DENVER, Dec. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. (NYSE: DVA), a leading provider of kidney care and health care services, released a year-end recap of major milestones and achievements for the company in 2014.

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"The strong results DaVita HealthCare Partners achieved in 2014 would not have been possible without the impressive efforts of our 60,000 teammates around the globe," said Kent Thiry, co-chairman and CEO of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. "Excellent clinical results and their benefit to patients will always be the foundation of our Village, but we're also proud of the numerous other ways we positively impact the broader health care community - both domestically and internationally."

Major initiatives and highlights for 2014 included:

Clinical Excellence:

DaVita Kidney Care Outperforms All Dialysis Providers in Quality Incentive Program - In June, DaVita Kidney Care announced its 2014 Quality Incentive Program results from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal Medicare oversight agency. DaVita outperformed other kidney care providers in every category, with 98.4 percent of the company's centers ranking in the top clinical performance tier. The full report can be downloaded at CMS.gov.

DaVita Kidney Care Patient Vaccination Program Exceeds Goals - DaVita Kidney Care once again proved its clinical leadership through its vaccination program for patients and teammates. This exceptional effort and consistent follow-through delivers immense clinical benefits. DaVita exceeded its goal of vaccinating 90 percent of its dialysis patients for influenza and pneumonia this flu season. Vaccinations are critical for protection against viruses in kidney patients and are offered at no cost to patients.

DaVita Rx Delivers 15 Millionth Prescription - DaVita Rx again led the kidney care community in the area of medication management. DaVita Rx is the only significant kidney care medication management program in existence and it announced mid-year that it filled its 15 millionth prescription since the company's inception in 2005. DaVita Rx provides specialized services that improve access and adherence to prescribed medication for chronically ill patients, with licensed, specially trained pharmacists on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A study published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases in 2013 found that dialysis patients who use DaVita Rx spend 14 percent fewer days in the hospital and have a 21 percent lower risk of death compared to patients not using DaVita Rx.[1]

New Program Drives Outstanding Fluid-Management Results for Dialysis Patients - DaVita Kidney Care's FluidWise program focuses on educating physicians, patients and teammates on the importance of fluid management, sodium intake and weight management. Since launching FluidWise in January 2013, the program has led to a 21 percent decrease in the number of patients with frequent excessive fluid gain. [2] Most importantly, patients have experienced improved quality of life through the management of weight gain and thirst, and reduced rates of hospitalization.

VillageHealth Reaches New Milestones - VillageHealth, the integrated kidney care division of DaVita HealthCare Partners, completed a three-year review with the National Committee for Quality Assurance, earning 99.23 points out of 100 and reaccreditation. The Kidney Smart kidney disease education program reached 10 percent of new DaVita patients.

Research and Clinical Innovation:

DaVita Kidney Care Announces Collaboration with Medtronic to Focus on Cardiovascular Health in ESRD Patients - DaVita Kidney Care recently collaborated with Medtronic, Inc., to better understand cardiovascular health in end stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. The companies will collaboratively focus on developing a pilot program using Medtronic's Reveal LINQ™ Insertable Cardiac Monitoring system to identify cardiac arrhythmias in patients receiving dialysis.

DaVita Labs Uses Roche Technology to Launch Molecular Diagnostics Testing - DaVita Labs has implemented molecular diagnostic testing using technology from Roche Diagnostics, which will make it the first dialysis laboratory in the country to test for Hepatitis C (HCV) virus levels in the blood (viral load) using the COBAS Ampliprep/COBAS TaqMan HCV v.2 test. This DNA-based technology will enable DaVita Kidney Care to help nephrologists manage patients with chronic HCV in conjunction with clinical and laboratory markers of infection.

DaVita Clinical Research Presents 13 Abstracts at American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week - In November, representatives and collaborators from DaVita Clinical Research (DCR) presented 13 abstracts at American Society of Nephrology's (ASN) Kidney Week. ASN's Kidney Week is the world's premier annual nephrology meeting, bringing together more than 13,000 kidney care professionals from around the world to share and discuss new developments related to all aspects of nephrology.

