DaVita sure pays KT well... I just saw this

[bioya]

ANNUAL COMPENSATION*
Salary $940,767
Total Annual Compensation $940,767

STOCK OPTIONS*
Restricted Stock Awards $263,294
All Other Compensation $260,123
Exercised Options 555,200
Exercised Values $19,289,484
Exercisable Options 1,032,244
Exercisable Values $29,755,255
Unexercisable Options 1,482,500
Unexercisable Values $13,326,600
Total Value of Options $62,371,339
Total Number of Options 3,069,944

TOTAL COMPENSATION*
Total Annual Cash Compensation $3,040,767
Total Short Term Compensation $940,767
Other Long Term Compensation $523,417
Total Calculated Compensation $10,235,474

Looks like running around in a little mouse outfit pays well... Way to go KT, 10M/year while you cut staff, hours and wages.

[Kitsune]

Wow! And he still feels the need to sing to Rep. Eric Cantor for more money? What a greedy-a$$ed tightwad.

I've got a better song than "When Cantor Comes Marching In" for his "villagers" to sing:

"Oh when the cash, oh when the cash, oh when the cash comes pouring in. Oh, I'm gonna screw some patients, Oh when the cash comes pouring in."

I wish KT and people like him would just find jobs outside the medical industry, he's screwed up too many times and taken too many lives in his efforts. It's time for him to go away.

[okarol]

Wow! And he still feels the need to sing to Rep. Eric Cantor for more money? What a greedy-a$$ed tightwad.

I've got a better song than "When Cantor Comes Marching In" for his "villagers" to sing:

"Oh when the cash, oh when the cash, oh when the cash comes pouring in. Oh, I'm gonna screw some patients, Oh when the cash comes pouring in."

I wish KT and people like him would just find jobs outside the medical industry, he's screwed up too many times and taken too many lives in his efforts. It's time for him to go away.

You should be grateful for the life support Kitsune. Right??

[kitkatz]

 

[Kitsune]

Wow! And he still feels the need to sing to Rep. Eric Cantor for more money? What a greedy-a$$ed tightwad.

I've got a better song than "When Cantor Comes Marching In" for his "villagers" to sing:

"Oh when the cash, oh when the cash, oh when the cash comes pouring in. Oh, I'm gonna screw some patients, Oh when the cash comes pouring in."

I wish KT and people like him would just find jobs outside the medical industry, he's screwed up too many times and taken too many lives in his efforts. It's time for him to go away.

You should be grateful for the life support Kitsune. Right??

Not when this guy is killing patients with his selfishness and greed. It's one thing to be compliant and try to make the best of a sucky situation, it's another to sit back and watch a greedy CEO of a corporation cut workers and endanger lives. I hate to say it, but dialysis on Thanksgiving does not compare to what Kent Thiry is doing to innocent people, and then asking for more money from the government I will be spending Valentine's Day at dialysis instead of with the hubby, but you don't see me putting up a "Valentine's Day Rant" post. And yes I am grateful, but if my life was being endangered like this man's patients' lives are, d@mn right I'd complain.

But I guess my opinion that if you are told to dialyze on a holiday, you do it without complaining and whining makes me immune to a sense of outrage at completely unneccesary cuts at the expense of people's lives so that the rich can get richer. Not the same thing at all.

[nursewratchet]

My clinic was open on Thanksgiving.  Some patients came, some rescheduled.  No big deal.  Not Nazi Germany.   
Dialysis is Dialysis.  The company doesn't matter.  The people at the facility matter, and how they take care of you.  The "company" doesn't take care of you.  The Nurses, and techs take care of you.  My clinic has NEVER cut staff, hours or wages.  Never. 

[bioya]

My clinic was open on Thanksgiving.  Some patients came, some rescheduled.  No big deal.  Not Nazi Germany.   
Dialysis is Dialysis.  The company doesn't matter.  The people at the facility matter, and how they take care of you.  The "company" doesn't take care of you.  The Nurses, and techs take care of you.  My clinic has NEVER cut staff, hours or wages.  Never. 

I am very hapy that your clinic has never cut staff, hours or wages. However, many have and continue to do so to make more profit while at the same time, reducing the care that the patient receives.  You are one of the lucky ones. Congrats to you and your clinic.

[nursewratchet]

I am a strong manager, with a very strong mouth.  I stand up for the patients, AND my staff.  We give excellent care, and if anyone in the clinic doesn't, I don't keep them.  But I am in corporate, for profit Dialysis.  I do have to buck corporate sometimes, and patients are better cared for, it may get me fired someday!!! 

