The staff moved in early March after about a year of going through the process of getting the new building constructed.

"We now have state-of-the-art features, which help us as employees be more efficient and helps us give better care and treatment to our patients," DaVita Dialysis Master Level Social Worker Lutricia Taste said.

"We also are able to expand our home program, having now three rooms to serve home patients, more parking and more facilities to accommodate fluids and disposal of waste."

The public is invited to attend an open house set for Sunday, May 6, to tour the facility, meet the staff and find out about the different services offered.

DaVita bought out what was known as Gambro Dialysis about two years ago. Before that, it was known as Ren Dialysis.

And over the years Taste has served as Master Level Social Worker, she has seen a lot of changes, with the biggest being the ages of the clientele.

"They're getting younger," she noted. "High blood pressure and diabetes are the two leading causes of kidney/renal failure. And any of those can hit at any age."

Different levels of care are available at DaVita, from registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, master level social workers, dieticians, and patient care techs.

There are also three nephrologists on call.

"Education is key in this field," Taste noted. "The kidneys do a lot more than you think."

And since education is key in preventing a lot of kidney problems, there are a number of educational opportunities the staff will be undertaking in the coming months now that they are in their new facility.

One common event they hold each year is a free kidney screening program to anyone in the community.

A number of educational resources are also available on their website at www.davita.com.

Refreshments will also be available at the open house, which is set to take place from 1-2 p.m. that afternoon.

For more information, call 520-7763 or visit the new facility at 320 N. Willow Ave.

The clinic is open six days a week -- Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

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The new El Centro Regional Medical Center Outpatient Center will open Monday , May 7, 2012.

The Center , at 4th and Main streets in El Centro , has received the necessary state aprovals and will begin seeing patients. The oupatient center at Aurora and Imperial Avenue will close. The El Centro Clinic will feature specialties in Pediatrics, Adult Primary Care, General Surgery, Psychiatry, Gastroenterology, Orthopedics, Pediatric Ear, Nose and Throat, Podiatry, Opthalmology, Cardiology, Neurology, Sleep Medicine, Pulmonary, Nephrology, Infectious Disease, Rheumatology and Diabetes. The Center will also offer lab and imaging services. An urgent care center, Express Care Center , will be available in the facility in the near future.

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