DENVER, Jul 26, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA), a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with end stage renal disease (ESRD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD), today released its third annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) report, which highlights the company's philanthropic, sustainability and community-building efforts through 2010.

The 44-page report, titled "Community Care," draws on 20-plus programs developed by DaVita® teammates (employees) to enrich the lives of patients, each other and fellow community members. Each of the initiatives falls into one of three categories that comprise DaVita's "Trilogy of Care" -- caring for the world, each other and our patients. The report also outlines the company's clinical leadership and innovation to improve patient outcomes and quality of life.

"At DaVita, we call ourselves a village and a village cannot survive on its own," said Kent Thiry, CEO of DaVita. "Making a difference in the lives of our patients, our fellow teammates and the world is fundamentally what we're about."

The 2010 report highlights how DaVita's commitment to social responsibility is ingrained into company culture, including continuous improvement efforts in operating sustainably, promoting early CKD detection, community building and delivering quality health care. A few of those highlights are detailed below.

Caring for Our World

Sustainability Progress

• DaVita is the only kidney care company recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency for its sustainability initiatives. Achievements include opening the first LEED-certified dialysis center in the United States in 2010 and diverting 95 percent of waste at DaVita's corporate headquarters through composting and recycling.

Raising Awareness about Kidney Disease

• In 2010 DaVita hosted Kidney Awareness Run/Walks(TM) in 10 cities across the nation, raising awareness and offering education to thousands about CKD. DaVita is putting substantial resources to grow this annual event, now called the DaVita Kidney Rock, in our headquarters city of Denver with extensive outreach to high risk populations.
• DaVita has donated or raised more than $3.4 million to benefit The Kidney TRUST(TM), an independent nonprofit founded by DaVita to provide public education and no-cost, rapid-result kidney screenings. More than 15,000 free kidney screenings have been administered to date.

Caring for Each Other

Community-Building

• By creating a caring environment for our teammates, they in turn are inspired to do the same for our patients. DaVita University is an award-winning leadership, professional and personal development program that has provided more than 1 million training hours to teammates at all levels, leading to teammate retention rates that exceed the industry average.
• $5.7 million has been granted to teammates and their families through support programs such as the DaVita Village Network, a crisis-relief fund, and the DaVita Children's Foundation, which awards scholarships to teammates' children and grandchildren who excel in leadership, community service and academics.

Caring for Our Patients

Clinical Innovation

• DaVita's clinical outcomes are the best or among the best in virtually every category - having improved every year since 2000 - and the resulting reduction in hospitalizations has saved American taxpayers approximately $509 million.
• DaVita Clinical Research® (DCR®) leads the industry in research efforts. In 2010 DCR supported more than 2,500 active kidney care patients enrolled in clinical trials aimed at advancing the science of kidney care and saving taxpayer dollars.
• DaVita invests heavily in DaVita.com, an award-winning online repository of 700-plus kidney-friendly recipes and other interactive health and diet tools, to empower CKD patients and their caregivers to get involved in their care, regardless of where they dialyze.

To download the 2010 Community Care report and read about DaVita's vision for social responsibility, please visit http://www.davita.com/communitycare.

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 and education to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. As of March 31, 2011, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,642 dialysis facilities, serving approximately 128,000 patients. DaVita develops, participates in and donates to numerous programs dedicated to transforming communities and creating positive, sustainable change for children, families and our environment. The company's leadership development initiatives and corporate social responsibility efforts have been recognized by Fortune, Modern Healthcare,Newsweek and WorldBlu, among others. For more information, please visit http://www.davita.com.

SOURCE: DaVita

DaVita
Media:
Mollie O'Brien, 303-405-2297
Mollie.obrien@davita.com