DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 21, 2011-- 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 key milestones achieved in 2011 that have resulted in improved patient care.

“Quite simply, our patients generally live longer and enjoy a better quality of life than they would have 10 years ago,” said Dr. Allen R. Nissenson, DaVita’s chief medical officer. “This success is the result of a comprehensive, coordinated, focused approach to delivering high quality kidney care."

DaVita® has a holistic approach to kidney care that is patient-centric and considers all aspects of the quality of treatment. As a result, for 11 consecutive years DaVita patients have demonstrated improved annual clinical results in several critical areas, including survival rates, bone and mineral metabolism management, dialysis adequacy and preventative care such as immunizations.

Such landmark achievements in 2011 include the following:

• DaVita QIP Tops Dialysis Industry – In late December, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its 2012 End-Stage Renal Disease Quality Improvement Program (QIP) Performance Measures results. The ratings are based on anemia management and dialysis adequacy, and the results showed thatDaVita significantly outperformed the rest of the industry in QIP performance measures with 76 percent of the company’s clinics ranking in the top clinical performance tier.
• DaVita Improves URR by 64 Percent in 2011 – Urea Reduction Ratio (URR) is a measure of how effectively a dialysis treatment removes waste from the body and is commonly expressed as a percentage. While there is no fixed percentage to represent “adequate dialysis,” studies have shown that patients with a URR of 65 percent or greater are less likely to suffer from such symptoms as nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, weakness or mental confusion; have fewer hospitalizations; and live longer. At the end of 2011, DaVita reported that only 2.7 percent of its patients – an all-time low – are below the 65 percent baseline – a 64 percent improvement overJanuary 2011.
• DaVita’s CathAway™ Program Saves Lives – DaVita has made landmark progress in reducing patient central venous catheter (CVC) rates, a major risk factor for serious infection in kidney patients. In 2008, DaVitaestablished CathAway, the company's seven-step program for reducing the number of hemodialysis patients with catheters. Since the inception of the program, DaVita has witnessed a 30 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 15.6 percent inNovember 2011. Kidney and hemodialysis experts consider the fistula – a surgically connected passageway between an artery and a vein that can be used as an access point for dialysis treatments – the "gold standard" access choice, and research studies have demonstrated patients with fistulas have the fewest complications, such as infections and clotting, compared to all other hemodialysis access choices. DaVita leads the industry in the use of fistulas.
• DaVita Vaccination Rates Lead the Industry – Based on the 2010 USRDS Annual Data Report (reporting claims-based data from 2008), renal industry vaccination rates for influenza and pneumonia were 66.5 percent and 25.2 percent, respectively. Reporting from the same data, DaVita's influenza vaccination rate was at 72.9 percent and its pneumonia vaccination rate was 36.4 percent for 2008. At the end of the first quarter of 2011,DaVita internal tracking shows that it has vaccinated 90.9 percent of its patients for influenza and 90.4 percent of its patients for pneumonia. In November, DaVita announced they exceeded their goal for patient vaccinations early in the flu season, with 90.4 of patients already immunized for the flu. Studies have shown that high vaccination rates relate directly to fewer hospitalizations, which can lead to a better quality of life for dialysis patients.
• DaVita Reduces Gross Mortality Rates – Through its coordinated approach to patient care that includespatient education and management; focus on fistula placements; spotlight on key vaccinations; relentless focus on improving clinical outcomes; and DaVita’s commitment to physician support (through per-intercommunication, focused clinical education and administrative guidance) and extensive teammate training,DaVita lowered its gross mortality rates. Based on its own internal data, since 2001, DaVita has reduced mortality rates for patients by nearly 20 percent.
• Allen Nissenson Receives AAKP Medal of Excellence Award – The American Association of Kidney Patientspresented the AAKP Medal of Excellence Award to Allen R. Nissenson, MD, FACP, chief medical officer atDaVita. This prestigious honor recognizes nephrologists who have made significant contributions to the advancement and enhancement of patient care. Since joining DaVita in 2008, Dr. Nissenson established National Quality Week and other communication channels with medical directors to improve the quality and safety of patient care. He has been an influential public policy advocate for kidney care patients, and he has worked extensively to promote early detection in the broader community.
• DaVita Presents Abstracts at ASN’s Kidney Week 2011 – DaVita presented 11 study results from innovative clinical improvement programs and health economic analyses at this year’s American Society of Nephrology’s (ASN) Kidney Week in Philadelphia. ASN’s Kidney Week is the world’s premier nephrology meeting and serves as a platform for more than 13,000 kidney professionals from around the globe to exchange knowledge, learn the latest scientific and medical advances, and listen to leading experts in the field.

DaVita and CathAway are trademarks or 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 Sept. 30, 2011, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,777 dialysis facilities, serving approximately 138,000 patients. 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 Inc.

DaVita Inc.
Vince Hancock, 303-405-2272
Vince.hancock@davita.com