some point in the near future. I really don't forsee any major changes right off the bat but a gradual change.
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: twirl on June 10, 2008, 10:41:26 AM
gradually going down hill
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: kitkatz on June 10, 2008, 03:29:06 PM
Now take the bull by the horns and make sure you document anything you do not like! Turn in this documentation to the head nurse.
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: flip on July 08, 2008, 08:15:30 PM
I revived this post because Davita has started with their changes. Today they told the machine techs that they would no longer be needed. All our machines are Fresenius 2008K and our techs have been working on them since they first arrived. They do an excellent job so why arbitrarily replace them with new people unless it's the money. I'm not sure I want someone working on my machine that makes minimum wage.
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: twirl on July 08, 2008, 08:18:32 PM
is the nurse still blowing in your ear ::)
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: flip on July 08, 2008, 08:32:49 PM
barely....she's an LPN with 20 yrs.dialysis experience but Davita has told her that they don't use LPN's.
Title: Re: A Sad Day For Me
Post by: G-Ma on July 08, 2008, 08:34:01 PM
 :bandance;  I Like Davita....Sorry guys but I hope Davita buys the private clinics in ND.....if Davita reads this, contact me and I'll tell you which one.  I went to a private clinic for almost a year and always was sick, then transferred to a Davita out of state and no problems, feel great, they are very attentive, have a RN for each group of chairs and well trained techs and machine techs so give them a chance.  The RN's are the greatest.