RICHMOND, V.A., | JANUARY 5, 2023

In December, Quality Insights’ Renée Bova-Collis, MSW, LCSW, was appointed to the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Renal Disease Council Board by Governor Glenn Youngkin.

Bova-Collis has served at Quality Insights as a patient engagement specialist since 2011 and has worked on kidney disease projects for the past 17 years doing patient engagement and project work, including 13 years as a clinical social worker in dialysis.

“When I heard about it I was really encouraged and wanted to get involved. We need more states to pick this up for sure,” Bova-Collis said.

2023 is the first year of the Renal Disease Council Board and is currently planned for a four year term. Bova-Collis is one of 13 members on the council board.

“It’s really exciting that Virginia is taking this step,” Bova-Collis said. “It’s an opportunity to be able to put issues forward related to the unique patient needs they have, the disparities that exist and services that they can’t access because of certain barriers that exist for those who don’t have the means that others do.”

Brandy Vinson has served as the Executive Director of Renal Network 5 for the past five years.

“Renee’s appointment to the Governor’s Renal Disease Council in Virginia is in complete alignment with our purpose at Quality Insights, better healthcare for everyone,” Vinson said. “Renee is a recognized leader in the national renal community and through her work with Quality Insights she is well suited to advise on the needs of individuals with kidney disease, identify challenges and recommend mitigation strategies for the kidney care system in Virginia, and provide education.”

Bova-Collis’ role at Quality Insights includes advocating for those patients with end stage renal disease and making sure providers are meeting their needs.

“The folks that I have come into contact with over the years are kidney warriors. They have had to deal with some pretty challenging life events that have completely turned their worlds upside down, and to come out of that with any kind of hope for the future, that’s a pretty strong thing to recognize.” Bova-Collis said. “If someone like me can help them through that journey, to find hope in their future, then it’s extremely rewarding.”

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About Quality Insights Renal Network 5

Quality Insights Renal Network 5 is a nonprofit corporation serving as the federal contractor for the Network 5 region, which encompasses Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. There are more than 465 hemodialysis facilities and 13 renal transplant centers in the area, providing treatment to more than 28,000 dialysis patients and over 13,000 transplant recipients (2021 Annual Report, ESRD Network 5).

About Quality Insights

Quality Insights is a mission-driven company focused on using data and community solutions to improve health and health care quality. We support and collaborate with government agencies, payers, providers, patients and families, and community organizations. Our services include quality improvement consulting; provider, stakeholder and patient engagement; secure data collection, validation, analytics and reporting; and effective, comprehensive and collaborative education and learning. Quality Insights’ employees and consultants support quality initiatives from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), state governments, private payers and more.