DENVER, Oct. 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA), a leading independent medical group and a leading provider of kidney care services in the United States, announced today that the company has been recognized for the second time by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) and is one of only seven U.S.- based companies in the Health Care Providers and Services category on this year's DJSI World Index.

"We operate as a community first and a company second, so placing value in social, economic and environmental responsibility has always been one of our main tenets," said DaVita Chairman and CEO Kent Thiry. "As global corporate citizens, it's an honor to be named to such a prestigious list."

Launched in 1999, the DJSI World Index serves as a benchmark for investors who integrate sustainability considerations into their portfolios and provide an engagement platform for companies who want to adopt sustainable operations. The DJSI is based on an analysis of companies' environmental, social and governance practices.

Environmental

In 2015, DaVita established a set of 2020 Kidney Care environmental goals. The initiative's goals include reducing energy and carbon used during dialysis treatments by 10 percent, reducing water usage by 30 percent and implementing solid waste recycling in at least 45 percent of the company's dialysis centers.

And this year, DaVita's sustainability team, known as Village Green, celebrates 11 years of promoting environmental sustainability in the company's centers and offices around the world.

Social

Through numerous company-affiliated scholarships, DaVita has awarded more than $2.5 million in educational scholarships to children and grandchildren of DaVita teammates.

The DaVita Village Network (DVN) provides teammates and their dependents the opportunity to receive financial assistance during times of crisis such as natural disasters, medical or funeral expenses and financial hardships through times such as military deployment. All eligible teammates have the option to make voluntary payroll contributions to help fund the program. For every approved grant, DaVita contributes the same amount.

Through the DaVita Village Network program, DaVita contributed more than $800,000 to help fellow teammates impacted by last year's hurricanes.

Governance

DaVita's eleven-member board of directors now includes three women and four minority men, making DaVita's board one of the most diverse of any Fortune 500® company.

The company's board diversity was also recognized when DaVita was named as a Winning Company in 2017 by the 2020 Women on Boards organization.

DaVita is a pioneer in the area of corporate social responsibility. The company supports numerous programs dedicated to creating positive, sustainable change in communities around the world and supporting its "Trilogy of Care"— Caring for Our Patients, Caring for Each Other and Caring for Our World.

To learn more about DaVita's approach to corporate responsibility, please visit DaVita.com/CommunityCare.

About DaVita Inc. 
DaVita Inc., a Fortune 500® company, is the parent company of DaVita Kidney Care and 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 June 30, 2018, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,580 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 201,000 patients. The company also operated 253 outpatient dialysis centers located in 10 countries outside the United States. DaVita Medical Group manages and operates medical groups and affiliated physician networks in California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico and Washington in its pursuit to deliver excellent-quality health care in a dignified and compassionate manner. DaVita Medical Group's teammates, employed clinicians and affiliated clinicians provided care for approximately 1.7 million patients. For more information, please visit DaVita.com/About.

Media Contact:
Abby Domenico
(303) 876-7274
Abby.Domenico@davita.com

SOURCE DaVita Inc.