CHICAGO and DENVER, Feb. 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- YMCA of the USA (Y-USA), the national resource office for the 2,600+ YMCAs across the country, is excited to expand its collaboration with DaVita, a leading provider of comprehensive kidney care, to advance chronic disease education and prevention for individuals and their families who are either managing or at risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD). CKD disproportionately affects individuals with risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes.

Following an investment from the DaVita Giving Foundation, Y-USA and DaVita will collaborate to further close the kidney health education gap, empower early risk detection and connect individuals with preventive care resources. Seven Y locations across the country will take part in the Collaborative Community Kidney Health Program (CCKHP), aiming to raise awareness of CKD risk factors, provide chronic disease screenings and connect communities at risk with essential kidney health education and resources. The goal is to impact more than 3,000 individuals over the next two years.

The CCKHP began with a pilot program at the Capital Area YMCA (Baton Rouge, LA), which included a screening event that welcomed more than 150 attendees to learn more about their kidney health. Now, Y-USA and DaVita will expand this effort across select communities disproportionately affected by risk factors. The joint strategy will continue to educate communities on addressing risk factors through resources and screenings that can facilitate more proactive care interventions — aiming to reduce the occurrence of preventable kidney disease.

“We are excited to collaborate with DaVita to bring life-changing kidney health educational resources directly into communities that need them most,” said Heather Hodge, Vice President of Emerging Opportunities at Y-USA. “By leveraging the Y’s trusted resources and DaVita’s expertise, we are taking a significant step toward healthier communities.”  

“Broader access to preventive kidney health demands widespread collaboration across communities,” said Liz Gardner, executive director of the DaVita Giving Foundation. “By joining forces with Y-USA, we’re committed to enabling broader access to essential resources, including health education, screenings and community support to foster healthier lives.”

The seven Y locations participating in this program include:

• Capital Area YMCA (LA) - pilot
• Jackson Metropolitan YMCA (MS)
• Tampa Metropolitan YMCA (FL)
• YMCA of Greater Cincinnati (OH)
• YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta (GA)
• YMCA of Metropolitan Denver (CO)
• YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles (CA)
  

The program will equip participants and their families with skills, resources and access to vital information about preventing chronic diseases, while also helping individuals take greater control of their own health. Program activities have been divided into three components:

1. Kidney Health Education: Y-USA will collaborate with DaVita and other public health organizations to provide flexible kidney health education resources to Ys, allowing each location to tailor activities based on community needs and capacity.
   
   
   
2. Kidney Health Screening: Over the coming two years, select Ys will host screening events with DaVita and local partner support, building capacity in the first year and expanding reach in the second year, with variations in capacity based on market size and location.
   
   
   
3. Community-Based Referral Resources: Each participating Y location will offer a catalogue of Y and community resources to support improved health, provide referrals to Y programs such as the YMCA's Blood Pressure Self-Monitoring Program and YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program, and connect screening participants to health support services.
   

About the Y
Driven by its founding mission, the Y has served as a leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community for more than 175 years. The Y empowers everyone, no matter who they are or where they’re from, by ensuring access to resources, relationships, and opportunities for all to learn, grow and thrive. By bringing together people from different backgrounds, perspectives and generations, the Y’s goal is to improve overall health and well-being, ignite youth empowerment and demonstrate the importance of connections in and across 10,000 communities nationwide. Learn more at ymca.org.

About DaVita Inc.
DaVita (NYSE: DVA) is a health care 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—from slowing the progression of kidney disease to helping to support transplantation, from acute hospital care to dialysis at home. As of December 31, 2024, DaVita served approximately 281,100 patients at 3,166 outpatient dialysis centers, of which 2,657 centers were located in the United States and 509 centers were located in 13 other countries worldwide. DaVita has reduced hospitalizations, improved mortality, helped improve health access and worked collaboratively to propel the kidney care community to adopt a higher quality standard of care for all patients, everywhere. To learn more, visit DaVita.com/About.

Contact:
YMCA of the USA
312-419-8418
media@ymca.net