Bridge of Life - DaVita Medical Missions™, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that focuses on bringing life-saving dialysis to developing countries, officially opened its doors to the city of San Carlos community on July 21 to a crowd of 200 area residents. With the colors, sounds and dances of the Pangasinan province surrounding the event, onlookers watched as Governor Amado T. Espino cut the ribbon on the new facility and thanked Ginny Mello, Director of the Bridge of Life - DaVita Medical Missions, and the rest of the American medical team for bringing life-saving treatment to local San Carlos residents.

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

"We cannot say in words how lucky we are for having partners like the Bridge of Life - DaVita Medical Missions," Governor Espino said. "On behalf of the people of Pangasinan, we kindly extend our thanks to all of you for your wonderful partnership and service to our residents."

The Bridge of Life's July activities in San Carlos have been extensive, with volunteers holding a Renal Awareness Camp on July 11, designed to increase knowledge surrounding personal health needs related to kidney disease. Over 20 doctors and nurses attended, with 75 local residents receiving kidney screening. During the screening, the medical team found that many residents had hypertension, one of the main causes of kidney disease in the Filipino population. The second Renal Awareness Camp is scheduled for July 25.

The first patient to receive kidney dialysis at the new Philippines facility was Virginia Rosario, a 57-year-old ER nurse in San Carlos. Virginia was forced to stop working on the emergency room floor of the local government hospital because of kidney failure. When she found out about the new dialysis clinic, she was one of the first to sign-up for treatment. Now a regular dialysis patient at the clinic, Virginia is feeling much stronger and has returned to work full-time, helping ER patients every day.

Click here to view the live video of Virginia Rosario's first dialysis treatment with the Bridge of Life.

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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. 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.

About Bridge of Life - DaVita Medical Missions

Bridge of Life - DaVita Medical Missions, a 501(c)(3) non-profit inspired by DaVita Inc., focuses on efforts to improve and transform the quality of life for those in underserved communities both locally and globally, promoting sustainable change through local partnerships. Bridge of Life - DaVita Medical Missions in partnership with DaVita teammates establishes dialysis facilities, trains local staff, pre-screens local residents for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and works with local hospitals in underserved countries to provide quality dialysis assistance. For more information on Bridge of Life - DaVita Medical Missions' programs, please visit www.bridgeoflifemm.org.

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

SOURCE: DaVita Inc.