DCI’s Top Clinics Receive Darwin Peterson Award
Posted in Education by Dialysis Clinic, Inc.
Today we celebrate our 2023 top-performing clinics – Landrum, S.C., and the Westchester Artificial Kidney Center (WAKC) in Elmsford, N.Y. – with the DCI Darwin Peterson Award for achieving the best quality and patient outcomes.
Landrum received the Darwin Award as a small, in-center hemodialysis clinic, serving 34 patients, and WAKC was named the Darwin Award as a large, in-center hemodialysis clinic serving 35 patients or more. Landrum has earned the Darwin Award three times and Elmsford has earned it twice.
“We wanted to recognize the clinic within DCI with the best outcomes, the best quality and honor Darwin Peterson with the award,” said DCI Vice Chairman and REACH Kidney Care Co-founder Dr. Doug Johnson.
Award criteria includes being a 2023 Gold Star honoree for strong patient outcomes, as well as percentages of patients with a catheter for more than 90 days, patients on the UNOS transplant waiting list and medical reconciliation.
DCI Landrum’s Nurse Manager Cynthia Edge credits their success to her staff’s continuity. “I still feel like we have a little family together,” said Cynthia Edge, DCI Landrum’s Nurse Manager. “I couldn’t do it without them.” Cynthia will soon celebrate her 40th anniversary, beginning her DCI career in 1984.
“When we have a solid team in place, we can really achieve great things,” said Brandi Esposito, DCI Senior Operations Director overseeing Landrum.
The Elmsford team credits the love of their patients and teamwork as building blocks for their clinical success.
“I think having continuity in your leadership team and for your staff, it really helps to make sure that you have consistent care,” said Dr. Doug Johnson.
“This Elmsford team won the Darwin Award back in 2009,” said DCI Area Operations Director Charles Coppolo. “How many years later, we still have 50% of the team that was working then working here now.”
The award honors top-performing clinics in the name of Darwin Peterson, a former DCI staff member hired to build an electronic medical record in 1981. DCI’s then 20 medical directors sought a tool to improve care within their clinics, placed an ad in the Wall Street Journal and hired Peterson to build the technology using computers to impact outcomes.
Darwin Peterson left a legacy at DCI. He worked to establish and refine DCI’s Medical Information System. After his unexpected passing in 1998, DCI’s EMR is now named “Darwin” to honor him. In 1999, DCI began honoring top-performing clinics with the Darwin Award.
DCI will name the home therapies winner at an upcoming spring meeting.
DCI Landrum team (L to R): Sonya, Amy, Heather, Angela, Cynthia, Maggie and Barbara; not pictured: Debbie