DaVita Chinatown Dialysis

When seeking dialysis centers in SF I came across DaVita Chinatown because it was part of a chain, and I thought, why not? It had to be good. Since it was close to work I figured it would be an easy commute to work in the morning after treatment.
It ended up being the worst three month dialysis stint I’ve had in my life.
I was in the 5am shift and thought from previous experiences at other centers that it would be quiet, that I’d be able to sleep, and relax before work. NOPE.
Let me list the reasons why:
1. Culturally everyone here is Chinese, like Hong Kong Chinese. So the patients bring their entire family into the center INSIDE the dialysis floor, set up a table, and gossip, bring food, tea, and all starting at 5am in the morning. You’d think you’re walking down a crowded street in Chinatown.
2. Want to sleep? No chance. There are no headphone jacks on the TV’s and there’s news blaring in Cantonese all day long — not just on one, but all the TV’s. I brought my Bose headphones which slightly dulled the roar.
3. Want a clean center with enforced infection control procedures? Nope. The patient’s families are in the center, while patients are being put on the machine, taken off, and they hover by the technicians as they’re accessing the patients (aka sharp needles everywhere). When it was there, there were 1 –2 remotes passed around the entire center to control each TV. Talk about very real disease/​bacterial transmission! Not to mention most patients I encountered are not always compliant about washing their access.
4. They touch EVERYTHING meaning tape, gloves, gauze. They, as in the patients and family members. Non-​technicians would rifle through drawers, grabbing gauze, tape rolls.
5. Theft? No way… so I thought… until I witnessed a woman steal a packet of paper towels, then grab a handful of latex gloves and shove them in her pocket. She looked around and made sure no technicians or nurses were watching her — too bad I saw everything. I made sure to keep my wallet and phone on me at all times.
The staff overall is good, technicians are spot on, and were more than happy to address my concerns above (adding a star for that), but made an excuse that «it’s difficult for us to make changes because of the language barrier and stubbornness of the patients and families.» I shrug at that — but will still avoid this place like the (bird) flu.

Unsanitary. Loud. Chaotic. Need I say more for a dialysis center?