DENVER, Mar 01, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- DaVita Inc. (NYSE:DVA), a leading provider of kidney care services for those diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), today announced the launch of YourKidneys.com to kick off efforts to raise awareness and education during National Kidney Month and World Kidney Day on March 11.

"DaVita is more than just a dialysis provider. To help celebrate National Kidney Month, we unveiled a wonderful new tool called YourKidneys.com," said Kent Thiry, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DaVita(R). "If we can educate people, help more people get tested for CKD, and prevent them from reaching our dialysis chairs, then we've done our jobs and more people will be living healthier lives."

YourKidneys.com is an empowering educational site and online community where patients can utilize a social networking forum to ask questions, make comments and get to know others in the kidney community. A diverse panel of DaVita health experts is available to answer questions in the Expert Q&A section, and additional educational materials cover a wide variety of topics, including diet and nutrition.

National Kidney Month and World Kidney Day are part of a global health campaign to raise awareness for the more than 31 million Americans living with CKD. A silent epidemic, CKD affects one in six Americans, with most unaware they are suffering from this disease. The chance that an American adult has CKD is nearly 12 times greater than an American woman's risk of getting breast cancer. High risk groups include African-Americans, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans and seniors (those 60 and over). Primary risk factors include diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease or a family history of these conditions.

DaVita has numerous programs like YourKidneys.com that increase awareness, provide early detection and deliver disease management solutions for kidney disease patients. These programs, in conjunction with non-profit organizations like the Kidney TRUST(TM), help by providing health screenings and education courses at no cost in communities throughout the U.S. For more information about these programs and National Kidney Month, please visithttp://www.davita.com/nationalkidneymonth.

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

About DaVita Inc.

DaVita Inc., a Fortune 500(R) 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, 2009, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,530 outpatient dialysis facilities and acute units in approximately 720 hospitals located in 43 states and the District of Columbia, serving approximately 118,000 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.

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SOURCE: DaVita Inc.

DaVita Inc.
Kelsey Rood, 310-536-2404
kelsey.rood@davita.com