Many people don’ t realize how significant kidney disease is
Holly Sterrett | DaVita __________________________________________________________________________________________
Finding purpose
Holly didn’ t plan on a career in healthcare law. Instead, she found her path at DaVita through a connection that grew during her time in private practice.“ What drew me to DaVita was the organization itself. While I was in private practice at Arnold & Porter, I had the opportunity to work with DaVita as outside counsel and saw firsthand the strength of its culture, the caliber of its people, and the passion behind its mission. Nearly nine years later, it’ s still the people and purpose that keep me here,” she recalls.
For Holly, connecting legal work to patient outcomes gives her role real purpose. Living with kidney disease often means navigating ongoing treatment, complex coordination, and support that extends beyond clinical care. Even though she works out of the spotlight, Holly sees a clear link between legal strategy and patient well-being.“ Kidney disease impacts every aspect of a person’ s life, and dialysis is life-sustaining care. While my work happens behind the scenes, I am proud to support an organization that serves hundreds of thousands of patients and their families. Knowing that the work my team does helps protect and strengthen that mission is incredibly meaningful,” she reflects.
That same commitment shapes DaVita’ s culture, where collaboration is at the heart of everything. Holly highlights the company’ s approach:“ At DaVita, we call our employees teammates because we believe great outcomes happen when people work together in service of a common purpose. I have the privilege of working alongside smart, compassionate, and deeply committed teammates every day, and that makes all the difference.”
Supporting change
As providers expand their focus beyond treatment itself, the challenge shifts from a single clinical intervention to coordinating an entire care ecosystem. That complexity often remains invisible to people outside the sector.
“ Many people don’ t realize how significant kidney disease is as a public health issue or how much coordination is necessary to support patients living with it. I think there’ s a misconception that dialysis is the entire story. In reality, kidney care includes education, care coordination, transplantation support and helping patients make informed decisions about the treatment path that’ s right for them,” she observes.
Working toward integrated care creates new factors for healthcare organizations. Alongside clinical considerations come regulatory obligations, contractual relationships, and evolving business models that require legal guidance from the outset. For Holly, legal support works best when it helps create practical solutions rather than simply identifying constraints. She puts it simply:“ All healthcare organizations navigate a complex regulatory environment, and it’ s important to remember that regulations ultimately exist to help protect patients and promote quality care.” The legal team’ s role is to help the organization find practical paths forward that support both compliance and patient needs. She adds,“ We work across many teams to understand the realities they each face and provide guidance that is grounded in both legal requirements and the patient experience.”
Many people don’ t realize how significant kidney disease is
Dinsmore & Shohl LLP _____________________________________________
Holly is wonderful to work with. She’ s intelligent and tenacious while bringing sound judgment to every decision. Those qualities have earned her the trust of colleagues and outside counsel alike. I love to introduce new associates and members of my team to her because she sets a powerful example of what legal leadership should look like. We at Dinsmore look forward to many more years of collaboration. Grahmn Morgan, Chair of Litigation Department, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
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