DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr. 10, 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), today announced the launch of its Kidney SmartSM website, KidneySmart.org, for anyone with questions about CKD.

The website offers educational information for individuals affected by CKD at no cost and is recommended for potential patients, caregivers, or anyone looking to learn more about the disease and its risk factors.

Diabetes is the number one cause of kidney failure, followed by high blood pressure. Individuals with cardiovascular disease, obesity, high cholesterol, and those over age 60 or with family history of the disease are also at risk. Other high-risk groups for kidney disease include African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans.

"Our goal is to de-mystify kidney disease," explained Ben Harber, senior director of clinical operations for DaVita VillageHealth®. "That's why DaVita designed a website that answers the questions most patients ask when they are diagnosed with kidney disease."

Visitors to the new KidneySmart.org website can choose from the following three educational modules:

• I am in the Early Stage of CKD
• I am in the Late Stage of CKD
• I am a Care Partner

The new website is part of DaVita's broader commitment to provide the superior health education experiences to patients across a number of platforms. Patients can easily access KidneySmart.org on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

The KidneySmart.org website is designed to complement the in-person classes that will continue to be offered in community venues across the U.S. Currently DaVita® offers nearly 1,000 CKD education classes at no charge across the country.

Patients can register for a Kidney Smart class in their community by calling 1-888-MY KIDNEY (1-888-695-4363) or by visiting DaVita.com/services/education-classes.

DaVita VillageHealth partnered with Visible Productions, the company behind the medical animation on "The Dr. Oz Show," to design an easy-to-understand and easy to navigate website. The results include high impact visuals with uncluttered content to provide a new standard in usability as well as a larger canvas to demonstrate excellence in patient education.

DaVita, DaVita VillageHealth and Kidney Smart are trademarks or registered trademarks 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 Dec. 31, 2011, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,809 dialysis facilities in the United States, serving approximately 142,000 patients. The company also operated 11 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.

About DaVita VillageHealth

DaVita VillageHealth provides CKD and ESRD patients with integrated care and innovative care solutions that drive superior clinical outcomes and reduce overall cost. Since 1997, DaVita VillageHealth's innovations have helped bring more quality to the lives of over 32,000 patients. For more information about DaVita VillageHealth, please call 800-767-0063 or visithttp://www.villagehealth.com.

Source: DaVita Inc.

DaVita Inc.
Bianca Violante, 303-405-2363
Bianca.Violante@DaVita.com