TORRANCE, Calif., Dec. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Total Renal Care, Inc. (NYSE: TRL) announced today the appointment of Richard B. Fontaine and C. Raymond Larkin, Jr. to its Board of Directors. Mr. Fontaine is filling a vacancy on TRL's expanded board and Mr. Larkin will replace Regina E. Herzlinger, who had previously announced her retirement from the Board.

Mr. Fontaine, 56, brings many years of experience in the health care services industry. An independent health care consultant since 1992, Mr. Fontaine was also at CR&R Incorporated from 1988 to 1992, where he was a Senior Vice President, and prior to that he was with Caremark, Inc. from 1984 to 1988, where he was a Vice President, Business Development. He also served on the board of directors of Vivra, Inc. a dialysis services company from 1993 until it was sold in 1997.

Mr. Larkin, 51, was with Nellcor, Inc., a medical products company, from 1983 through 1998, where he served as President and CEO from 1989 until August 1995, when he became President and CEO of Nellcor Puritan Bennett, Inc. upon the merger of Nellcor, Inc. with Puritan-Bennett. Currently Mr. Larkin is a principal of 3x NELL, which invests in and provides consulting services to the medical device, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries.

"We are pleased that both Richard Fontaine and Raymond Larkin are joining our board of directors," stated Kent J. Thiry, TRC's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Each brings many years of health care operating experience to our board and both have skills that will provide additional depth and expertise. We look forward to working with them and to the many contributions they will make."

Total Renal Care Holdings, Inc, based in Torrance, California, is the second-largest (and largest independent) worldwide provider of integrated dialysis services for patients suffering from chronic kidney failure. The Company owns and operates kidney dialysis centers and home peritoneal dialysis programs in 34 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, Argentina and several European countries. It also provides acute hemodialysis services to inpatients at approximately 320 hospitals. As of October 15, 1999, Total Renal Care operated 570 outpatient dialysis facilities serving approximately 45,000 patients, including more than 4,000 patients in 51 centers under Total Renal Care management. Total Renal Care also operates ESRD laboratory and pharmacy facilities, as well as vascular access management, transplant services and ESRD clinical research programs.

This release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding potential improved operations and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors which could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, the uncertainties associated with governmental regulation, general economic and other market conditions, and the "risk factors" set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to (1) the risks inherent in the Company's growth strategy, (2) possible changes in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates, (3) dependence on physician referrals, (4) risks associated with operations outside the United States, and (5) the amount of leverage the Company has obligations to pay. The forward-looking statements should be considered in light of these risks and uncertainties.

SOURCE Total Renal Care, Inc.

CONTACT: Richard Lester, Vice President, Investor Relations of Total Renal Care, Inc., 212-794-9348/