DaVita Clinical Research Boosts Clinical Trials by Nearly 25 Percent - In 2014 DaVita Clinical Research (DCR) worked to advance the practice of medicine with clinical papers published in 39 publications. DCR pursues life-enhancing discoveries and creates predictive models that allow early intervention in patient care to improve outcomes and mortality.

DaVita Clinical Research and Pyxant Labs to Collaborate on Clinical Trials - DCR announced an agreement through which Pyxant Labs Inc. will provide bioanalytical laboratory services for DCR's early clinical trials. Pyxant Labs is a contract research laboratory specializing in good laboratory practice bioanalytical chemistry support for life science clients. As part of the relationship, Pyxant will provide bioanalytical method development, sample analysis and formulation development for early clinical trials conducted at DCR's clinical research units.

DaVita Rx Opens State-of-the-Art Orlando Pharmacy - In late October, DaVita Rx announced the grand opening of its new Orlando, Florida, pharmacy. The new facility adds customer service and clinical operations to the existing dispensing operations, and increases capacity from 35 to 225 teammates. DaVita Rx's Orlando pharmacy uses the latest technology from recognized leaders in pharmacy design to increase operational efficiency, allowing pharmacists more time to focus on providing exceptional patient care.

DaVita Labs Expands Footprint in DeLand - In early 2014, DaVita Labs announced an expansion of its laboratory operations in DeLand, Florida, to accommodate future teammate growth. DaVita Labs performs more than 47 million laboratory tests each year and employs more than 500 teammates between Ft. Lauderdale and DeLand - a number that has grown by nearly 15 percent since the beginning of 2012.

Patient Service:

Lifeline Continues to Set Standard for Vascular Access - Lifeline Vascular Access was created to improve the delivery of vascular access care to patients by coordinating care among nephrologists, dialysis units and surgeons. Lifeline had a year filled with successes. Its clinicians completed 130,000 procedures with an overall 98.6 percent success rate. Lifeline also earned system-wide accreditation by The Joint Commission for the 12th continuous year.

DaVita.com Redesigned and Now Mobile Friendly - DaVita.com, the award-winning flagship site for kidney disease information, received a makeover to enhance user-friendliness and the overall site experience. Highlights include new interfaces and updated tools that simplify and expedite finding a kidney doctor or a DaVita Kidney Care center. Whether on a laptop, cell phone or a tablet, the new site will adjust to any device's screen size.

DaVita Offers Innovative Tool for Those at Risk for Kidney Disease - One in 10 adults age 20 or older in the U.S. has kidney disease, but many don't know it because the disease is often symptomless in its early stages. To address this issue, DaVita developed an interactive quiz at DaVita.com/LearnYourRisk for those interested in learning if they are at risk for kidney disease. In 2014 more than 9,500 people took the quiz, and more than 1,800 quiz-takers pledged to get their kidneys screened because they learned they were at risk.

Unique Training Program Prepares Patients for Starting Dialysis - Kidney Smart offers instructor-led kidney disease education classes in neighborhoods across the country. In 2014, more than 18,000 patients attended a Kidney Smart class and over 10 percent of new patients received Kidney Smart education prior to their first dialysis treatment.

DaVita Celebrates Social Workers and Dietitians - DaVita Kidney Care celebrated its more than 3,000 social worker and dietitian teammates during the entire month of March. March is National Kidney Month and also marks both National Social Work Month and National Nutrition Month, recognizing the important roles of dietitians and social workers in kidney care. These teammates provide specialized services to patients undergoing dialysis.

HealthCare Partners California and HealthCare Partners Nevada on Becker's 100 ACOs to Know in 2014 - HealthCare Partners was included in the list of "100 Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) to Know" published by Becker's Hospital Review. The list includes 100 of the 625 Medicare and commercial ACOs in the U.S.

