DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May. 29, 2012-- DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA), a leading provider of kidney care services that is committed to improving the quality of life for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), announced the top 10 U.S. travel destinations for dialysis patients.

The summer travel season can be intimidating for dialysis patients who have to factor treatments into their vacation plans. DaVita® provides travel assistance and operates more than 1,800 facilities across the country, which allows patients to enjoy a worry-free vacation.

"We want dialysis patients to know that travel is still completely accessible to them," saidMaryCatherine Graves, director of Guest Services at DaVita. "With the help of DaVita's travel support specialists, patients can explore the many dialysis-friendly vacation spots across the country and enjoy an improved quality of life."

The following list was compiled based on previous years' placement requests by the DaVita Guest Services Call Center from a time period of May-September 2011:

1. Las Vegas
2. Orlando/Kissimmee
3. Myrtle Beach
4. San Antonio
5. Houston
6. New Orleans
7. Atlanta
8. Chicago
9. Reno, Texas
10. San Diego

"I am so thankful for the DaVita Guest Services team," said Johanna Castle, a San Diego patient who has been on dialysis for 22 years at a non-DaVita clinic. "It is so convenient to have one phone number for all my travel questions."

Castle will be traveling to San Diego and Las Vegas this summer with the help of DaVita.

The DaVita Guest Services team provides dialysis-related travel assistance to both DaVita and non-DaVita dialysis patients at no cost. In 2011, the Guest Services team helped more than 50,000 people plan dialysis treatments for vacations in the United States and abroad.

For dialysis-related travel assistance, patients can contact a DaVita Guest Services specialist at 1-800-244-0680 or visit DaVita.com/travel for more information.

DaVita is a registered trademark of DaVita Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About DaVita

DaVita Inc., a Fortune 500® company, 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. DaVitastrives 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 March 31, 2012, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,841 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 145,000 patients. The company also operated 15 outpatient dialysis centers located in three 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 http://www.davita.com.

Source: DaVita

DaVita
Ginger Pelz, 303-405-2271
Ginger.Pelz@DaVita.com