Governor Kent Thiry??? God no!!!!!

[plugger]

Just saw Kent Thiry of davita might be making a run for governor here in Colorado!  I'm scared to death!!!!  I've been trying to put in comments to a couple of articles, but so far it looks like they are blocked - I didn't even use the words I wanted to use.

Articles:
http://coloradopolitics.com/thiry-governor-colorado-republican/ (link inside article for second article)

However I did just send off an email to Colorado Politics with my thoughts on the matter:

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To whom it may concern,

I read the Joey Bunch's article on Kent Thiry's possible run for governor.  I've been well aware of Thiry's record at DaVita for about 17 years now.  Before Mr. Bunch writes another positive article about the fellow there are some things he ought to read and be aware of.  For starters I would suggest he reads the dialysis expose by pulitizer-prize winning Propublica:

 https://www.propublica.org/article/in-dialysis-life-saving-care-at-great-risk-and-cost

 https://www.propublica.org/series/dialysis

Colorado's own 5280 magazine also didn't exactly paint a flattering picture of thiry (5280 seems to have recently taken the article down, but don't worry I've got it):

http://www.dialysisethics2.org/index.php/90-the-strangest-show-on-earth

And before anybody buys into thiry's BS about how davita has been "part of the solution, not the problem", these graphs seems to suggest otherwise about their for-profit, assembly-line style of medicine (get them in and out as fast as possible, low staff/patient ratios, and cheapest labor):

http://www.dialysisethics2.org/open_images/flyers/Legislative_flyer.pdf

Patients haven't exactly been big fans either:

http://ihatedialysis.com/forum/index.php?topic=126.0


No, thiry isn't exactly on my Christmas card list.

Regards,
Chris Schwab
DialysisEthics2.org

P.S. If you do another story, I have some suggestions for questions I've had for years:

http://www.dialysisethics2.org/open_images/flyers/12%20questions%20for%20davita.pdf

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[Rerun]

Good Job!!

              

[Michael Murphy]

All I know about this moron is he once gave a speech about how Davita was a village, name the doctors,nurses and techs plus social worker and dietitians as members of this great Davita village.  Patients however seem to be excluded from his village.

[plugger]

After reading the 5280 article the first time my impression of thiry's davita wasn't so much a village, but more of a cult praying to the great green god money (kool-aid, anyone?)   (party on the patients!!!!  wooooo who!!!!  yo' davita)!

But that said, I realize there are a lot of good people at davita who want to do the right thing.  I just hope they have gained a foot hold over the years.

And I'll let you know I'm in the process of writing every news outlet in Colorado with a background of wanna-be governor kent thiry.

[Simon Dog]

I remember Thirty's classic "We will not have a 401K with company match since not all employees would be able to contribute so it wouldn't be fair".  Classic.

[plugger]

I remember Thirty's classic "We will not have a 401K with company match since not all employees would be able to contribute so it wouldn't be fair".  Classic.

Sounds like thiry code for "we are only going to pay you enough to live paycheck-to-paycheck - so forget that savings crap there staff!  And any match would take a few pennies out my big-fat-cat bonus!"

[plugger]

More thiry code: "But don't worry staff, there are some people who rank below YOU!"

"The allegations that DaVita places profits ahead of patient care is not helped by their own CEO, Kent Thiry, who has publicly stated that DaVita is not about the patients, it is about the company and their teammates. (go to 109 minutes and 35 seconds on the following video)":
http://www.hemodoc.info/2012/07/

[plugger]

When I recently had my site hacked, I didn't find any security threats.  However I've noticed some of my pdf files are scrambled if a person tries to copy or print them - including the file I first mentioned with the questions I've had for years for kent thiry (in my first post).  But not to worry, I've got it fixed and also safely put away in a second spot to boot:

http://www.dialysisethics2.org/index.php/questions-for-kent-thiry

original fixed pdf:  http://www.dialysisethics2.org/open_images/flyers/12%20questions%20for%20davita.pdf

yep, yep, answers any day now!

[kristina]

If I may, I would like to know the answer to this question as well:

10) We would like to know why patients come into dialysis with kidney disease, yet so many pass away with heart disease?

Many thanks from Kristina.

[Bill Peckham]

If I lived in Colorado I would be voting for the Democrat but Thiry will be a formidable Republican candidate based on hair alone. However, I don't think his work at DaVita is disqualifying. He's done his job in the world as it exists, I don't know what standard you are using to say he's failed. He supplied what Medicare requested, on the terms they agreed.

[plugger]

10) We would like to know why patients come into dialysis with kidney disease, yet so many pass away with heart disease?

Would be great to hear from a doctor on that one!  A doctor you could trust.

He's done his job in the world as it exists, I don't know what standard you are using to say he's failed.

For starters, patient care.  Can't compete with a poor country like Italy, nor a small non-profit like DCI – playing under the same Medicare rules.

Numbers 2 + 3 of the following:
http://www.dialysisethics2.org/open_images/flyers/12%20questions%20for%20davita.pdf

[plugger]

However, I could see why somebody might want to vote for him.

Has the ability to gloss over scandals:
http://www.denverpost.com/2012/07/03/denver-based-davita-settles-case-on-overuse-of-kidney-care-drug/
http://www.denverpost.com/2014/02/11/davita-says-it-will-pay-389-million-to-settle-federal-investigations/

Experience running a cult:
http://www.dialysisethics2.org/index.php/90-the-strangest-show-on-earth

Biller extraordinaire:
http://www.dialysisethics2.org/index.php/our-concerns/88-fact-sheet-2007

However, I'm still having trust issues - those gotta be hair plugs!!!!

[plugger]

Why is a major-league comedian picking on ken thiry?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/john-oliver-dialysis_us_5919a556e4b00f308cf6a33b

Doesn't like the taste of kool-aid I guess.

[Rerun]

Why is a major-league comedian picking on ken thiry?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/john-oliver-dialysis_us_5919a556e4b00f308cf6a33b

Doesn't like the taste of kool-aid I guess.

Yes, we have John Oliver's rant in the News Articles section.  I went on youtube and in the comments put the link to IHD....

Thanks Plugger!

 

[plugger]

A day late and a dollar short.  But if anybody wants to do some reading there is the above!

[Simon Dog]

For starters, patient care.  Can't compete with a poor country like Italy, nor a small non-profit like DCI – playing under the same Medicare rules.

A big part of it is what MDs expect to earn in various countries.  Italy can afford to have a neph on duty at clinics during all dialysis.

A recent article in Nephrology News gives some perspective on what a US neph demands.  The article was about "what workload balance does a nepeh need to hit a target income of $500,000 per year while taking 9 weeks of vacation a year".

[plugger]

All about the ka-ching and the the bling-bling - all while taking 9 weeks of vacation!