DaVita Response Team Prepares Patients for Emergencies - The DaVita Village Emergency Response Team (DaVERT) had another eventful year in 2014. DaVERT minimized the impact on patient care in the face of a wide variety of natural and manmade challenges, including earthquakes, hurricanes, water contamination, civil disturbance and historic snowfall levels in Buffalo, New York.

Business Growth and Thought Leadership:

DaVita HealthCare Partners enjoyed a robust year of growth on both the HealthCare Partners (HCP) and DaVita Kidney Care sides of the business. By year's end, HCP was treating nearly 850,000 patients in six states and DaVita Kidney Care had 170,000 patients in more than 2,100 centers across the U.S. and in 10 countries around the globe. DaVita HealthCare Partners as a whole is now 60,000 teammates strong.

DaVita HealthCare Partners announced the following new business relationships in 2014:

    --  DaVita HealthCare Partners Acquires Colorado Springs Health Partners -
        In late October, DaVita HealthCare Partners announced that HealthCare
        Partners has entered into an agreement to acquire Colorado Springs
        Health Partners, a multi-specialty medical group with more than 100
        physicians at 11 locations throughout the Pikes Peak region.
    --  Centura Health and DaVita HealthCare Partners Form New Joint Venture in
        Colorado and Kansas - In early November, Centura Health and DaVita
        HealthCare Partners announced a new joint venture that will offer a
        differentiated health care delivery model to help optimize health care
        value and lower costs for consumers in Colorado and Kansas.
    --  Independence Blue Cross and DaVita HealthCare Partners Announce Joint
        Venture - In early 2014, Independence Blue Cross and DaVita HealthCare
        Partners announced the creation of Tandigm Health, uniting a major
        health insurer and a recognized leader in physician-led integrated care.
    --  DaVita HealthCare Partners and SCAN Health Plan Announce Expansion of
        VillageHealth C-SNP into Los Angeles and Orange Counties - Beginning
        Jan. 1, 2014, DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. and SCAN Health Plan
        expanded their chronic condition special needs plan (C-SNP) for
        individuals with ESRD into Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

Commitment to International Patients:

DaVita Kidney Care to Treat Thousands in Saudi Arabia - In February, DaVita Kidney Care announced it signed a major tender from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Health to treat half of the approximately 10,000 dialysis patients at as many as 80 centers currently operated by the Ministry.

DaVita Expands Kidney Care Services in Malaysia - In April, DaVita Kidney Care announced it acquired three hemodialysis centers from Malaysian dialysis provider Sinar Indentiti Sbn Bhd, further expanding its care of kidney patients in Malaysia.

DaVita Kidney Care Partners with Leading Physicians in Germany - Praxis mit Nahe joined DaVita Kidney Care in Germany with its world-class physicians, including Prof. Werner Kleophas, Dr. Andreas Westhoff, Prof. Gerd Hetzel and Prof. Frank Dellanna. Its clinics located in Dusseldorf specialize in dialysis, nephrology and diabetology, and are some of the largest privately held groups in Germany.

DaVita Kidney Care India Honored as Dialysis Service Provider Company of the Year - DaVita Kidney Care India received recognition from India Healthcare Excellence Awards as the Dialysis Service Provider Company of the Year in the specialty chain category by Frost and Sullivan.

DaVita Kidney Care Center Becomes First Accredited Stand-Alone Dialysis Clinic in Malaysia - In May, DaVita Kidney Care's Jalan Tun Razak dialysis center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia became the first stand-alone dialysis center in the country to receive a four-year accreditation in chronic dialysis treatment from the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health.

Corporate Citizenship, Education, Empowerment:

DaVita Village Trust Breaks Surgery Record During Mission to Jamaica - In late November, the DaVita Village Trust (DVT) completed a weeklong surgical mission in Jamaica that included one record-breaking day of surgeries. Four vascular surgeons and an ultrasound technician performed 63 fistula-placement surgeries at three hospitals through the DVT Bridge of Life program. Surgeons completed 27 arteriovenous fistula (AVF) surgeries in one day at Mandeville Regional Hospital in Mandeville - a record-breaking number of surgeries within one day for the hospital.

