DaVita Treats Thousands of Dialysis Patients in Wake of Hurricane Ike
57 of DaVita's 58 Houston Dialysis Centers Open
PRNewswire-FirstCall
EL SEGUNDO, Calif.

DaVita Inc. , a leading provider of kidney care services in the United States, is caring for thousands of dialysis patients, despite the loss of power to millions of people in the Houston area. DaVita's Emergency Response Team had hundreds of teammates supplying the necessary materials and generators to deliver vital dialysis treatment during and after the storm. Nearly all DaVita's fifty-eight centers are up and running, some solely on generator power. Kidney failure patients depend on dialysis treatments three times per week which requires water, electricity and specially trained medical staff to maintain their health.

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

Larry Crist, DaVita® Divisional Vice President for Texas says, "Although we faced significant challenges during the storm, our teammates (employees) have come together to prove that DaVita will stop at nothing to make sure our patients receive the best care possible." DaVita teammates have been working around the clock to make sure patients receive life-sustaining dialysis care. Crist says, "Our teammates, lived the mission of Provider of Choice by returning to clinics to assist patients, despite the fact that several teammate's homes were destroyed."

Aside from the constant support of our teammates in and around the Houston area, our Guest Service Contact Center has fielded over 7,000 patient, family member and teammate calls to keep them informed regarding where patients can receive the care they need. Any patient who needs dialysis can call the Guest Service Contact Center at (800) 400-8331, which is activated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition to the Guest Service Contact Center, DaVita teammates from around the nation are raising donations and supplies for teammates whose homes were destroyed by the hurricane.

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 1,300 outpatient facilities and acute units in more than 700 hospitals located in 43 states and the District of Columbia, serving approximately 107,000 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 and its community programs, please visit http://www.davita.com/

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

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020729/DAVITALOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

SOURCE: DaVita Inc.

CONTACT: Alia Mahi, +1-310-536-2499, for DaVita Inc.