It’s no secret that the U.S. healthcare system is fragmented and often frustrating. But progress is underway. Breakthroughs like GLP-1 medications are reshaping how obesity is treated. Artificial intelligence is helping to accelerate diagnoses and medical intervention. We’re moving toward outcomes-based care. Yet, despite this progress, the prevalence of chronic disease continues to rise.
Today, 60% of U.S. adults live with at least one chronic condition — and nearly 40% live with two or more. Diabetes alone affects more than 38 million Americans, and one in three of them will develop kidney disease.
This trajectory demands more than innovation — it requires deep collaboration between healthcare systems, policymakers, and society. As a kidney care company, we’ve advanced transformative solutions — but many remain specialized, in many cases only reaching patients after disease has progressed. Diabetes offers a powerful upstream opportunity. When addressed early through culturally competent care, community engagement, and coordinated policy, we can slow progression, reduce disparities, and reshape chronic care. It’s time to move from reactive treatment to proactive, collaborative prevention.
Reimagining care for chronic conditions
After decades in healthcare, I’ve seen how integrated care empowers patients, supports providers and eases system burdens. At DaVita, we’re building a future where a diagnosis doesn’t define a life — and where prevention is just as powerful as treatment.
With more than 25 years of clinical leadership, we’ve developed a connected ecosystem that brings together diabetes management, cardiac care, kidney health, mental health support, education and more.
Our collaboration with the American Diabetes Association is a prime example: Through localized health screenings and education, we’re reaching underserved communities and identifying risks often before symptoms appear. Our work with organizations like the YMCA help patients receive care directly to neighborhoods where access is limited.
We’re also proud to work alongside the American Heart Association, advancing cardiovascular health through joint initiatives that address the critical link between heart disease, diabetes and kidney health. Together, we’re expanding awareness, prevention and care strategies that reflect the interconnected nature of chronic conditions.
Turning data into action
DaVita’s integrated care efforts harness artificial intelligence to assist in predicting kidney disease risk years before symptoms or indicators like diabetes emerge. By analyzing patterns across our network — from dialysis centers to community health initiatives — we can help identify patients who may need intervention faster and earlier.
This transformation extends beyond the walls of our clinics. We continue to invest in solutions across the total kidney health experience — from educating and intervening earlier, to improving access to transplant. And those investments continue to center on the importance of collaboration. The Medsleuth BREEZE platform, now live in every DaVita center in the U.S., streamlines health information exchanges between providers, transplant centers and patients. When primary care doctors can instantly access kidney function data, when cardiologists and nephrologists can coordinate seamlessly, and when patients receive unified care plans — that’s when lives change.
The path forward
Behind every data point is a person — a parent, a child, a friend. Our 70,000+ teammates understand that deeply. But to truly change outcomes, we need bold leadership from policymakers, providers and payors. We must prioritize collaboration over silos, prevention over reaction, and outcomes over process.
The tools are here: AI-powered risk prediction, seamless data exchange, community-based care. Now, we must scale them.
America’s healthcare future depends on our ability to connect the dots between chronic conditions. Integrated care isn’t a question of possibility — it’s a question of will. Let’s build a system worthy of the people it serves.
To learn more about DaVita, visit davita.com
