I’ve been a dialysis patient two times; 16 years ago for about a year, and now again for 5 months. Things have changed quite a bit. Hemodialysis patients used to be taken care of by skilled nurses, but now it’s all done by techs. They typically have 4 to 5 patients at a time, while a single charge nurse supervises them, and a total of 20 patients. I will also add that I, myself, am a critical care nurse and have been practicing in a top-rated local magnet hospital for 12 years, so I know what proper cleanliness and sterile protocols are. The care at this clinic is frightfully poor, and the protocols for cleanliness and sterility are mid –20th century, at best. I sit in the first chair, nearest the sink, and I can tell you that sink is never wet. Sterile protocols do not exist here, and tech merely change their bulk nitrile gloves between patients, without ever washing their hands. How can serious infections not be spreading at this place? I happen to have a permacath, rather than a fistula, and DaVita protocols do not provide for sterile occlusive dressings at the insertion site, just paper tape, so I have to bring my own Tegaderm. I knew someday I’d get a serious infection from this place, and sure enough, that day came soon enough. I got home from treatment at about 4PM with a temp of 97.6, and within 3 hours my temp was 103. Barely made it to TGH in septic shock and spent 4 days in the ICU getting rid of a serratia infection. Choose wisely, cleanliness matters, and DaVita almost killed me.