DaVita Inc., a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney failure, today announced DaVita's bi-annual publication, the DaVita Magazine - Stories of the DaVita Village, was presented with a Gold Award in two separate categories by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP). There were over 5,000 entries from throughout the United States and several foreign countries in the competition -- the MarCom's Gold Award is presented to those entries judged to exceed the high standards of the industry norm. The DaVita Magazine won gold in the categories of 'Magazine/Internal' and 'Employee Publication/Internal Communication.'

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"This magazine is written by our teammates, for our teammates," said Blaise Tracy, Editor of DaVita Magazine. "The publication highlights the personal adversities and triumphs of our teammates and patients -- it reaches into the heart of our Village and provides depth into what makes DaVita a community first and a company second. It is an honor for DaVita to receive this prestigious award."

MarCom Awards is an international competition for marketing and communication professionals involved in the concept, writing and design of marketing and communication programs and print, visual and audio materials. Entries come from corporate marketing and communication departments, advertising agencies, PR firms, design shops, production companies and freelancers.

The competition has grown to perhaps the largest of its kind in the world. A look at the winners shows a range in size from individual communicators to media conglomerates and Fortune 500® companies. MarCom Awards is administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals.

The international organization consists of several thousand marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, media production and free-lance professionals. The AMCP oversees awards and recognition programs, provides judges and sets standards for excellence.

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. DaVita manages more than 1,400 outpatient facilities and acute units in more than 700 hospitals located in 43 states and the District of Columbia, serving approximately 110,000 patients. 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 http://www.davita.com/.

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SOURCE: DaVita Inc.