WashU Nephrology welcomes Melissa “Missy” Rocco, MSW, LCSW, as our new Chromalloy Kidney Center Social Worker.
Missy earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Truman State University and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Missouri-Columbia and has over 25 years of experience in the dialysis field. She was the Manager of Hospital and Patient Services for Fresenius Kidney Care, with a territory covering the Greater St. Louis area and Southwest Missouri. Prior to that, she worked as a dialysis social worker in Missouri and Texas and was the Kidney Smart Regional Lead and Social Work Regional Lead for DaVita Kidney Care. Missy also worked as the Program Services Director for the National Kidney Foundation.
In 2019, Missy joined WashU Nephrology as our Inpatient Social Worker, where she provided education, coordinated dialysis patient placements with the inpatient services team, and assisted dialysis patients who were switching treatment modalities. She was also involved in our Transitional Care Program, an ongoing project that not only helps bridge the gap between hospital and home for our dialysis patients but also helps improve outcomes and prevent hospital readmissions (see our Spring 2019 Newsletter for more information on the program).
In her spare time, Missy enjoys gardening and spending time with her husband, three children, and two dogs.