NASHVILLE, Tenn.—Dialysis Clinic Inc. (DCI), the largest U.S. nonprofit dialysis provider, celebrated its 40th birthday on May 24 and is hosting 40 community service projects across the nation to celebrate.
DCI employees around the nation have teamed up to complete 40 community service projects that will educate society about kidney disease and organ donation. According to Jessica Emler, DCI Public Information Coordinator, “We wanted to celebrate DCI’s birthday in a way that brought our mission to life. We are a service organization. The care of the patient is our reason for existence. Therefore, we created the 40 Acts of Service project to benefit people with chronic kidney disease as well as educate society about chronic kidney disease and organ donation. As a non-profit dialysis provider, we exist to serve society, and this is a fun way to do it.”
The 40 Acts of Service are being completed in several states across the United States. Events range from free health and wellness expos to community celebrations with cooking demonstrations, exercise demonstrations, music and games for the family.
Each event provides education regarding chronic kidney disease prevention and management along with facts about organ donation. Information about the individual Acts of Service can be found on the DCI website at www.dciinc.org (http://www.dciinc.org/40acts_intro.php).
DCI was founded in 1971 by a practicing nephrologist, Dr. Keith Johnson, in Nashville, Tenn. Currently, DCI operates 210 dialysis centers within 27 states serving approximately 14,000 patients. Over $188 million have been allocated to research and education initiatives designed to improve the lives of those with kidney disease.
"For nearly 40 years DCI has operated as a non-profit organization with the philosophy that offering high quality care to the patient is our reason for existence,” said Johnson, founder and Chairman of the Board for DCI. “We believe that our non-profit status allows us to devote a larger proportion of our resources to improving the care we offer to our patients."
