DaVita, Inc. . On May 28, 2003 DaVita was presented with the California Governor's 2003 "Exemplary Employer of Older Workers Award" for a Large Business. The award, designed to recognize innovative employers who provide older workers, age 40 and older, with job opportunities, training, and career advancement, is presented annually to the company that has demonstrated the best practices in hiring and retaining these workers.

California Governor Gray Davis said, "This event provides a unique opportunity to honor employers who have recognized that California's older workers are a valuable resource in the workplace . . . I commend today's honorees for their dedicated service and commitment to excellence."

In accepting the award for DaVita, Douglas Vlchek, Vice President of Wisdom, noted, "We have recognized that older workers, like many workers at any age, don't just want a job; they want to do something where they are really making a difference in other peoples' lives -- they want to do something meaningful! Once we realized this, we just tried our best to meet that need: from the work we gave them to do, to the professional development programs we offered, to the very culture we've attempted to build and nurture. All you have to do is look at the name of our company -- DaVita (loosely translated from Italian as, "she/he gives life") -- to understand what we are all about."

Kent Thiry, Chairman and CEO of DaVita stated, "The honor reaffirms the outstanding progress our team of caregivers has made toward becoming the Employer of Choice in the dialysis industry. We cherish the experience, wisdom, and durability of our teammates over 40, they are helping us become one of the nations best places to work for people under 40."

California has more people age 50 and over than any other state in the nation. The Governor's Awards began in 1994 to increase public awareness of the important contribution older workers make to California's economy. The Senior Worker Advocate Council chooses the semi-finalists from nominations submitted by large and small organizations throughout California. The semi-finalist list is sent to the Governor for final selection.

DaVita is a leading provider of dialysis services for patients suffering from chronic kidney failure. The Company owns and operates kidney dialysis centers and home peritoneal dialysis programs domestically in 33 states, as well as Washington, D.C. As of March 31, 2003, DaVita operates 523 outpatient facilities serving 45,000 patients, including 3,300 patients in 30 centers under management.

SOURCE: DaVita, Inc.