DaVita Inc. , a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), today held its formal kickoff for a week-long conference hosted by DaVita's Office of the Chief Medical Officer (OCMO) titled National Quality Week 2009. DaVita clinicians, dietitians, Physician Council Members, members of The Office of the Chief Medical Officer and other practitioners began gathering Monday to review DaVita's current clinical programs and plan new initiatives to improve patients' clinical outcomes for 2010 and beyond.

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The week-long annual event will allow DaVita to re-prioritize current projects according to clinical-team feedback, and updates from the medical staff. This mid-year meeting generates program adjustments aimed at continually improving patient outcomes. The regular and rigorous review of data and refinement of programs has helped DaVita achieve the best clinical outcomes in the kidney care industry. National Quality Week is yet another reason why DaVita is recognized as a leading provider of kidney care in the United States.

"National Quality Week will allow our team to focus on our innovative clinical initiatives and processes in a way that will facilitate improvement in programs on behalf of patient outcomes," said Allen R. Nissenson, M.D., Chief Medical Officer for DaVita.

Each meeting during National Quality Week will focus on programs such as IMPACT™ (Incident Management of Patients, Actions Centered on Treatment), CathAway (a comprehensive catheter reduction initiative), Infection Control, Integration of Quality Systems, and Patient Safety.

DaVita and IMPACT are trademarks or registered trademarks 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 has been recognized as the only FORTUNE 500 company on WorldBlu's annual List of Most Democratic Workplaces™. As of March 31, 2009, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,475 outpatient dialysis facilities and acute units in approximately 700 hospitals located in 43 states and the District of Columbia, serving approximately 114,000 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 www.davita.com.

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

SOURCE: DaVita Inc.