This system can be challenging to navigate, meaning barriers like busy schedules, fear or distrust of a bad health experience, or potential financial burden lead 90% of Americans to delay checkups and recommended screenings, which can place them at a heightened risk for chronic conditions such as chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetes, hypertension, and increased costs in the long run.
In fact, six in ten Americans live with a chronic disease, a reality further complicated by the fact that these life-altering conditions are even more prevalent in under-resourced communities where access to preventive care is limited and among communities of color who often experience chronic conditions at higher rates.
Rethinking the entry point to care
It’s critical to reach individuals sooner in their healthcare journey with chronic disease education, screenings and resources. And, if they aren’t under the care of a physician or advanced practice provider, then we must find ways to bring healthcare to them. Combining the efforts of a reputable community organization like the YMCA and a leading healthcare provider like DaVita unlocks the opportunity to do just that – meet people with access to high-quality care in a trusted space they live, work and play in.
YMCA community hubs already emphasize healthy habits like exercising, nutrition and connecting with others. Incorporating chronic disease prevention into programming by partnering with a clinical expert like DaVita positions us to collectively engage in systematic change, starting in communities.
Serving 22 million people in the U.S. across 10,000 communities annually, YMCA programs help drive high health engagement. Engaging in your health is crucial for people living with or at risk of a chronic disease like CKD, which is often accompanied by multiple comorbidities requiring specialized care that can come at a high cost.
That’s why, together, we’re rethinking the entry point to care. The joint efforts of DaVita and the YMCA are not only helping to identify individuals at risk for chronic conditions like CKD earlier but also addressing upstream factors while helping build the trust and infrastructure needed to support long-term health improvements.
Fostering trust at the community level
The Community Health Experience, DaVita’s annual community health initiative offering no-cost health screenings to the public took place this year at the YMCA and other neighborhood organizations in collaboration with the American Diabetes Association.
Dazia, a community member who attended an event at the YMCA J. Douglas Family Center in Orlando, shared that, before reviewing her health results, she didn’t know anything about her kidneys. She showed up to her local Y for an exercise class that day and left empowered with knowledge to better manage her health.
“Now that I know new things about the kidneys, I am going to start to talk with my kids about why it’s good to drink water, to take care of yourself, to eat, to exercise, so I’m going to pass this on to my family, my mother and my friends,” Dazia said.
Dr. William Paxton, group medical director for DaVita who attended the events in Orlando, shared, “Many communities, including the one we’re in, are skeptical of the medical community. Giving them a positive medical experience can help break down some of those barriers.”
The initiative also reached Houston and Los Angeles communities, with roughly half of events hosted at local Ys. Orlando, Houston and LA were chosen due to higher prevalence of risk for CKD through factors such as higher rates of “crashing” into dialysis, meaning an individual finds out their kidneys have failed when they are already in the hospital for emergency care. Our goal is to reach individuals in these communities sooner so that they can get the help they need before conditions progress.
This isn’t the first time our two organizations have come together. Through a grant from the DaVita Giving Foundation earlier this year, we expanded the Collaborative Community Kidney Health Program (CCKHP), another initiative that provides individuals with chronic disease education, resources and health screenings.
Through these collaborations we aim to close chronic health education gaps, empower early risk detection and connect people with preventive care resources. It’s critical to collaborate to allow communities nationwide better access to the health resources they need to help them live healthier lives while addressing the root causes of the chronic disease crisis in the U.S.
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