Mercy Health Services Partners with DaVita to Offer On-Site Dialysis Services

Mercy Health Services (Mercy), a skilled nursing facility in Milwaukee, has partnered with DaVita Kidney Care to bring on-site dialysis services exclusively to residents of Mercy, including those in need of long-term care and or short-term rehabilitation. Mercy Health Services is a member of the North Shore Healthcare family of facilities.

The on-site dialysis den offers residents a comfortable and convenient experience, with dialysis chairs featuring personal televisions and care provided by DaVita’s highly trained and dedicated team members.

Laurie McCullough-Benner, Executive Director of Mercy, said that the newly constructed dialysis den is filling a much-needed service gap in the Milwaukee community, as well as offering sustainability for employees.

“I want to thank the DaVita dialysis team for their guidance and dedication to the Mercy Health Services community,” she said. “It’s been a pleasure to work with them in opening our new den and I think that their dedication to the project really shows in the outcome.”

By removing the need to travel to a dialysis center, residents may experience less stress and more benefits from smoother care coordination between their care teams. Plus, residents can focus more of their time on interests, activities, and getting stronger.

Darren Gee, Chief Executive Officer of North Shore Healthcare, agreed that the dialysis den will be life-changing for the Mercy community, as well as those in the Milwaukee community in need of dialysis care.

“The patient experience is really what this is all about,” said Eric O’Neill, Division Vice President of DaVita. “Think of what the temperature is like at 5 o’clock in the morning. Most times of the year, it’s not great. Instead of having to go through that process, these patients can now just come down the hallway.”

“When you think about what patients go through to get their dialysis care, offering them the ability to stay in-house, to not have to leave and go out in the cold, to have their home, their meals, and their treatment, all in the same place, that is a game-changer in quality of life,” he said. “I am excited that we, along with our DaVita partners, can provide that right here at Mercy.”

An open house and ribbon-cutting was held on August 30, 2023. North Shore, Mercy, and DaVita staff and community members were present for the celebration.