DaVita Kidney Care Reports on Corporate Social Responsibility Progress - DaVita Kidney Care announced the release of its 2013 Community Care report, which highlights progress on key initiatives supporting the company's vision for corporate social responsibility (CSR). The report is available at DaVita.com/CommunityCare, This approach drives industry-leading clinical outcomes, multiple goodwill initiatives and a robust environmental commitment.

DaVita HealthCare Partners Gives $1.5 Million to Nonprofits Across the U.S. - In early December, DaVita HealthCare Partners teammates directed $1.5 million of company donations to charities across the United States as part of the "DaVita Way of Giving" program. Clinical teammates from DaVita Kidney Care and HealthCare Partners were encouraged to democratically choose charities in their communities to receive contributions.

500 Cyclists Rode in Eighth Annual Tour DaVita in Oregon - The eighth annual Tour DaVita® - a three-day, 250-mile bike ride to raise awareness of kidney disease and funds for medical missions in the U.S. and abroad - kicked off on Sept. 14 at the Waterloo County Park in Lebanon, Oregon. To date, Tour DaVita has helped raise more than $6 million for nonprofits and participants have collectively ridden more than 550,000 miles over the course of eight years. For every mile on this year's route, 33 patient lives will be impacted by the DaVita Village Trust.

DaVita Kidney Care Continues Focus on Reducing Environmental Impact - In 2014, DaVita Kidney Care supported its environmental sustainability efforts through a number of strategic projects. Highlights include the following:

    --  In support of the company's efforts to achieve the 15 percent
        energy-reduction goal by year-end 2015, DaVita Kidney Care's
        environmentally focused team, Village Green, launched a Building
        Management System pilot to over 130 clinics in the Northwest to increase
        comfort and reduce energy use.
    --  Through strategic water efficiency efforts, the average DaVita Kidney
        Care dialysis center is now using 20 percent fewer gallons in 2014
        compared to 2013.

DaVita HealthCare Partners Honors and Supports Service Members - DaVita HealthCare Partners is active with the "100,000 Jobs Mission," one of the largest private sector coalitions dedicated to veteran employment. Once hired, DaVita HealthCare Partners' Village Veterans program allows new teammates to receive mentorship from company leaders as they transition to new roles within the company. And on Veterans Day, DaVita HealthCare Partners honored the men and women of the armed forces by building a "Wall of Honor for Veterans" to display at its World Headquarters in Denver.

DaVita HealthCare Partners Celebrates New Teammate Training and Leadership Milestone - In October, DaVita HealthCare Partners hosted the 150th DaVita University Academy - the company's award-winning, leadership development and cultural orientation program for new teammates. Nearly 2,000 DaVita teammates from around the globe attended the event.

DaVita University Witnesses Record-Breaking Year in Teammate Development - Through DaVita's School of Leadership, School of Clinical Education and Village Gatherings, the company directly touched over 19,500 teammates in 2014, all at average service excellence rating of 4.5 (out of 5). DaVita University also launched a dozen new and innovative leadership and educational programs, streamlined the onboarding process for its educational offerings, expanded the availability of distance learning and rolled out leadership and development programs to international teammates in multiple countries - all while improving training quality.

DaVita Raises Awareness About the Importance of Organ Donation - On Feb. 14, DaVita Kidney Care recognized National Donor Day, with the goal of raising awareness for the tens of thousands of individuals awaiting a kidney transplant. According to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN), there are nearly 100,000 candidates waiting for a kidney, which makes kidneys the most in-demand organ.

Wisdom Team Deepens Reach of DaVita HealthCare Partners' Culture - DaVita's Wisdom department coordinated the makeover of patient waiting rooms in 1,164 DaVita dialysis centers nationwide through the DaVita Experience program.

