TORRANCE, Calif., Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Total Renal Care, Inc. (NYSE: TRL) announced today that its President and Chief Operating Officer, George B. DeHuff III, has been appointed interim Chief Executive Officer. Mr. DeHuff will be responsible for all operations of the Company, reporting to the Board of Directors. Mr. DeHuff succeeds Victor M.G. Chaltiel, who on July 18, informed the Board of his decision to step down as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, pending appointment of a successor, citing compelling personal and family reasons. Chaltiel today accelerated his timetable and the Board has accepted his resignation as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Spencer Stuart, a leading executive search firm, is conducting the Chief Executive Officer search.

DeHuff, 45, joined TRC on May 17, 1999. He has more than 20 years of executive management experience. From 1994 to early 1999, he served in a variety of positions, including Chief Operating Officer as well as President and Chief Executive Officer, with American Medical Response (AMR), the nation's largest ambulance and medical transportation provider with more than 20,000 employees. AMR is now a subsidiary of Laidlaw, Inc.

From 1991 to 1994, DeHuff was President and Chief Operating Officer of LifeFleet, Inc., also an ambulance and medical transportation provider, before its sale to a third party. Earlier he was President and Chief Executive Officer of EECO Inc., a then publicly traded manufacturing organization, and previously held executive positions with Price Waterhouse and HI-TEK Corporation.

"The Board wishes to again thank Victor Chaltiel for his years of leadership in building the most respected and leading ESRD services provider in the world," stated Maris Andersons, a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Finance Committee. "We now look forward with confidence to George DeHuff and the entire Company refocusing on the enhancement of shareholder value."

Torrance, California-based Total Renal Care Holdings, Inc. 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 high-quality, free-standing kidney dialysis centers and home peritoneal dialysis programs in 35 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, Argentina and several European countries. It also provides high quality acute hemodialysis services to inpatients at approximately 330 hospitals. As of July 1, 1999, Total Renal Care operated 564 outpatient dialysis facilities serving more than 44,000 patients, including more than 3,300 patients in 43 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.

SOURCE Total Renal Care Holdings, Inc.