STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
Success Stories
A Lifeline for the Kidney Care Workforce
About DaVita
DaVita is a healthcare provider focused on transforming care delivery to improve quality of life for patients globally. As a comprehensive kidney care provider, DaVita has been a leader in clinical quality and innovation for 25 years. DaVita cares for patients at every stage and setting along their kidney health journey—from slowing the progression of kidney disease to supporting transplantation, from acute hospital care to dialysis at home—serving more than 293,200 patients worldwide. DaVita’s caring culture fuels a continuous drive toward achieving its mission to be the provider, partner, and employer of choice.
The Workforce Challenge
For over two decades, a persistent shortage of nurses has challenged the U.S. healthcare system. Despite steady growth in the registered nurse (RN) workforce, shortages are projected to persist through 2037, with more than 108,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) RNs needed by 2038. Nephrology is not exempt from the shortage.
The demand for kidney care is rising. More than 37 million individuals across the U.S. live with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and approximately 808,000 require life-sustaining dialysis care or a transplant, with numbers expected to grow as the population ages. Yet the workforce is not keeping pace: A projected 15% shortage of nephrologists by 2038, compounded by limited awareness of the field, is further constraining the pipeline of kidney care providers.
“Our kidneys are essential organs in our body. Often, if there are disease processes that affect the kidneys, there's actually a kind of domino effect for the rest of your body. But it's not typically a standard specialty area that a lot of people think about when they think they want to be a nurse.”
–Dr. Anmy Mayfield, Vice President and Dean of the Leavitt School of Health’s College of Nursing (WGU)
The Partnership
In 2020, DaVita partnered with Western Governors University (WGU) to expand access to nursing education and introduce nephrology earlier in the learning journey.
Tonya Drake, Regional Vice President for the Northwest at WGU, describes the collaboration as a direct response to industry demand, bringing together healthcare and education leaders to build a sustainable talent pipeline: “We have a potential solution. Let’s work together to do it—and we’ve done just that.”
Dr. Anmy Mayfield, Vice President and Dean of the Leavitt School of Health’s College of Nursing at WGU, points to the partnership as a gold standard due to its multifaceted approach, including financial support, clinical placements, and new pathways for DaVita employees. She emphasizes that it enables employees to continue growing within the organization while advancing into new roles.
“For us to help our students understand the ins and outs of the kidneys, of nephrology disease processes that can affect the kidneys, is to help them build the confidence and competence to be able to say, ‘I can do this.’”
-Dr. Anmy Mayfield, Vice President and Dean of the Leavitt School of Health’s College of Nursing (WGU)
Program Structure
DaVita initially came to the table with a focus on helping WGU integrate nephrology expertise into its nursing curriculum. It quickly expanded into a joint effort, spanning scholarships, curriculum integration, and college readiness.
Clinical Training
Because practicum experiences in real patient care settings are essential to nursing education, WGU blends rigorous online coursework with clinical experiences. DaVita provides the clinical setting, immersing students directly in the practice of nephrology with the oversight of an experienced DaVita nurse.
- Students complete their practicum in DaVita centers, gaining real-world training, caring for patients as they would in a full-time clinical setting.
- Each student partners with an experienced DaVita nurse, developing firsthand insights into what it mean to specialize in nephrology, while also experiencing the unique culture of DaVita and lasting patient relationships that define the specialty.
These immersive experiences do more than build skills—they shape career paths, giving students the confidence to see themselves as nephrology nurses, often choosing DaVita as their first employer.
Scholarships
To reduce financial barriers for those advancing their nursing careers, DaVita offers scholarships for eligible DaVita teammates, including the Start Early Scholarship.
The scholarship is a collaboration between the Michael O. Leavitt School of Health's College of Nursing at WGU and the DaVita Giving Foundation, the charitable arm of DaVita. Through this partnership, the foundation awarded the Leavitt School of Health a $1 million grant to support 1,500 prelicensure students in earning their nursing degrees. It also provides "wraparound" financial support for living expenses—including books, childcare, gas, and fees—so students can focus fully on their studies.