DaVita Educational Programs, Award Winning Cultural Displays - In 2014, DaVita's Wisdom department won numerous awards for its representation of the DaVita culture, including Platinum and Gold Hermes Creative Awards as well as Platinum and Gold Marcom Awards.

Village-wide Awards:

In 2014, DaVita won nearly 40 awards, including the following:

Business Excellence

    --  Harvard Business Review Reputation Institute Award - DaVita placed
        37(th) overall in company reputation and Kent Thiry also placed 37(th)
        on the list of 100 Best Performing CEOs in the World. Harvard Business
        Review's analysis was performed by the Reputation Institute and measured
        more than 2,000 companies from 25 industries across 40 countries.
    --  World's Most Admired Companies - DaVita was named the most innovative
        company on FORTUNE® Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies' 2014
        ranking of health care facilities. This marked the fifth consecutive
        year DaVita has been ranked No. 1 in innovation and the ninth
        consecutive year DaVita has been recognized on the World's Most Admired
        Companies industry list.
    --  100 Most Influential People in Health Care - We believe this should be
        called the "most influential companies" list because this recognition is
        both a testament to our teammates' hard work and commitment to patients,
        and an indication of growing acknowledgement of the contributions DaVita
        HealthCare Partners makes to the health care industry and to the world
        at large. However, Kent Thiry was ranked number 10 among the most
        influential people in U.S. health care by Modern Healthcare.

Caring for Our Patients

    --  National Adult and Influenza Summit Immunization Excellence Award -
        DaVita was named the 2014 national champion in the HealthCare Personnel
        category. In 2013, DaVita became the first large dialysis provider to
        require all teammates who work in, or whose jobs require frequent visits
        to, DaVita dialysis clinics to either be vaccinated against influenza or
        wear surgical masks in patient care areas. By March 2014, the company
        achieved 100 percent compliance with the vaccination or mask mandate.
    --  Case in Point Platinum Award - DaVita was honored with two platinum
        awards in 2014: Patient Pathways' Pathways Care Management was named the
        winner in the Best Case Management in Acute Settings, Provider Program
        category, and VillageHealth Integrated Care Management was named the
        winner in the Best Disease Management/Population Health category.
    --  National Health Information Awards - DaVita took home two awards, a
        bronze for the Patient Pathways Navigator book and a merit for the
        Kidney Disease Awareness article "A Simple Blood Test Can Detect Early
        Kidney Disease."

Caring for Each Other

    --  Top Workplaces - DaVita was named to the Colorado list for the third
        consecutive year and to the Bay Area list for the second consecutive
        year.
    --  2014 Training Top 125 - For the tenth consecutive year, Training
        Magazine named DaVita a leading organization that excels at employee
        development.
    --  Aon Hewitt Top Company for Leaders-Special Recognition award - DaVita
        was honored in the Special Recognition category by overcoming challenges
        and demonstrating enormous progress toward becoming one of the best
        companies for leaders in North America. This is the second year DaVita
        has achieved recognition from Aon Hewitt's Top Company for Leaders.
    --  Most Democratic Workplaces - For the seventh straight year DaVita was
        ranked among the world's most democratically operated workplaces by
        WorldBlu.
    --  Becker's Hospital Review 150 Great Places to Work in Healthcare - 2014
        was the first year that DaVita was named to this list, and DaVita
        remains the only Fortune 500 company to be named to this list.
    --  LearningElite - DaVita was named a Silver LearningElite organization in
        2014 by Chief Learning Officer magazine. Lauded for creating and
        implementing exemplary teammate development practices that deliver
        measurable business value, DaVita HealthCare Partners ranked 29th in a
        record-breaking field of more than 200 companies that applied.

Caring for Our World

    --  Newsweek Green Rankings - DaVita has been recognized every year the
        program has run since 2009, which ranks the world's largest companies on
        corporate sustainability and environmental impact.
    --  Congressional Black Caucus Fall Health Braintrust Corporate Leadership
        Award - The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation recognized DaVita
        HealthCare Partners for its "visionary leadership and commitment to
        helping improve the health, health care and thus life opportunities for
        millions of our nation's most medically and financially vulnerable
        residents."