[bioya]

I am a strong manager, with a very strong mouth.  I stand up for the patients, AND my staff.  We give excellent care, and if anyone in the clinic doesn't, I don't keep them.  But I am in corporate, for profit Dialysis.  I do have to buck corporate sometimes, and patients are better cared for, it may get me fired someday!!! 

I tried, I truly tried. I gave DaVita about a year and I could not take the nonsense anymore. 5.5 years with Gambro and I was happy with them. It was profesional, patient centered and focused on care. The month after the "official" buyout of Gambro and we started getting emails from the RD (oops.. ROD) telling us that we were going to have to cut here and there, and that was just the start. What really angered me is that I was NEVER over budget or over on my staffing. But it seemed the more profit that we made, they wanted us to make even more. First it was 'x' percent, then when we could show we could and would do that, then it was 'x' percent above that... it never stopped. The end for me was the second meeting with "DaVita". Meeting #1 in Vegas I thought must have just been a fluke.. you know, to impress us new Gambro people. Well, Dallas was even worse with KT come riding in on a bull and a freaking parade outside with a college marching band and jumbotrons... But the Saturday when they told us we had to sing "Oh when Cantor, Comes marching in" for Eric (I think that was his first name) Cantor from Virgina because he was going to try to get "US" a medicare increase. I could not do it. It made me sick to know that we were waving american flags and singing (what.. 3000 of us) that Cantor was going to be our saviour... no, I could not do it. I was out of there about 30 days after that Dallas meeting. 
I envy your ability to confront corp. I would venture to guess its not DaVita is it? (I could be wrong)  I was told that DaVita did not care how many FA's left, they could always find someone to manage the unit, they just wanted 'yes' people and would not tolerate anyone that did not drink the kool-aid.  Again, way to go nurseK..... I wish you well.

[Kitsune]

I am a strong manager, with a very strong mouth.  I stand up for the patients, AND my staff.  We give excellent care, and if anyone in the clinic doesn't, I don't keep them.  But I am in corporate, for profit Dialysis.  I do have to buck corporate sometimes, and patients are better cared for, it may get me fired someday!!! 

You go Nursey! I wish we had more like you at our center.

[qwerty]

I'm a very strong and persistent manager also but sometimes that just isnt enough when it comes to corporate. I have seen numerous FA's go down due to being "strong" managers. In due time it will catch up when you dont meet those budget cuts. Even the company I am now with is feeling the pressure under the new CMA guidelines and I am getting chewed out every month for not cutting down the saline use or the heparin useage due to cost although I resumed my heparin maintenances against thier orders. Too many starting to clot during treatment and seeing KT/V's inching down. Yep the blood runs through that dialyzer but half arse now with the decrease in heparin/saline. We have been instructed to cut out UF during recirc also. Biomed took care of that with machine settings so nothing I can buck on that one as much as I may disagree. I am getting pressure to keep my staffing to 2 techs a day when I normally have 3 on. I just lost a full timer and cant replace her You can be a strong manager but either way when it comes push to shove if they want you to meet those # they will find someone who will. Oh last year KT's compensation was 27.8 million dollars I believe!! Check that one out on Forbes. I finished up my resume today and looking to leave dialysis now as I swore when patients came last I was gone. As much as I love it, priorities are in the wrong place with dialysis companies. Heading back to open hearts or burn ICU. We are only allowed to change CVC dressings weekly now unless pts bring thier own dressings!!!! How cheap is that!!! 

[nursewratchet]

Fortunately, I am not asked to cut anything.  My clinic is a Joint Venture, the Dr.'s group owns half\Davita owns half.  Patient care is still coming first.  I am seeing that maybe I am lucky, I am able to draw weekly labs, to better monitor lab values, and I remain at a 4:1 ration, with a constant floater, who has no patient assignment, and a Cahrge Nurse.  I have 2 full time Social Workers, and 2 full time dieticians.  We didn't change our Heparin at all, despite the new policy from Davita.  My Medical Director asked me if I liked it, I said no, so he didn't sign off on it.  After reading some of the stuff regarding other clinics, mine seems to be in good shape.  I do always come in under budget, and I have 1/3 private pay insurance patients, so they can't say too much so far.  If they do ask me to cut somewhere that impacts patient safety, or teammate satisfaction, I'll go.  So Far, So Good.... We'll see. 

