DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 26, 2012-- DaVita, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc.®(NYSE: DVA) and a leading provider of kidney care services, released a year-end recap of major milestones and achievements for the company in 2012.

“DaVita’s performance was outstanding in 2012 – from clinical outcomes and patient care to business growth and corporate citizenship,” said Kent Thiry, chairman and CEO of DaVita HealthCare Partners. “Every day, our success relies on the commitment and hard work of more than 40,000 DaVita teammates, and I’m very grateful for their belief in our DaVita community.”

Major initiatives and highlights for DaVita in 2012 included:

Clinical Excellence:

• DaVita Survival Rate Leads Kidney Care Industry – In September, the United States Renal Data System released its 2012 Atlas of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). The Atlas covers population and treatment data available in 2010; for that year, DaVita had the lowest standard mortality rate in the industry (along with DCI).1 According to internal data, in 2011 gross mortality rate at DaVita fell to the lowest level ever, showing a 15% decrease in mortality rate since 2005. This decrease represents thousands of lives saved over a period of years.
• DaVita Clinical Research Presents 13 Abstracts at NKF; 12 Posters at ASN; Seven HEOR Posters at ISPOR- In 2012, researchers from DaVita Clinical Research® (DCR®) and DaVita presented the results from a number of innovative clinical improvement programs and health economic studies originating from DaVita and its research partners. The findings were shared at three premier health care meetings – the National Kidney Foundation Spring Clincal Meeting, the 17th Annual International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research International Meeting, and American Society of Nephrology Kidney Week. DCR provides a collaborative bridge between DaVita services and the pharmaceutical and biotech research community; DCR also shares DaVita’s dedication to improving the health and well-being of kidney patients.
• DaVita’s CathAwayTM Program Continues to Save Lives - DaVita has made remarkable progress in reducing patient central venous catheter (CVC) rates, a major risk factor for serious infection in kidney patients. In 2008, DaVita established CathAway, the company's seven-step program for reducing the number of hemodialysis patients dialyzing with CVCs. Since the inception of the program, DaVita has witnessed a more than 40 percent reduction in the number of "Day 90+" catheter patients (i.e., those patients who have been dialyzing at DaVita for 90 days or more using a catheter for dialysis access), and the company is now at an all-time low catheter rate of 14.1 percent for this patient population as of November 2012. DaVita leads major dialysis providers in the industry in the use of fistulas, the “gold standard” for dialysis access.
• DaVita Patient Vaccination Rates Top 90% - Two months into the 2012-2013 flu season (as of December 1, 2012), DaVita had vaccinated 91.5% of its patients for influenza and 91.8% of its patients for pneumonia. Vaccinations are critically important for people like kidney patients who are at high risk for complications, helping prevent hospitalizations and even death and supporting quality of life.
• DaVita Launches Social Site NephLink to Connect Nephrologists – DaVita launched NephLinkTM(www.NephLink.com) this year, which is a new online physician community for kidney care. NephLink is designed to allow physicians to discuss difficult patient cases or practice-management issues, share best practices and ideas, and debate the evolving health care landscape. NephLink provides physicians with direct access to their colleagues to engage and collaborate as a group – or one-on-one – with self-service privacy controls. In addition to providing tools to connect and collaborate, NephLink provides access to news, journals, events and resources from many kidney care news syndicates and journal publishers. To register for NephLink, any licensed physician can register at www.NephLink.com. A brief online tour of NephLink is available athttp://bit.ly/NephLinkDemo.

Patient Service:

• Launch of myDaVita.com – DaVita announced an important update to myDaVita.com to further help dialysis patients manage their health. myDaVita.com is an online patient social networking and virtual support center where dialysis patients can connect with other members of the kidney care community by sharing stories, meeting friends who are going through similar experiences, getting advice, and supporting and inspiring others. Other myDaVita.com resources include the DaVita Diet Helper™, which helps patients navigate nutrition challenges with planned menus and a log to track important nutrients. In the enhanced My Recipes section, patients and caregivers can save and organize favorites from more than 800 kidney-friendly recipes. These online tools allow patients to be proactive about their health, which can lead to improved clinical outcomes and an improved quality of life.
• Launch of Patient Health PortalTM– In 2012 – in a first among major dialysis providers – DaVita launched the new DaVita Health Portal, allowing patients to securely access their test results and other treatment information. The application is accessible anywhere patients have an Internet connection through a computer, including in DaVita dialysis centers.

Business Growth:

• Merger with HealthCare Partners – On November 1, HealthCare Partners® merged into a subsidiary of DaVita’s parent company. The parent company changed its name to DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc.HealthCare Partners, now one of the two main operating divisions of DaVita HealthCare Partners, has leading operations in the Southern California, Central Florida, Southern Nevada and Northern New Mexico areas.HealthCare Partners takes clinical and economic accountability and management responsibility for nearly all of the healthcare needs of a patient population. This includes the provision of professional services rendered by primary care and specialty physicians as well as the coordination of hospital and other services. DaVita, the other main operating division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc., will continue to provide comprehensive services for kidney care patients.
• DaVita Rx® - DaVita Rx is the world’s first and largest full-service pharmacy dedicated to serving the unique needs of kidney patients. In 2012, DaVita Rx expanded their services to help manage patient medications and clinical outcomes. DaVita Rx helps patients improve compliance with their required drug regimens with refill reminders, reviews for possible drug interactions and other services, resulting in healthier patients and improved quality of life.
• International Expansion – As of December, 2012, DaVita had 25 clinics operating in six countries outside the U.S., employing more than 400 teammates. DaVita is managing clinics in China, Singapore and Saudi Arabia, and owns and operates clinics in India and Malaysia.
• New Research Facility Opens in Denver Metro Area – DaVita Clinical Research expanded to Colorado this year, opening a new facility in Lakewood. The new facility encompasses 35,000 square feet and is physically connected to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, Colo. The 80-bed facility brought more than fifty specialized research jobs to the area and increased DCR’s physical capacity from 42 to 122 beds in North America. The facility supports high-risk studies and has expanded ability to support both patient and healthy volunteer Phase I clinical studies.
• DaVita Team Moves Into New World HQ Building – This summer, more than 500 DaVita teammates moved into DaVita’s new World Headquarters building at 2000 16th Street in Denver. The building was designed in collaboration with teammates, for teammates, with sustainability and a positive working experience as top priorities. Over 1,000 teammates had input into various design decisions, from outdoor spaces to workspace setup to the visual reminders of the DaVita story. The building is expected to achieve LEED® Gold certification for the environmental concepts utilized during design and construction. One such design concept incorporated into the building provides 98% of teammates with exposure to direct sunlight from their workspaces. More than 75% of total site construction waste was recycled.

