EVERETT, Wash., Sept. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita HealthCare Partners (NYSE: DVA), the leading independent medical group in America and leading provider of kidney care services, and The Everett Clinic, a nationally recognized physician group, today announced their intention to merge. DaVita HealthCare Partners will acquire The Everett Clinic, subject to the clinic's stakeholders' approval and a final definitive agreement. Financial terms were not disclosed.

"DaVita HealthCare Partners is honored to have this opportunity to join forces with an organization whose core values and mission so intentionally align with our own," said Kent Thiry, chairman and CEO of DaVita HealthCare Partners. "We are excited to work with the Everett team as we improve healthcare delivery and expand the leading independent medical group in America."

The Everett Clinic operates 20 care sites north of Seattle treating more than 315,000 patients and employing roughly 2,200 teammates, including more than 500 specialty and primary care providers. It serves patients through traditional doctor's offices, urgent care, lab services, imaging, hearing and vision centers, behavioral health, and cancer treatment.

"Our goals have always been both to transform care for our patients and to create a workplace that makes staff and providers feel excited about coming to work each day," said Rick Cooper, CEO of The Everett Clinic. "We believe we have found the partner that will help make our vision a reality."

"We also feel extremely optimistic about our future and the opportunity for our patients, staff and providers with this merger," said Harold Dash, M.D., president of The Everett Clinic.  "Perhaps at no other time in our history have we been as well positioned to grow and transform care as we are now with DaVita HealthCare Partners."

About DaVita HealthCare Partners 
DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc., a Fortune 500® company, is the parent company of DaVita Kidney Care and HealthCare Partners. HealthCare Partners manages and operates medical groups and affiliated physician networks in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Florida and Colorado in its pursuit to deliver excellent-quality health care in a dignified and compassionate manner. As of June 30, 2015 HealthCare Partners provided integrated care management for approximately 826,000 patients. DaVita Kidney Care is a leading provider of kidney care in the United States, delivering dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. As of June 30, 2015, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,210 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 176,000 patients. The company also operated 96 outpatient dialysis centers located in 10 countries outside the United States. For more information, please visit DaVitaHealthCarePartners.com.

About The Everett Clinic 
Founded in 1924, The Everett Clinic is a nationally recognized, locally-owned physician group known for providing high-quality healthcare services while lowering the overall cost of care. It has 500 providers in primary and specialty care at nine locations throughout Snohomish County, Wash. who care for more than 300,000 patients. Consistently named as a Fortune Magazine "100 Best Companies to Work For," The Everett Clinic staff and providers support the core value of doing what is right for each patient.

Forward Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. All statements that do not concern historical facts are forward-looking statements and include, among other things, statements about our expectations, beliefs, intentions and/or strategies for the future, including the prospective growth, opportunities and performance of or synergies attributable to the acquired business or the combined business resulting from the merger. Factors which could impact future results include the uncertainties associated with our ability to complete any acquisition, merger or disposition that we might be considering or announce, or integrate and successfully operate any business we may acquire, and the other risk factors set forth in DaVita's SEC filings, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, and its subsequent quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q. Any forward-looking statements should be considered in light of these risks and uncertainties. DaVita bases its forward-looking statements on information currently available to it at the time of this release, and it undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of changes in underlying factors, new information, future events or otherwise.

Media Contact Information:

Skip Thurman 
Skip.Thurman@DaVita.com 
(303) 876-6610

April Zepeda 
azepeda@everettclinic.com  
(425) 304-1139

Investor Contact Information: 
Jim Gustafson 
Jim.Gustafson@DaVita.com 
(310) 536-2585

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140318/DC85712LOGO  
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150919/268552LOGO

SOURCE DaVita HealthCare Partners; The Everett Clinic