[monrein]

Are there any self-care clinics in the US? 

[nursewratchet]

I don't think so, but I'll check about the self care clinics. 

[monrein]

I love the self care thing.  I go in to a cleaned machine, set up the lines, prime, do my cannulating, hooking up, setting everything on the machine, disconnecting and then someone strips the machine and cleans it for the next patient.  I only use the nurses as consultants and so get to keep a great deal of control over my own treatment.  We have 11 chairs, three nurses, two techs and some maintenance guys.  We go to clinic monthly to see our neph but calls are made to him immediately if anything arises and bloods are drawn in between also if necessary.  Saves money for the health care system too. 

We have no such thing as for-profit health care. 

[Rerun]

In the "self-care" clinic do you have to stick yourself?  Can't the nurse or tech help you get on and get off?  I guess I would just have to die if it was up to me to get the needles in.

                                                               

[nursewratchet]

Rerun,  self care is exacctly that, SELF CARE.  The sticking is the one thing here anyway, that will keep some people off of Home Hemo.  Our doc says you can't go home unless you can stick yourself.  Many of the home patients have a care giver who sticks them, but the patient has to be able to demonstrate that they could if the caregiver couldn't for some reason. 

[Adam_W]

As for there being self-care clinics in the states, I know there are some, but not as many as I'd like to see. Probably the best thing that happened to me with this damn disease was when I was able to take control of my own dialysis, and I wouldn't even think of voluntarily going back to a non self-care centre. If for some reason I have to stop home hemo, I'll search out the nearest self-care unit and go there. (My centre now is not a dedicated self-care unit, but it has an in-centre self-care option for anyone who wants to do it). As for the self-cannulation, I don't let anyone touch those needles but me. I was stuck by my nurse a couple times, and even though she is not a bad sticker, that was a couple times too many. I even stuck myself when I was having dialysis in the hospital when I had a staph infection. I asked the nurse if I could stick myself, and she just handed my the needles and some gloves and said go right ahead. I think she was glad she didn't have to try sticking an unfamiliar access.

Adam 

[Zach]

Are there any self-care clinics in the US? 

Sure there are some self care dialysis units in the U.S., but as Adam_W said, not as many as there should be.

Right before I began hemodialysis, my nephrologist discussed the self-care concept, saying among other things that patients tend to do better and live longer when they participate in their own treatment.  And he was right.

Patients were encouraged to do as much for themselves as they could.  We were never "forced" to self-cannulate--and most did not.  For me, I was interested in learning to stick myself because I occasionally traveled for work.  What I wasn't able to do well was take my own blood pressure, so the nurse/tech would take it.

Unfortunately, when the unit switched to reuse, the self-care program was dropped.

Now that reuse has been eliminated, there is talk of reinstating self-care for those patients wishing to participate.

[Stacy Without An E]

After reading numerous patient stories and talking to many people on Dialysis, there seems to be a huge disparity between for-profit and non-profit clinics.

I've endured both and the differences are immense.

For profit infuriates me because it all comes down to how much can we weasel out of the insurance companies while providing the minimum amount of care possible to become compliant.

A friend of mine is in the East Bay at a Davita clinic.  To save money, they only order the cheapest materials possible (i.e. non-sterile gauze.)

She has a catheter and has had repeated infections and been in the hospital for weeks at a time because of this.

This is the problem with Dialysis as a whole.  Corporate leaders of Dialysis centers simply see patients as a means to a profit.  And doctors are in on the scam.

What kind of society have we allowed to fester when it's more profitable to keep someone's health in limbo rather than transplant them way to a better life?

[monrein]

In the "self-care" clinic do you have to stick yourself?  Can't the nurse or tech help you get on and get off?  I guess I would just have to die if it was up to me to get the needles in.

                                                               

There are only four or five of us who stick ourselves Rerun but I keep encouraging all of them to try.  One guy got sick of waiting one day because someone else was having a problem so I said, "See, when you do your own, no waiting".  Next thing I know, he picks up the needle and in it went.  His nurse was surprised.  A patient must be medically stable to be at self-care but the requirement is to set up the machine and prime it, do blood pressures and weight and temp.  Then a nurse will do the needles if you want.  A couple of patients now do their own sticks, partially because they've seen me do it and they too find it actually hurts less.  One girl used to scream, yep scream, when she got stuck.  Now she does her own and not a peep. 

[nursewratchet]

After reading numerous patient stories and talking to many people on Dialysis, there seems to be a huge disparity between for-profit and non-profit clinics.

