DaVita Inc. , a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), today opened its 100th DaVita Academy - the company's award-winning, leadership development and cultural orientation program for new teammates (employees). On hand to participate and honor DaVita's commitment to teammate empowerment and engagement are former United States Senator Paul Sarbanes and Congressman Elijah Cummings.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020729/DAVITALOGO)

DaVita Academy is a two-day experience for new and recently hired DaVita® teammates and involves skill building, team building, and having lots of fun. An important part of the company's extensive training and education programs, the first 100 sessions of Academy have given nearly 30,000 teammates an opportunity to meet and learn from other DaVita teammates and have a greater understanding of DaVita as a company - and most importantly - as a village. Teammates take personality tests to gain an understanding of the key dynamics of successful teams and how they can play an integral role. They leave DaVita Academy with new ideas to improve their interpersonal skills and their facility and/or department.

"The DaVita Academy is an integral part of the development of each and every one of DaVita's 32,000 teammates, and part of the reason our teammates deliver some of the best clinical outcomes in the industry," said Kent Thiry, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DaVita. "Before DaVita's story and culture were taught by the top business schools - like Harvard and Stanford - they were taught at the DaVita Academy. Today's 100th Academy is a celebration of the first DaVita Decade and a reminder that our future holds unprecedented possibilities."

DaVita recently was named as the first and only FORTUNE 500® company and only healthcare company to make the 2009 WorldBlu List of Most Democratic Workplaces™ since its inception in 1999.

DaVita is a registered trademark of DaVita Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About DaVita Inc.

DaVita Inc., a FORTUNE 500® company, is a leading provider of kidney care in the United States, providing dialysis services and education for patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. Recognized as the only FORTUNE 500® company on WorldBlu's annual List of Most Democratic Workplaces™, DaVita manages more than 1,475 outpatient facilities and acute units in more than 700 hospitals located in 43 states and the District of Columbia, serving approximately 114,000 patients - nearly one-in-three of all dialysis patients in the United States. As part of DaVita's commitment to building a healthy, caring community, DaVita develops, participates in and donates to numerous programs dedicated to transforming communities and creating positive, sustainable change for children, families and our environment. For more information about DaVita, its kidney education materials and its community programs, please visit www.davita.com.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact: LeAnne.Zumwalt@davita.com

SOURCE: DaVita Inc.