A DaVita Lufkin Dialysis spokesman said Tuesday the company is saddened by deaths at its facility and is continuing to provide care for its 125 patients who have been relocated to other regional facilities as the state investigates a recent spike in deaths at the facility.
"Many of our teammates knew those patients who passed away like friends or family and they have been deeply and emotionally affected," DaVita Vice President Jerry McNeill stated in a letter to the editor late Tuesday afternoon. (Click here to see the full letter.)
"We hope to reopen the Lufkin dialysis care location at the earliest possible opportunity once we are confident that the safety of everyone involved has been addressed," McNeill wrote.
DaVita shut down its facility at 700 S. John Redditt Drive on April 28 after contacting officials at the Texas Department of State Health Services and Lufkin Police Department about a recent spike in patient deaths.
More than 200 patient records are under review as officials with the DSHS, LPD, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services collect information as far back as 18 months on patients who have died, said Sharon Shaw, administrator for Angelina County and Cities Health District.
Officials are not releasing the number of patient deaths at the center because the time period of the investigation keeps changing, Shaw said Monday.
Since the closure, DaVita has been busing its more than a hundred patients, free of charge, to area treatment facilities — some of which are operated by the company, spokesman Michael Chee said Tuesday.
"We are trying our best to fulfill patient requests," he said.
While the center is closed for the investigation, Chee said its teammates (the company's term for employees) have been employed at other DaVita facilities in the area, but are eager to have the center reopen so they can get back to work.
The facility is expected to be shut down a minimum of 45 days — part of a regulatory agreement with the state — while officials pore through dozens of documents, interview patients and send off lab equipment and water used at the facility to test for contamination, Shaw said.
As of Tuesday evening, nearly 100 comments had been posted on an open news forum at LufkinDailyNews.com about the investigation.
Chee said the company's teammates, which are employees of the company, are "extremely concerned with comments being made and how they effect the reputation of this center which they are apart of, as well as residents in the community."
Chee said he could not comment on specifics of the investigation at this point and that the company is relying on LPD's leadership to determine which direction the investigation will take. DaVita is conducting its own investigation, he added.
A Lufkin police official said Tuesday the department is not releasing any additional information.
"I've have a number of inquiries as to the DaVita Dialysis investigation," said Lt. David Young, a police spokesman. "I spoke with investigators yesterday afternoon and they don't have any additional information they can release at this point. They expect for this to be a somewhat lengthy investigation and aren't able to release any more information in order to protect the integrity of this ongoing investigation."
DaVita, Inc., is a nationwide kidney care service company that serves more than 100,000 patients in 43 states at its more than 1,300 outpatient facilities, the release stated. Its facility in Lufkin on South John Redditt Drive opened November 2006, Chee said. Prior to that, the facility was located on Chestnut Drive.
Comments
By An oldtime patient
Oct 11, 2008 7:37 PM | Link to this
I've been on and off dialysis for 37 yrs. and in the last 10 yrs. through the same company. Which has been bought by DaVita. It's been only a few years now and there has been the usual up & downs that you get at any job. But our care givers are the best and I've come to know them as my friends. These people are caring and get concerned when I am ill. If there is a problem, then look at the individual that's causing it. The Bible says to not listen to those who are mutters meaning people that complain all the time and are just not happy. As a patient, I hear everything, and most of it is about each other. The Techs. and the nurses. I'm sorry that me being ill is a source of your problems, but we do have our own and if we don't meet your goals- oh well! I realize there are those patients that are impossible to work with, please remember that they aren't happy about thier circumstances.
By urbandjazz1
Oct 2, 2008 4:14 PM | Link to this
DaVita is indeed very money hungry!! They would not
support me on a physical threat from a patient.
Can not in good faith work for a company that would not
support me. Now working for FMC.
By Action needs to be made
Sep 18, 2008 12:46 PM | Link to this
This company is the worst. Trust me I know because I worked for them and they are a bunch of evil, coniving, money hungry people (Davita). Everything that I've read from articles and as well as from family members of patients that belong to Davita facilities all say the same thing. The state has also stated that they're basically always non compliant with the state. And that is true because I've done research about Davita in other states and they're all saying the same thing. We need to come together and put them out of business because patients are not getting the proper care. And the patients are paying their salaries and just making the big wigs of Davita richer and it's not fair. The unit I worked in New York is horrible and another unit has just closed down in New York as well. Please everyone come together and makea public stand to the media so the whole nation could know what Davita is all about. I will be making a stand to my state governor as well as the media real soon.
By Delia
Aug 21, 2008 8:19 PM | Link to this
What is going on with this situation? Is this nurse being charged, being let go or what? I would like an update.
By wow gold
Aug 6, 2008 1:49 AM | Link to this
wow gold
wow gold
By wow gold
Aug 6, 2008 1:42 AM | Link to this
wow gold
wow gold
By ex tech indiana
Jul 30, 2008 10:56 AM | Link to this
Obviously only the first line of my comment was read because i go on to explain that I cannot live my life being pissed for there decision on there own choice for there life. But i do get upset that i try and try to explain to them the bad decisions they make will ultimatly kill them. The resentment I feel I guess I should say is more towards other staff because of there lack of care for patients and there love for money, as well as higher up davita employees who do not actually work in a facility with these people, make it impossible for the pts to hear my voice because everyone else around us few caring staff is saying who cares just make sure your here and on time so we don't have any delays and you better not have any problems or will be really mad at you.
By concerned
Jul 29, 2008 11:18 AM | Link to this
There is no reason for resentment towards patients. The patients are the reason you have a job. Resent the company that promises you something that they know you will never get. If you are just there for the money you are in the wrong place. Sure, everyone goes to work to get a paycheck, but if that is the ONLY reason you go to work, you need to find another field to work in. Healthcare is no place for you. Love of money is what caused all of this in the first place. DaVita and their greed, not wanting to spend money where it needs to be spent and cutting corners that shouldn't be cut.
By another one
Jul 28, 2008 9:40 PM | Link to this
"Would we feel slight resentment to patients that do not meet there goals and affect the bonus" "a little sure!"
And, this tells it all. Patient care driven by bonuses? Resentment towards patients! Thanks for your honesty. If this is prevalent a closer look is warranted.
By ex tech to professional
Jul 27, 2008 11:15 AM | Link to this
Would we feel slight resentment to patients that do not meet there goals and affect the bonus? a little sure! but they are, for the most part, adults they will do as they wish. It is our job to take care of them while there at treatment and educate them on the decisions they should be making with there diets and meds. But, again they are adults and it helps me to sleep knowing I at least tried instead of being pissed off about there "own life" decision they have made. Regardless of all that, the matter is I never felt that good about caring for these patients because Davita wouldn't give me that time to properly care for them! Because of this we were making there condition worse rather than better. If they feel we don't care and were pushing them aside then why should they care. Are push aside, scream at them for making a wrong decision attitude gives them the same reaction. They think fine then i might as well push my care aside to because if "professional's" are doing it why can't I?!?
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