Military Awards

    --  Best for Vets - DaVita was recognized by Military Times Edge as a "Best
        for Vets" employer for the fifth consecutive year.
    --  Top Military Spouse Friendly Employers - DaVita was recognized as a top
        employer for military spouses by Military Spouse Magazine for the second
        consecutive year.
    --  Top Veteran-Friendly Companies - DaVita was named a top veteran-friendly
        company by U.S. Veterans Magazine.
    --  Most Valuable Employer for Military - CivilianJobs.com named DaVita to
        this list for the fourth consecutive year in 2014.

Community Capitalism:

In 2014, DaVita HealthCare Partners remained steadfastly committed to sharing its lessons learned and best demonstrated cultural practices with the broader business community, as well as the next generation of business leaders. Examples of the company's commitment to building its capital in the community include the following:

    --  Stanford Business School Case Study on Values-Based Culture - In
        December, Stanford released a case study focused on DaVita HealthCare
        Partners and the importance of a values-based culture.
    --  Harvard Business School (HBS) Case Study on Unique Public-Private
        Partnerships - In late 2014, HBS published a case study detailing the
        partnership between DaVita Kidney Care and Denver Public Schools. The
        focus of the study is on the value of a for-profit corporation sharing
        its values-based culture with the employees of a public education
        system.
    --  Harvard Business School (HBS) Case Study on Cultural Differences Within
        Various Business Units of a Major Enterprise - At the end of 2014, HBS
        was in the process of creating a case study that focuses on how smaller
        business units within a larger enterprise incorporate the parent
        company's values-rich corporate culture into their teams. This study
        will spotlight the efforts of Josh Golomb, who serves as president of
        both Paladina Health and DaVita Rx.
    --  Dynamic Volunteerism Launches in Denver - Through Dynamic Volunteerism,
        DaVita HealthCare Partners is leveraging the unique capabilities of its
        village citizens, both individually and collectively, to help non-profit
        organizations perform at a higher level. This effort multiplies the
        impact the company has on the community and enhances the satisfaction
        its teammates gain through their efforts.
    --  Executives Speak on Values-Rich Culture - Throughout 2014, DaVita
        HealthCare Partners executives were asked to speak to numerous groups,
        including undergraduate and graduate students, chambers of commerce, and
        women's organizations about how DaVita creates a community of culture
        for its teammates and the true value of a values-based culture and how
        it can drive change in an organization.

DaVita, HealthCare Partners, DaVita Clinical Research, DCR, Tour DaVita, DaVita Rx and DaVita HealthCare Partners are trademarks or registered trademarks of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About DaVita HealthCare Partners
DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc., a Fortune 500® company, is the parent company of DaVita Kidney Care and HealthCare Partners. DaVita Kidney Care is a leading provider of kidney care in the United States, delivering dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. As of Sept. 30, 2014, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,152 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 170,000 patients. The company also operated 87 outpatient dialysis centers located in 10 countries outside the United States. HealthCare Partners manages and operates medical groups and affiliated physician networks in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Florida in its pursuit to deliver excellent-quality health care in a dignified and compassionate manner. As of Sept. 30, 2014, HealthCare Partners provided integrated care management for approximately 836,000 patients. For more information, please visit DaVitaHealthCarePartners.com.

Contact Information
Media:
Vince Hancock
(303) 876-6618
vince.hancock@davita.com

[1] Weinhandl ED, Arneson TJ, St. Peter WL. Clinical Outcomes Associated with Receipt of Integrated Pharmacy Services: Potential Quality Improvement in Hemodialysis Patient Care. Am J of Kidney Dis. 2013.

[2] "Frequent" is defined as >10% of treatments over the trailing three calendar months. "Excessive" is defined as >5% weight gain (as a % of target weight) between treatments.

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SOURCE DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc.

SOURCE: DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc.