Renal Ventures Management, LLC.

WHAT'S INSIDE… News and Notes, New Team Members, Renal Center of Sewell, Outstanding Employees, A Kidney-safe Recipe

Spring brings change to Renal Ventures

Welcome to the Spring issue of RenalAdventures. In this edition, we will introduce you to new team members in our Home Office, spotlight the Renal Center of Sewell, discuss our new Department of Clinical Education and Staff Development, and honor some exceptional team members in our organization.

When we think of spring, we think of new beginnings, which parallels the events taking place at Renal Ventures. RVM is reorganizing in our Home Office. It is my pleasure to announce that Ellen Davis will be transitioning out of Finance & Accounting and taking over the development of an in-house Human Resources department. She will lead our efforts with strategic opportunities (more to come on this later) and provide focus to construction management.

During the first part of the year, Lisa Yoakum was given responsibility for our clinics in the North Dallas metroplex area, in addition to her other duties. In concert with that, Liz Kaminski was elevated into the Area Coordinator's role to assist in overseeing the clinics in that segment.

Another team member I would like to acknowledge is Ira Epstein, D.O., our Medical Director in Fort Worth. Dr. Epstein was selected by 3,000 of his peers as one of the top nephrologists in Tarrant County. He was given this honor by Fort Worth, Texas magazine. This comes as no surprise to those of us who have come to love Ira (formerly of Moses fame).

As Spring is a time for new growth, RVM has committed to further expansion within the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. We have agreed to establish the Renal Center of Frisco, LLC with our co-ventured metroplex partners. Additionally, we have committed to establishing a presence in the North Richland Hills area, which is conveniently located between Dallas and Fort Worth. We are currently defining the actual location.

All of these exciting initiatives are merely a start to the new year. I'd like to thank all of our team members for a job well done last year and look forward to further advances this year.

I'd like to close with a special thanks to Jill Dellamalva, our Technical Writer, and our Home Office RV Difference team, who have assumed the responsibility for our newsletter. Please feel free to send any suggestions for articles to Jill's attention.

Give a round of applause to the current RV Difference employees of the month/quarter!

Did you know?
What three organizations are available as resources for dialysis patients?
Click here for answers

Biomeds head to Vegas

RVM has recently extended its commitment to their technical services division by sending several of the biomedical and patient care technicians to attend the National Association of Nephrology Technicians/Technologists (NANT) convention in Las Vegas, in March 2008. It is a unique opportunity for these technicians to see and learn about the latest technology in the dialysis industry. Hopefully, what happens in Vegas will not stay in Vegas!

Here to help you! New employees in the Home Office…

Janet (Jan) Dionne, Director of Clinical Education and Staff Development
Jan joined Renal Ventures in February 2008. She has been an RN and Clinical Nurse Specialist for over 30 years (Florence Nightingale was her roommate in nursing school). Jan is adjunct faculty and teaches BSN and MSN students at the University of Phoenix, Colorado Lone Tree campus. She wrote, and was approved, by the Colorado State Board of Nursing, curriculum for a new freestanding school of nursing in the state of Colorado in 2004.

Jan is a native of the "windy city", Chicago, IL. She, along with her husband of 32 years, was transferred to Colorado in 1983. Jan has 2 daughters and 2 dogs. She is an avid reader and likes to swim and garden.

Patient Satisfaction Survey

In January,our Social Work department completed its annual Patient Satisfaction Survey project. The year 2008 marks the third year that we have surveyed our patients with very positive results and many notable suggestions and comments. This year, we received a total of 920 responses from our patients.

All surveys will be reviewed in their respective Centers during Quality Assurance meetings, and the overall results will be tabulated and reviewed at our April Manager's meeting. We will also rank the 2008 results against those of previous years.

These surveys keep us on the right track in responding to our patients' needs and help us to make a difference in their care. To give you a sneak peak at the results: 870 of the 920 responses to the question, "Overall, how would you rate your dialysis center?" answered "Excellent" or "Good".

Spring Meeting Schedule

Clinical Coordinators: 4/24-26 in Princeton, NJ
Regional Directors: 4/14-16 in Lakewood, CO
Medical Directors: 5/4-5/6 in Miami, FL

Do you have an upcoming event that you would like to post in the next edition of the RVM newsletter?

Answers to Did you know:

Renal Center of Sewell

When you arrive in the lobby of the Renal Center of Sewell, you immediately feel as if you have stepped into a warm and caring environment. Two beautifully carved park benches, created in loving memory of a past patient, sit near the array of windows. These large windows allow the sun to shine directly into the lobby, adding to the warmth of the space. The furniture in this lobby is comfortably arranged in order to allow the interaction between patients and visitors. Here, they sit and enjoy lively conversations about the community, the latest news, the weather, and anything else that may become the topic of the day.

Another constant in this room is that it can always be found brightly decorated with the symbols and colors of upcoming holidays and major events. A photo board in the lobby is filled with pictures of staff and patients, celebrating the memories of past fun activities the Center was involved in.

A large table is always available here to display decorations and photos. It also serves as a place to pick up some delicious treats. Recently, this table was used as a Super Bowl Sunday display area. Before the game, each patient was asked to guess which team would win. On game day, both staff and patients dressed up in football jerseys, a touch which added to the excitement of the sporting event. Popcorn was served in the lobby. Patients who selected the winning team were entered into a raffle, and the winner won a prize to the local supermarket.

During the Thanksgiving holiday, the staff came up with a clever idea. They purchased white gift bags and asked the local school children to decorate them for the patients. Each bag, which included colorful turkeys, sparkles, and feathers, was hand-decorated by a child. Then, the staff filled each elaborately decorated bag with a turkey sandwich and a holiday treat. As the patients left that day, they were presented with this special gift. In appreciation, the patients wrote a letter to the school children and signed it. This letter was brought back to the school and displayed in the classroom. What a wonderful way of reaching out to the community! Everyone involved benefited by this act of caring and kindness.

As you can clearly tell, the Renal Center of Sewell is a beautiful facility with a group of staff who desire to make the clinic the best in the area. They work hard each day to deliver quality care and make a difference in their patients' lives. This Center is an extended family to many. We appreciate all they do and look forward to the organic growth of this facility.

Department of Clinical Education and Staff Development

During the fall of 2007, a staff satisfaction survey was given to RVM employees. The survey indicated that staff desired more education programs. On September 18, a brainstorming session was held at the Home Office to explore the subject of education within RVM. Out of this session came a plan for the creation of the Clinical Education and Staff Development department. Jan Dionne was hired to lead this department and its initiatives.

One of the first things the department is doing is recruiting a Clinical Nurse Educator to cover the Midwest territory. As of April 2007, Nancy Foley R.N. is the Clinical Educator of the Eastern territory. The Director and the two educators will endeavor to bring the RV Difference to the department and, in turn, to all of the clinics and acute programs by way of educational offerings and support.

The next projects the Department of Clinical Education and Staff Development plans on completing are as follows:

A learning needs assessment was sent out to all employees, and is due back to the Department of Clinical Education and Staff Development by March 15, 2008. The department will evaluate the responses on these tools and develop further initiatives based on the responses of employees.

The above plans will be ongoing until completion, which will hopefully be during 2008. In the future, the department will maintain communication with all employees and continue to revise and develop plans based on input from employees. The Department of Clinical Education and Staff Development is dedicated to bringing quality education, assessment, and evaluation to all RVM employees. Please do not hesitate to call with suggestions or just to chat.

RV Difference launch in the Home Office

It's official! The last "rollout" for the RV Difference program happened on Valentine's Day 2008 in the Home Office, and was a huge success! The festivities included a pot-luck luncheon, a brief introduction and welcome from myself, Chris Pfitzer, and a commentary by Larry Chatfield, the CEO.

Once the formality had been dispensed, the group discussed the RV Difference program. There were many suggestions regarding activities that can be done both in and out of the Office. As well as a tremendous amount of recognition involving the value of creating a team and the overall value of ALL team members, the group realized the impact that each member can have within the team through individual efforts. All of this was done while dining on a mostly Mexican Fiesta that was muy delicioso!

Once the ideas and suggestions ran their course, it was back to work with a invigorated sense of camaraderie. There was a feeling of excitement for the future of the RV Difference program and the impact that this program will have on our company and our individual positions within the company.

And the award goes to…

Since the RV Difference inception in 2004, the Corporate RV Difference Committee recognized that it would be necessary to think of a creative way to communicate the RV Difference Mission Statement and Principles consistently throughout the organization. In January 2007, with the support of Larry Chatfield and the RVM Board of Directors, Dr. Parker gathered a group of dynamic RVM team members whose responsibility was to create an RV Difference Education DVD. We were privileged to have the opportunity to work with Judy Kelly and the staff of Kelly Productions to bring this DVD idea to reality. With a unified vision of the RV Difference Program, endless passion, and enthusiasm of all the participants, this DVD was literally created from the heart - no scripts or cue cards. RVM staff, physicians, patients, and families shared their own unique RV Difference experiences during an actual day in the life of the Renal Center of Carrollton. We were thrilled with the candid, sincere results, and the DVD went to production.

Months later, Judy Kelly informed us that the "RV Difference" DVD won a MarCom Video Marketing Award out of 5,000 entries. We were all so proud! MarCom Awards is an international competition for marketing and communication professionals involved in the concept, writing, and design of marketing and communication programs and print, visual, and audio materials.

In February 2008, Dr. Parker made the offi cial presentation of the MarCom Award to Larry Chatfield. Larry accepted the MarCom award statue on behalf of the entire company. Later in March, there was an Award presentation at the Renal Center of Carrollton.

Fabulous Fruit Salad

Ingredients	Preparation
2 cups cottage cheese 3-ounce box lime gelatin 2 cups pineapple tidbits packed in juice, drained 9-ounce container light nondairy whipped topping	In a medium-sized bowl, sprinkle dry gelatin over cottage cheese. In a large bowl, mix light nondairy whipped topping and pineapple together. Fold whipped topping and fruit mixture into cottage cheese mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve as a salad on iceberg lettuce leaves or as a dessert, garnished with a thin green apple slice.