DaVita, Alonzo Mourning, George Lopez Team Up to Raise Kidney Disease Awareness in Public Service Announcement
DaVita®,
a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. (NYSE: DVA) and a leading
provider of kidney care services, today announced the launch of a
national television public service announcement (PSA) to raise awareness
on the risks of kidney disease. March marks National Kidney Month, and
March 14 is World Kidney Day.
The announcement features seven-time NBA All-star Alonzo Mourning and
actor and comedian George Lopez, both kidney transplant recipients.
“The fact is, one in 10 adults* in the U.S. has kidney disease,” says
Lopez in the announcement. “And it often has no symptoms, so know your
risk.”
The leading causes of kidney disease are diabetes and hypertension.
African-Americans are also four times more likely to suffer from chronic
kidney disease than their white counterparts, and Hispanics are twice as
likely. The risks for minorities are especially great, Mourning notes in
the PSA.
“A simple blood test may save your kidneys,” Mourning concludes.
A risk assessment quiz is available online at www.davita.com/kidneyaware.
The site also encourages those with risk factors to take a pledge to get
tested and to send electronic cards to friends and family to encourage
them to take the risk assessment.
“At DaVita, we see the challenges of kidney failure every day in our
patients’ lives,” said Kent Thiry, co-chairman and CEO of DaVita
HealthCare Partners. “This announcement is designed to get everyone
thinking about kidney disease, learning their risks, and then – if they
are at risk – getting a simple blood test to screen for kidney disease.”
DaVita will also be launching a Denver-area kidney disease awareness
campaign to help make its headquarters city the most kidney aware city
in the U.S. The campaign will include daytime and primetime airings of
the national PSA as well as transit advertising and a variety of public
events throughout the year.
The PSA can be viewed at: http://youtu.be/lUpXhb_omz8.
Additionally, DaVita aims to raise awareness for kidney disease through
social media during National Kidney Month. DaVita will be hosting online
events during March and encourages people to follow along:
Tweet chat: On Thursday, March 14,DaVita will
host a kidney disease awareness Tweet
Chat in honor of World Kidney Day starting at 3 p.m. EST/12 p.m.
PST. Join the kidney community to discuss how to spread kidney disease
awareness. We’ll be asking you to share how you’re spreading awareness
in your neighborhood, at work and with your loved ones. You can
participate by logging on to Twitter and following the hashtag #kidneyaware.
Google + Hangout: On Friday, March 22, DaVita will
host a discussion about eating right for kidney health in honor of
National Kidney Month and National Nutrition Month starting at 1 p.m.
EST/10 a.m. PST. We will discuss the importance of eating a
kidney-friendly diet, covering topics ranging from healthy food choices
for those with kidney disease to how to maintain a kidney-friendly diet
while traveling. Panelists are DaVita dietitian Sara
Colman, RD, CSR, CDE; low-sodium food blogger Jessica Goldman Foung,
a.k.a. Sodium
Girl; and DaVita Chief Medical Officer Dr.
Allen R. Nissenson. The online location for the Google + Hangout is http://bit.ly/KidneyAwareHangout
Follow DaVita on Facebook,
Twitter
and Google+
and use the hashtag “#kidneyaware” to spread kidney disease awareness.
Following their experiences with kidney disease and kidney failure, both
Mourning and Lopez formed foundations to improve and save the lives of
thousands of people confronting the challenges of chronic kidney
conditions and kidney failure. Learn more about their foundations at www.georgelopez.com
and www.amcharities.org.
Transcript of DaVita’s :30 PSA Featuring Alonzo Mourning and George
Lopez
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George Lopez:
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What does a comedian have in common with a seven-time NBA all-star
champion?
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Alonzo Mourning:
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Nothing (laughs).
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George Lopez:
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Well, besides a winning hook shot, Alonzo, it’s that both of us have
had kidney disease, and had kidney failure.
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Alonzo Mourning:
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And after receiving a kidney transplant, now we’re both healthy and
doing great.
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George Lopez:
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The fact is, one in 10 adults* in the U.S. has kidney disease. And
it often has no symptoms, so know your risk.
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Alonzo Mourning:
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And that’s especially true for minorities. A simple blood test may
save your kidneys.
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George Lopez:
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Know your risks; get tested; stay off dialysis; and learn more at
DaVita.org.
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*U.S. adults age 20 and over.
DaVita and DaVita HealthCare Partners are trademarks or registered
trademarks of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. All other trademarks are
the property of their respective owners.
About DaVita
DaVita is the dialysis division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc., a
Fortune 500® company that, through its operating divisions, provides a
variety of health care services to patient populations throughout the
United States and abroad. A leading provider of kidney care in the
United States, DaVita delivers dialysis services to patients with
chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita strives to
improve patients’ quality of life by innovating clinical care, and by
offering integrated treatment plans, personalized care teams and
convenient health-management services. As of December 31, 2012, DaVita
operated or provided administrative services at 1,954 outpatient
dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately
153,000 patients. The company also operated 36 outpatient dialysis
centers located in eight countries outside the United States. DaVita
supports numerous programs dedicated to creating positive, sustainable
change in communities around the world. The company’s leadership
development initiatives and social responsibility efforts have been
recognized by Fortune, Modern Healthcare, Newsweek and WorldBlu. For
more information, please visit DaVita.com.
