DENVER, Sept. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita Kidney Care, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. (NYSE: DVA) and a leading provider of kidney care services, recognizes its over 13,000 nephrology nurses during Nephrology Nurses Week, Sept. 14-20, 2014.

Nephrology nurses are part of a dedicated clinical team that specializes in providing life-sustaining care for patients with kidney disease or abnormal kidney function. Nephrology Nurses Week, established by the American Nephrology Nurses' Association (ANNA), was created to highlight the nurses within this specialty and the positive impact they have on their patients.

"Our nephrology nurses coordinate patients' treatments across the care continuum," said Javier Rodriguez, CEO of DaVita Kidney Care. "They strive to deliver not only the highest quality of clinical care but also genuine compassion for the patients they serve. This week we pause and recognize the good work they do every single day and express our gratitude for all they do as integral members of our team."

DaVita Kidney Care understands that having passionate and committed nephrology nurses is an important component to improving the overall quality of life for patients, as well as providing the very best outcomes. As a result, DaVita Kidney Care has improved its clinical outcomes for 14 consecutive years.

Contributing to its nurses' ongoing professional development is another way DaVita recognizes and supports its nephrology nurses in keeping up with industry best practices throughout the year. The company invests more than $6 million each year to produce over 500,000 hours of continuing education credits for its nurses, which are accessible to DaVita Kidney Care nephrology nurses free of charge in the form of live or online courses and articles.

"Commitment to lifelong learning is part of being a great nurse. Nephrology nurses have to stay on top of new innovations and hone their practice. It's yet another reason why our nurses are so incredible; they never stop learning," said Carolyn Kibler, group vice president at DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc.

Kidney disease is the ninth-leading cause of death in the United States. In fact, more than 20 million adults age 20 or older have kidney disease and are unaware of it. Learn more about kidney disease at www.davita.com.

DaVita and DaVita HealthCare Partners are trademarks or registered trademarks of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc.

About DaVita Kidney Care
DaVita Kidney Care is a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc., a Fortune 500(r) company that, through its operating divisions, provides a variety of health care services to patient populations throughout the United States and abroad. A leading provider of dialysis services in the United States, DaVita Kidney Care treats patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita Kidney Care strives to improve patients' quality of life by innovating clinical care, and by offering integrated treatment plans, personalized care teams and convenient health-management services. As of June 30, 2014, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,119 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 168,000 patients. The company also operated 84 outpatient dialysis centers located in 10 countries outside the United States. DaVita Kidney Care supports numerous programs dedicated to creating positive, sustainable change in communities around the world. The company's leadership development initiatives and social responsibility efforts have been recognized by Fortune, Modern Healthcare, Newsweek and WorldBlu. For more information, please visit DaVita.com.

Contact Information

Media:
Ashley Henson
303-876-6498
Ashley.Henson@davita.com

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SOURCE DaVita Kidney Care

SOURCE: DaVita Kidney Care