Education, Empowerment, Corporate Citizenship:

• DaVita Kidney Rock WalkTM – More than 1,200 people participated in the DaVita Kidney Rock™ event in August, helping to raise an estimated $500,000 for Bridge of Life Medical Missions, which brings life-saving dialysis treatments to developing countries by supporting the creation of self-sustaining clinics. Hundreds of attendees also received kidney disease screenings from The Kidney TRUST.
• Tour DaVita ® - DaVita’s annual charity bike ride, Tour DaVita, raised $900,000 to support Bridge of Life-DaVita Medical MissionsTM in 2012. The proceeds from Tour DaVita will help fund nine medical missions taking place in 2013 where Bridge of Life volunteers will be able to install or repair 112 dialysis machines. Through these missions, Bridge of Life will bring dialysis treatment to more than 600 people in communities that otherwise would not have access to this life-sustaining care.
• DaVita HQ Expected to Receive LEED® Gold Rating – DaVita expects to receive LEED® Gold certification of its world headquarters building, designed with environmentally responsible materials and energy efficient systems, from the use of 2850 linear feet of beetle kill wood to water efficiency that saves over 1 million gallons of water each year. Flooring throughout the building is comprised of pre- and post-consumer recycled materials; more than 90% of teammates have direct views to the outdoors; and 100% of permanent teammates receive complimentary RTD EcoPasses. DaVita also diverts more than 85% of materials from landfills through internal composting and recycling efforts. DaVita was also recognized as an “EPA Green Power Partner” by theU.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• DaVita Jumps in Newsweek’s U.S. Green Ranking List – Newsweek’s 2012 U.S. Green Ranking List placed DaVita at number 209, up 33 spots from 2011. Newsweek U.S. Green Rankings highlight the top 500 companies in America for leadership in environmental performance. This is the fourth year Newsweek has compiled its green rankings; DaVita has been ranked each year so far.
• Community Service - 2012 was DaVita’s best year ever for teammate volunteerism through “Village Service Days.” Village Service Days include any community service performed by three or more teammates at or on behalf of DaVita. As of December 15, 2012, DaVita teammates had participated in over 200 Village Service Days, involving more than 7,000 teammates and more than 11,000 hours of service.

Awards

Healthcare excellence

Renal Dietitian of the Year – DaVita dietitian Chhaya Patel was recognized by the National Kidney Foundation.

100 Most Influential People in Health Care – DaVita CEO Kent Thiry was ranked number 12 among the most influential people in U.S. health care by Modern Healthcare.

National Health Information Awards – DaVita’s Kidney Smart campaign was recognized in the consumer decision-making information category.

Corporate culture & operations

World's Most Admired Companies – DaVita was named one of the World’s Most admired companies by Fortune magazine.

Most Democratic Workplaces – DaVita was ranked among the world’s most democratically operated world places by WorldBlu – the only health care company and the only Fortune 500® company so recognized.

50 Top Performing Companies – DaVita was named a top performer by Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

InformationWeek 500 – DaVita was ranked number 176 among the InformationWeek 500 most innovative users of business technology.

Best Places to Work – DaVita was recognized (through teammate surveys) as a top employer in Denver by the Denver Business Journal and the Denver Post.

2013 Training Top 125 – Training Magazine named DaVita a leading organization that excels at employee development.

Healthiest X-Large Employer in Colorado – DaVita was recognized as the healthiest employer inColorado – x-large business category, by the Denver Business Journal.

Military recruiting

Top 100 Military-Friendly® Employers – DaVita was recognized as a top 100 military- friendly employer by G.I. Jobs.

Most Valuable Employers (MVE) for Military® - DaVita was named a most valuable employer for military personnel by Civilianjobs.com.

Best for Vets – DaVita was recognized by Military Times Edge as a “Best for Vets” employer. DaVita was also included on the list for best employers for reservists.

Military Spouse – DaVita was recognized as a top employer for military spouses by Military Spouse Magazine.

Patriot Award – DaVita supervisor David Blank was recognized with the Department of Defense’s prestigious Patriot Award for his support of military personnel (including reservists).

DaVita, HealthCare Partners, DaVita Clinical Research, DCR, Tour DaVita, DaVita Kidney Rock, DaVita Rx, NephLink, CathAway 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

DaVita is the dialysis division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc., a Fortune 500® 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 kidney care in the United States, DaVita delivers dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita 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 ofSeptember 30, 2012, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,912 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 150,000 patients. The company currently operates 25 outpatient dialysis centers located in six countries outside the United States. DaVita 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.

1 USRDS 2012 Atlas of ESRD, p. 321

Source: DaVita

DaVita
Lauren Moughon, 303-876-6612
Lauren.Moughon@DaVita.com