Learn More About Our Teams:
Clinical Operations
The ALO team works closely with Med Techs and Siemens engineers to ensure that specimens are getting to the analyzers on each of the automated tracks. The ALOs are the first teammates called to recover the analyzers if they go down, remove stuck tubes, and fix any jams that may occur on the track.
Teammates in the Automated Chemistry Department measure different chemicals and other characteristics in a variety of biological samples with minimal human assistance, reducing the risk of human error and giving physicians and patients greater confidence in the results. These measured properties of blood and other fluids are useful in diagnosing disease in End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients.
The Clinical Support department is responsible for the pre-analytical duties surrounding patient samples, including, but not limited to, receiving shipments, unpacking, sorting specimens to their appropriate departments, accessioning, and troubleshooting patient requisition errors.
The Hematology team is responsible for reporting the Complete Blood Count (CBC), which physicians use to determine the level of medicine needed to administer in every dialysis patient. The CBC is comprised 18 parameters, including white blood cells count and its differentials, red blood cell count, hemoglobin, platelet, reticulocyte, CHr, and body fluid counts.
The Micro team performs cultures on patient samples to identify pathogenic bacteria, yeast, and fungi. The team reports susceptibilities as soon as possible to the care teams in the field.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, DaVita Labs created a Molecular department to provide COVID testing to DaVita patients and private partners across the country. This team tests for the qualitative detection of nucleic acid from the SARS-CoV-2 virus in human nasopharyngeal swabs and saliva specimens.
The Special Chemistry team conducts immunoassay testing, molecular testing, and HgB A1c testing for dialysis patients across the country. These tests are important in detecting infection and managing diabetes in our patients.
The Trace Metals team runs tests to detect the presence of aluminum and other trace metals in the blood of DaVita dialysis patients. The presence of metals in the bloodstream can cause Alzheimer’s-like symptoms in dialysis patients, so the detection of trace metals is critical.
The Waters team is dedicated to ensuring the quality of water used to treat dialysis patients in DaVita facilities and homes nationwide. This team provides microbiological culture and endotoxin testing to ensure the water samples meet the AAMI standards.
Revenue Operations
Teammates on the Benefit Denials team revalidate patient insurance and demographic information and confirm eligibility with the patient’s primary insurer on the date of service. This can involve initiating corrections to the patient record and submitting claims or appeals for proper reimbursement.
This team reviews patient accounts to ensure insurance benefits are accurate and loaded into the billing system appropriately.
The Billing team is responsible for identifying and loading all billing requirements for payors into the billing system, processing electronic and hard-copy claim submissions, and resolving billing-related denials and rejections.
Cash Posting reviews all payor-related correspondence. These teammates apply payments and/or denials to the appropriate patient claim based on supporting documentation, as well as interpret denial line items and assign corresponding denial codes in the billing system.
The Collections team initiates collection follow-up of all denials with insurers to ensure proper reimbursement on claims. These teammates research, appeal, and resolve claim rejections and underpayments with the payor.
This team researches and resolves credit and payor-issued refund requests to ensure appropriate refunds are issued and adjustments are reversed, where applicable.
The Finance Systems Team manages all the financial IT systems for the laboratory’s Purchasing, Distribution Center, Accounting, and Account Receivable teams. The team’s is known as the “Clockwork Wizards” because many believe what they do is magic!
The No Response team obtains claims status on billed claims that have not received a timely response by calling payors or researching claims on payor websites. This team also initiates the posting of payor responses into the billing system or re-bills claims, if required.
The Payor Rules & Contracts team is responsible for credentialing and contracting with payors for lab services. This team interprets contracts for proper setup in the billing system, stays abreast of all amendments to agreements, and performs regulatory reviews to ensure compliance.
The STATs team negotiates STAT Lab agreements between DaVita Facilities and a local laboratory to provide STAT Lab services. This team reviews invoices for accuracy in accordance with contractual terms.
Operations Support
The Compliance team provides teammates with training, tools, and guidance to build and maintain a culture of compliance with health care laws and regulations focused on fraud, waste, and abuse.
The Distribution Center (DC) team supports the Village by fulfilling the supply needs of all DaVita dialysis facilities. The DC also provides support to the Lab by supplying all reagents and controls used to deliver results back to patients. The DC team also includes and Inventory Control Specialist team that monitors and controls all supplies and reagents used in the laboratory departments.
The Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) team takes a fun and professional approach to engaging and empowering Lab teammates to uphold safety as a priority. The EHS team collaborates with multiple business lanes in the Lab to determine and implement effective risk management controls.
The Facilities team is responsible for the maintenance, housekeeping, security, and upkeep of the lab building and grounds. Facilities also ensures lab building and grounds meet federal and local requirements, as well as health and safety standards.
The Labs Finance Team (AKA “The Reconcilers”) is responsible for the general ledger, accounts payable, budgeting & forecasting, financial reporting, data analytics, and auditing of the Lab billing system and processes.
The DaVita Labs IT department (AKA “Team Cybertron”) partners across our laboratory for all things IT, including the development, maintenance, and support of our custom Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). Additionally, Team Cybertron manages hardware and 3rd party systems housed in the laboratory data centers, as well as provides desk side support to Lab teammates.
Lab Customer Support (LCS) is the first point of contact for any questions or concerns that the DaVita field teammates may have. LCS teammates provide guidance and education to field teammates to ensure superior care is provided to patients. LCS is also responsible for calling on critical alert values to facilities or physicians and coordinating specimen pickups for DaVita facilities.
L&D is the partner for all laboratory lanes to ensure developmental success of teammates through role-specific, interactive and interpersonal training.
The Justice League of DaVita (JLD) provides world-class legal counsel on a wide-range of matters and transactions in support of our Village leadership, vice presidents, regional operations directors, facility administrators, and Business Office teammates. The JLD team at DaVita Labs provides full group general counsel support to the laboratory, including regulatory guidance, contract support, and coordination with other lanes of the JLD and DaVita Kidney Care as necessary.
People Services is DaVita’s human resources department. We are committed to creating a special teammate experience through our focus on talent, development and engagement.
The DaVita Labs Purchasing and Procurement team negotiates supplier contracts and purchases direct and indirect supplies in support of the laboratory and Distribution Center.
The DaVita Labs Quality Pit Crew actively engages with each team in the Lab to promote a culture of quality and ensure an audit-ready position. The team is responsible safeguarding our laboratory’s appropriate licensure and accreditation statuses, conducting internal auditing of our clinical lab, overseeing our non-conformance review structure, and maintenance of our document control processes.
The Revenue Integrity team works to establish, promote, and support credible revenue practices at DaVita Labs. Among other responsibilities, this team monitors laboratory coding and billing practices, conducts quality reviews of teammate job functions, and monitors medical necessity of lab orders.
The Supplies team serves as internal customer support while receiving and processing clinical supply orders in support of the DaVita dialysis facilities.