DENVER, Jan. 5, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA), a leading independent medical group and leading provider of kidney care services in the United States, announced today that Joel Ackerman will join the company in February 2017 and will become its chief financial officer effective March 1, 2017.

Ackerman, 51, is chief executive officer and a board member at Champions Oncology, a company engaged in the development of advanced technology solutions and services to personalize the development and use of oncology drugs, and has been in that role since 2010.  Prior to Champions Oncology, Ackerman was at Warburg Pincus from 1993 to 2008, a leading private equity firm, where he was a partner and headed up the healthcare services group. 

Ackerman has served on the board of directors of Kindred Healthcare since 2008, and served on the board of directors of Coventry Health Care.  He is also chair of the One Acre Fund, a not-for-profit microfinance organization serving more than 400,000 subsistence farmers in Africa.

"Joel has experience in a wide variety of health care service segments and stages of companies," said Kent Thiry, chairman and chief executive officer of DaVita.  "We believe his strategic, financial, and health care industry experience will serve him well as a member of our senior leadership team."

Ackerman earned a bachelor's degree from Columbia University, where he graduated summa cum laude, and a master's degree in Physics from Harvard University.

Jim Hilger, who has served as the company's interim chief financial officer since 2015, will continue in his role as chief accounting officer, a position he has held since 2010.

About DaVita Inc.
DaVita Inc., a Fortune 500® company, is the parent company of DaVita Kidney Care and HealthCare Partners, a DaVita Medical Group. 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 September 30, 2016, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,318 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 186,000 patients. The company also operated 139 outpatient dialysis centers located in 11 countries outside the United States. HealthCare Partners manages and operates medical groups and affiliated physician networks in California, Nevada, New Mexico, Florida, Colorado and Washington in its pursuit to deliver excellent-quality health care in a dignified and compassionate manner. As of September 30, 2016 HealthCare Partners provided integrated care management for approximately 750,000 patients. For more information, please visit DaVita.com/about.

Contact Information
Investors:
Jim Gustafson
(310) 536-2585
jim.gustafson@davita.com    

Contact Information
Media:
Skip Thurman
(303) 876-6610
skip.thurman@davita.com

SOURCE DaVita Inc.