DaVita® Medical Insights

Podcast: Case Study on Palliative Care for a Patient with End Stage Renal Disease

Palliative care, although sometimes associated with negative connotations, can simply be defined as care that bridges the gap between certain transitions of a patients’ clinical status, which may or may not lead to hospice. Listen to this podcast, in which Denea Hart, MSW, David Roer, MD, and Amanda Locke, RN, review a case study that involves key considerations for kidney disease patients who are facing palliative care.

David A. Roer, MD, FACP, FASH, FASN

David A. Roer, MD, FACP, FASH, FASN

David A. Roer, MD, is vice president of medical affairs for integrated kidney care at VillageHealth and DaVita Kidney Care. He also serves as the chairman of the patient safety and quality committee of the Renal Physician Association and is involved in several clinical research projects locally and nationally. He currently serves on the board of directors at St. Mary’s Hospital and, previously, he served as chief of nephrology, chief of staff and chair of the medical executive committee, medical director of patient safety and clinical quality, chairman of the peer review oversight committee and chair of the ethics committee. Dr. Roer was a member of the National Kidney Foundation of Connecticut’s board of directors for 15 years and developed comprehensive prevention and service programs for more than 3,000 dialysis patients and facilitated legislative changes for kidney disease. In 2008, the foundation honored him with the Gift of Life Community Achievement Award. He and his wife, Mary Lizabeth Aquavia, MD, are founding members of the Ada DeBold Society, a group that ensures the philanthropic future of the National Kidney Foundation. Dr. Roer is an associate clinical professor at Yale School of Medicine, where he also completed his nephrology and hypertension training. He has been awarded Teacher of the Year on six occasions from the Yale Primary Care Residency Program. He holds a specialty certification in clinical hypertension from the American Society of Hypertension and has been the managing partner of Nephrology and Hypertension Associates in Waterbury, Connecticut, for 30 years.

Denea Hart, MSW, LCSW

Denea Hart, MSW, LCSW

Denea Hart, MSW, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker with more than 20 years of experience in health care. She currently serves at DaVita as a manager of clinical operations for integrated kidney care, leading national advance care planning and end-of-life initiatives. She is certified in bereavement (animal- and equine-assisted) and biological decoding therapy. Ms. Hart is involved in local and national efforts to promote awareness of advanced care, advocate for policy reform and transform advanced care for individuals and caregivers.

Amanda Locke, RN

Amanda Locke, RN

Amanda Locke, RN, is a registered nurse with 20 years of experience in health care. She currently serves as an RN telephonic case manager for DaVita Integrated Kidney Care. Before becoming a case manager, Ms. Locke spent the majority of her career in the clinical office settings specializing in gastroenterology and hematology/oncology. Here, she developed a passion for empowering patients through education and identified the need for registered nurses to embrace their role as patient advocates. Ms. Locke has established a reputation for being able to address important health care issues while share her own life experiences through humor. As a result, Ms. Locke has made multiple guest appearances on a national radio talk show, was personally selected to share the stage with a well-known successful comedian and is currently writing a book.