I've endured both and the differences are immense.

For profit infuriates me because it all comes down to how much can we weasel out of the insurance companies while providing the minimum amount of care possible to become compliant.

A friend of mine is in the East Bay at a Davita clinic.  To save money, they only order the cheapest materials possible (i.e. non-sterile gauze.)

She has a catheter and has had repeated infections and been in the hospital for weeks at a time because of this.

This is the problem with Dialysis as a whole.  Corporate leaders of Dialysis centers simply see patients as a means to a profit.  And doctors are in on the scam.

What kind of society have we allowed to fester when it's more profitable to keep someone's health in limbo rather than transplant them way to a better life?

   The supply issue is up to the Manager of the facility.  It is against policy to use unsterile gauze for catheter use, or access use.  Each Manager has some discretion to what he or she orders and uses.  That goes for corporate, or private.  The manager does not always follow corporate recommendations, whether the recomendation should be followed or not.  The Manager usually dictates the clinic, not corporate.

[qwerty]

Must depend on where you are. I am the Manager and I have no control over ordering issues to be honest. They have a list of which our Biomed manager counts his supplies and this is what they go by to restock. If it's not on the list it doesnt get ordered! I may tell them look I"m getting low on something but that's as far as it goes. I am astounded that we use heparin yet dont keep protamine in stock for an emergency. We dont use activase of which I have been fighting for 6 months to get now. So if a cath is sluggish it's a trip to the ER where guess the ER nurse calls us as they dont know how to administer it LOL. Can you imagine having to sit in ER for 5 hours for a simple procedure that can be done in clinic. Talk about unnecessary cost, maybe not to the company but it is to the patient who most likely has that co-pay not to mention thier time wasted sitting there. My medical director has backed me but corporate still has taken the nasty road to NO. Especially with the new cma guidelines which has only made it even harder. They even cut out 30ml syringes and bandaids!!! Somethings I have been able to bypass but others is almost a no win situation. 

[nursewratchet]

I can get whatever I want.  I can't imagine not having Activase.  If I can't get it on the list of orderable supplies, I just order it elsewhere, and submit the bill.  I am constantly told by corporate that we can get whatever is in our budget.  I set the budget, so I run the clinic within it.  Are you are Davita, or FMC.  I've worked at both, as well as for private clinics (that was bad, where there was really no money even for EPO and other Drugs)   My only complaint is, too much paperwork.  Almost have to stop patient care to write about patient care. 

[qwerty]

I'm with neither. I left Davita as conditions were even worse with presssure from higher ups to cut staffing to the bone and working 16 hours aday. Pt's were waiting sometimes 2 hours to get on. Reuse was a horror. I was the only RN besides the FA whom never hit the floor. I currently work the floor 4(10's) days aweek and hope to get a paperwork day in when I can to do my administration work/careplans. If I'm off and there is any type of call in guess who comes in to work it now. I fill the pct spots also. I recent was stuck working for several months 6 days aweek as we didnt have another RN besides myself. My clinic isnt computerized so paper charting also. We have to enter one patient at a time in the one computer we have to use. But at least I'm out by 4-4:30 daily. I wasnt out at Davita till 9-10 at night with a start up at 4:30a. I finally have it arranged with the local hospital to use thier infusion unit to administer the patients activase and they leave it in the cath until the next treatment where we aspirate it. (Dangerous practice IMHO). I also trying to get protamine on our listing as we give heparin but dont keep protamine in stock?? Really an issue for me. Most of the issues at my clinic started soon as the new cms guidlelines became close to reality. They still havent started preparing the pcts for the requirements nor have told them they will be required to be certified. I agree with way too much paperwork!!! They wonder why I'm behind in it lol. Monthly careplans is unnecessary to me. All our info for crownweb is going to have to manually inputted. I was working with at least 4 on the floor (nurse included) now I have to limit it to 3 with 11 chairs and 1 iso room. I cant hire a 3rd full time tech unless I cut my per diems out which I am avoiding doing but that leaves me with only 2 full time techs if I dont. I have only 1 per diem tech and a per diem LPN who isnt there but occasionally. I'm hearing too much, "There's no money in the unit" or "I cant afford this or that" from the higher administration. We dont get paid holidays (which they didnt tell staff until after hiring) and they just cut our health benefits yet increased the price. We mix our own bicarb etc. (time consuming). So in the long run it's said to say I'm probably better off getting out while I can as I see it only getting worse with more cuts down the road.