DENVER, Apr 12, 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), has been recognized as the only health care company and only member of the Fortune 500® to make the 2011 WorldBlu List of Most Democratic Workplaces(TM).

This marks the fourth consecutive year that DaVita® has been named to the list, which aims to promote democracy in the workplace. DaVita is one of only 52 companies recognized on the annual list sponsored by WorldBlu, a company specializing in organizational democracy.

"DaVita is honored to once again be recognized as the only healthcare and FORTUNE 500 company on WorldBlu's List of Most Democratic Workplaces," said Kent Thiry, chairman and CEO of DaVita. "At DaVita, we call ourselves a Village, not a company, and democracy powers any strong community. The DaVita Village doesn't simply encourage teammate discourse and engagement - more accurately, we are defined by them."

The list is determined primarily by an employee-based survey that evaluates the company's practice of 10 democratic principles, such as transparency, dialogue and listening, integrity, fairness and dignity, and accountability. WorldBlu developed the survey tool based on a decade of research into what makes a world-class democratic organization.

The WorldBlu list comprises for-profit and non-profit organizations from across the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark and Malaysia. These organizations range in size from five to over 80,000 employees and collectively represent more than $15 billion in annual revenue.

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 December 31, 2010, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,612 dialysis facilities, serving approximately 125,000 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 visitwww.davita.com

SOURCE: DaVita

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