Bridge to Your Dreams—This DaVita-specific career-advancement initiative supports high-performing DaVita teammates, such as patient care technicians (PCTs), licensed practical nurses, and non-managers, in pursuing an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) and becoming registered nurses (RNs). Benefits of this program include:
- Financial assistance to cover prerequisites and nursing courses at WGU.
- The potential for flexible or reduced working hours to accommodate studies.
- Maintaining benefits while pursuing nursing school.
WGU Readiness Support
Nephrology curriculum, developed in close collaboration between DaVita and WGU’s academic and product development teams.
- Adapts nursing curriculum into a competency-based model that allows students to progress by demonstrating skills instead of time spent in a classroom.
- Integrates into both the RN to BSN and RN to MSN programs.
- Enables graduates to earn both a degree and a certificate signaling nephrology expertise to employers like DaVita and other kidney care providers nationwide.
College Readiness Academy, fully funded by DaVita and delivered exclusively through WGU Academy.
- Provides pre-nursing track with foundational courses/prerequisites to prepare students for the rigor of a bachelor’s degree program.
- Offers stackable certificate programs and single courses that can be applied toward WGU degree programs, creating a pathway that moves from short-format learning to certifications and, ultimately, a full degree.
“The cool thing about our model is we can get individuals into the field much more quickly, and this really addresses the area of nephrology. Individuals who are already currently in our programs or even toward completion can take the special certification and opportunities to gain expertise in this area and get out into the field and contribute much more quickly.”
–Tonya Drake, Regional Vice President for the Northwest at WGU
Organizational Impact
DaVita teammates balance careers, childcare, and eldercare. WGU’s online model allows them to learn on their schedule, so they can continue advancing their aspirations without putting their lives on hold. This flexibility supports DaVita’s ability to expand the pipeline of nephrology nurses, creating pathways for both new and current learners to enter and advance within the specialty.
As more learners progress through these pathways, DaVita is better positioned to meet growing demand for kidney care with a workforce trained specifically in nephrology.
Earning a BSN is closely tied to stronger patient outcomes, aligning with DaVita’s broader goal of improving care while supporting employee growth, notes Tim Haverkamp, Senior Account Executive at WGU.
“We’re proud to take action alongside WGU to help shape the future of nursing, creating education resources and career pathways that support long-term, fulfilling careers in healthcare,” says Tina Livaudais, RN, BSN, MBA, Chief Nursing Officer at DaVita. “The partnership just made a whole lot of sense as it creates a meaningful long-term stream of nursing students and future caregivers.”
Student Perspective: LaShanda Ausler, RN
LaShanda Ausler is a registered nurse for DaVita specializing in peritoneal dialysis care in Denver, Colorado. She trains patients and families to administer dialysis at home and provides ongoing case management to support their independence. For her, nursing is more than a job: “It’s not about clocking in and out—it’s about caring. Every day is different, and I’m grateful to be there for people through whatever they’re facing.”
She began her journey with DaVita in 2004 as a patient care technician, inspired by a deeply personal experience. Years earlier, her pastor—who was also her childhood principal—started dialysis. “I went with him to treatments and saw the nurses and techs supporting him,” she recalls. “I thought, this is what I want to do—to help people live full lives even through something so difficult.” That moment sparked what has become a 21-year career.
With encouragement from her facility administrators, LaShanda pursued further education and discovered WGU’s online competency-based model. “I liked that I could do everything from home, on my schedule,” she says. “With a full-time job and a young son, I needed something that fit into my life.” The WGU “Back to School” scholarship helped make that possible.
For LaShanda, WGU provided a path to advance her career while balancing work and family. For her patients, it means care from a nurse who sees nephrology not just as a profession, but as a calling.
Conclusion
By expanding access to education and opening new pathways into nephrology, DaVita and WGU are strengthening the pipeline of kidney care professionals—ensuring patients receive the skilled care they depend on while continuing to grow the workforce needed to meet the future of kidney care.
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Human Resources Strategist, Office of Personnel Management
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