The primary responsibility of DCI is to perceive, initiate and provide comprehensive patient care. We serve society by providing care for patients with End-Stage Renal Disease. Our goal is complete patient rehabilitation. We recognize the patient as an individual resulting from his or her genetics, life experience, habits, beliefs, emotions; and as a member of his or her family and the community. The patient deserves the highest standard of care possible regardless of race, status or creed. The application of comprehensive care is on a personal level. We become acquainted with our patient as a person and seek to understand his/her problems and needs- physical, emotional, spiritual and social.

Through a team approach, each staff member performs functions within his or her capabilities in his or her defined role based on the specific needs of the individual patient. Patient care is assessed, planned, implemented and evaluated with the consistent aim of improving care and finding more efficient and effective methods for delivery of care. Realistic goals which promote safe, therapeutically effective and individualized care for each patient are defined in the patient care plan. These goals adhere to quality standards of care within the framework of defined policies and procedures. The team strives to provide the highest quality of patient care possible through the utilization of available human and material resources.

There is, however, a further responsibility to which DCI is devoted. DCI was established as a non-profit corporation, hopefully to generate funds for research in order that the methods for treatment of ESRD patients might be improved. We are not content to dialyze the next group of patients in the same imperfect way that the last group was dialyzed without at least making the attempt to better the patient’s lot through research. As a corollary to this, education of ESRD health care professionals is another goal to which DCI resources are dedicated to support.

DCI’s philosophy has always been a commitment to patients. Patients complete a financial profile which aides the social workers in directing them to community services to assist them. Patients are also assisted in acquiring and maintaining primary and supplemental insurance. If a patient does not have primary or secondary insurance, every effort is taken to find a DCI facility that can accept the financial burden of an uninsured patient.

DCI endorses the patient’s right to choose the facility and the mode in which the patient’s ESRD should be treated, i.e., dialysis or transplant. To help ensure that those patients desiring transplant may be offered this form of treatment, DCI founded and remains closely affiliated with DCI Donor Services, Inc., which operates independent organ procurement agencies and also contributes to research to improve patient access to transplantation.

We are a service organization. The care of the patient is our reason for existence.