DCI Signs $1 Million Dollar Charitable Gift Agreement to Support the University of Florida

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Nov. 18, 2014 - PRLog -- Gainesville, FL– Dialysis Clinic, Inc. (DCI) signed a charitable gift agreement with the University of Florida Foundation for one million dollars to establish the R. Glenn Davis, M.D. Nephrology Fellowship Endowment. The gift will be awarded over four years in increments of $250,000 with the University of Florida matching the funds each year for a grand total of $2 million dollars of combined contributions to the fund.

The R. Glenn Davis, M.D. Nephrology Fellowship Endowment will be used to provide support for two fellowship positions at the university. The funds will significantly impact medical education, patient care and research activities of individuals pursuing nephrology fellowships at the University of Florida.

“The philanthropic funds will first create the endowed fund for Nephrology fellows,” said Mark S. Segal, M.D., Ph.D., University of Florida Associate Professor & Chief, J. Robert Cade Professor of Medicine Nephrology, Hypertension and Renal Transplantation. “The income generated by this permanent endowment will be used to support fellows’ salaries while they are performing research.”

“In addition, these funds will support education supplies like textbooks and online tools as well as travel to educational and research meetings.”

The plan for this philanthropic gift sprang to life when Segal approached Davis with the idea.

“Given the environment for support for fellowship education, Dr. Segal came up with this concept to support fellowship education and approached Dr. Davis,” said Barbara Graham, Director of Development, University of Florida Health. “Dr. Davis was very enthusiastic about the idea of DCI partnering with the University of Florida Division of Nephrology, Hypertension, and Renal Transplantation.”

DCI leadership also saw an opportunity for a successful partnership that can positively impact future generations of nephrologists.

“As a non-profit dialysis provider, DCI seeks opportunities to improve the future of renal care,” said Ed Attrill, President, DCI. “We believe the University of Florida will use this gift to continue its discoveries and advancements in health research. We are honored to partner with them to make the R. Glenn Davis, M.D. Nephrology Fellowship Endowment a success.”

DCI dedicates a portion of its funds to support research, education and development. Since inception in 1971, DCI has provided over $200 million dollars in research and educational support.

Segal said DCI’s dedication to education and research is a big part of why it makes for an ideal partnership: “One of the three core missions of the University of Florida and Division of Nephrology, Hypertension, and Renal Transplantation is education,” he said. “(If DCI was not) a like-minded organization, we could not partner with them, since they would not understand the importance of our mission to educate physicians who are better prepared to serve the health and well-being of patients and their families.”

According to Graham, Davis was the second nephrology fellow in the university’s program, and he continues to be a wonderful supporter and advocate of the program.