DaVita Inc. , a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), today announced that Modern Healthcare Magazine, one of the nation's leading health care industry publications, named Kent Thiry, Chairman and CEO for DaVita , as one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare in 2009.

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Modern Healthcare's annual award recognizes the leaders and organizations that are considered among the most influential in the industry and aim to reshape our nation's health care system. The 100 winners were chosen by the readers of Modern Healthcare from among more than 25,700 nominations.

Thiry has ranked among the Modern Healthcare "Most Powerful" two years in a row and is the only kidney-care leader to make the list in 2009. Thiry leads more than 34,000 DaVita teammates (employees) nationwide, all working to provide superior patient care and exemplify the company's Mission and Core Values.

"This honor reflects the exceptional work that our teammates do every day to improve patients' lives," Thiry said. "Our teammates deliver ground-breaking innovative care through Village Health and DaVita Rx and are vocal advocates for kidney patients in Washington, DC, and in state capitols across the nation."

In addition to consistently setting industry benchmarks for clinical outcomes, DaVita is a pioneer in the area of corporate social responsibility. DaVita has developed more than 30 philanthropic, community and social programs to support the company's "Trilogy of Care" - caring for our patients, caring for our teammates, and caring for the world. DaVita launched its first annual Community Care report in June 2009 by hosting 10 community service projects across the country.

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 has been recognized as the only FORTUNE 500 company on WorldBlu's annual List of Most Democratic Workplaces™. As of June 30, 2009, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,493 outpatient dialysis facilities and acute units in approximately 700 hospitals located in 43 states and the District of Columbia, serving approximately 116,000 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: Kristin.Landreth@davita.com

SOURCE: DaVita Inc.