DaVita Inc. , one of the nation's leading providers of kidney care services, recently recognized 1,018 of its 28,000 teammates throughout the nation as Shining Star Caregivers. The honor was presented to the caregivers by their own patients.

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

The Shining Star Caregiver program was founded in 2003 and promotes DaVita's core value of Service Excellence. The program allows patients to recognize outstanding caregivers and provides a forum for sharing how caregivers have positively impacted patients' lives. Patients honor teammates for their superior service, high quality and personalized care, and commitment to serving their patients' needs. DaVita-affiliated physicians are also recognized through a component of the same program titled "Thanks, Doc!," which allows patients and teammates to write to their doctors and share how they've been positively impacted.

"The Shining Star Caregiver program allows our patients to show appreciation for the caregivers who dedicate so much to providing outstanding care," said Heather Wasielewski, Director of the P.E.P. Team (Patients Enriched by Partnership), which sponsors the program. "Our nurses and patient care technicians find this especially rewarding because it comes from the patients they care for every day."

About DaVita Inc.

DaVita Inc., a FORTUNE 500® company, is one of the largest providers of dialysis services in the United States, providing dialysis services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney failure and disease. DaVita, located in 42 states and the District of Columbia, manages over 1,300 outpatient centers and acute units in over 800 hospitals serving approximately 100,000 patients. For more information please visit http://www.davita.com/.

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

SOURCE: DaVita Inc.