DaVita Inc. , a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), today announced the DaVita Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) Calculator for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch has been downloaded by patients across five continents and 24 countries.

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

The full list of countries where the application has been downloaded includes:

  --  Australia
  --  Austria
  --  Belgium
  --  Brazil
  --  Britain
  --  Canada
  --  France
  --  Germany
  --  Ireland
  --  Israel
  --  Italy
  --  Japan
  --  Malaysia
  --  Mexico
  --  The Netherlands
  --  Poland
  --  Portugal
  --  Saudi Arabia
  --  Singapore
  --  Spain
  --  Sweden
  --  Switzerland
  --  Thailand

  --  The United States

Available in language specific versions for English, French, Italian, Spanish and German, the iPhone application calculates Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) as a function of a patient's age, serum creatinine level, gender and race. GFR is considered by nephrologists and other kidney care professionals to be the best measure of kidney function and is used to plan life-saving treatment.

"The GFR Calculator has become a worldwide success and we're very pleased to have found a new and viable channel to share critical information with kidney patients and physicians," said Dennis Kogod, Chief Operating Officer of DaVita®.

Health care professionals or individuals can download the DaVita GFR Calculator from the Apple iTunes App Store for 99 cents. Additionally, the application includes a search function to find nephrologists, information on educational websites and the toll-free DaVita phone number. Use of the DaVita GFR Calculator for iPhone or iPod Touch requires the Apple iPhone™ or iPod™ touch device, Internet access on a Mac or PC computer, and Apple iTunes™ installed on a local computer (http://www.apple.com/itunes/).

The DaVita GFR Calculator is one of the many tools available at the company's award-winning web site, www.DaVita.com. DaVita.com is the premier online source for kidney disease and dialysis information, providing educational articles and videos about chronic kidney disease, dialysis, diet and nutrition.

DaVita® is a registered trademark of DaVita Inc. All 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. Recognized as the only FORTUNE 500® company on WorldBlu's annual List of Most Democratic Work Places™, DaVita manages more than 1,475 outpatient facilities and acute units in more than 700 hospitals located in 43 states and the District of Columbia, serving approximately 114,000 patients - nearly one-in-three of all dialysis patients in the United States. 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.