DaVita Kidney Care Encourages Americans to Become Organ Donors

Company honors National Donor Day and raises awareness for its patients awaiting kidney transplants

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Feb 14, 2018, 06:01 ET

DENVER, Feb. 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- DaVita Kidney Care (NYSE: DVA), a division of DaVita Inc. (NYSE: DVA), a leading provider of kidney care services in the United States, supports National Donor Day and its patients with kidney disease by asking Americans to commit to organ donation.

Talk with your doctor about becoming a donor. Learn more at DaVita.com/Transplant.

"Today, nearly 120,000 patients are on the waiting list to receive a life-saving organ transplant and more than 95,000 of those are waiting for a kidney," said Bryan Becker, MD, MMM, FACP, CEP, chief medical officer for DaVita Integrated Kidney Care. "On behalf of DaVita, we ask that you make a difference in the life of a patient by becoming a donor this year."

When kidney function fails, a person has to undergo regular dialysis treatments which filter toxins from the blood or receive a kidney transplant to survive. Advances in technology, medications, surgery techniques and donor matching have made kidney transplants a viable option for more patients. However, the number of kidneys available are far less than the number of patients on the list. This results in a median wait time of 3.6 years, but that can vary depending on geographic location, health or compatibility.

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), a person of any age can be an organ donor and a registering organ donor may save as many as eight lives. Living donation is also a possibility for healthy individuals over age 18 looking specifically to donate a kidney.

DaVita is committed to providing resources to support eligible patients seeking a kidney transplant. The company focuses on overcoming common barriers to transplant success by:

Providing in-depth transplant education
Proactively sharing data with certain transplant centers to keep patient information current
Producing industry-leading clinical outcomes to help its patients stay transplant-ready

The balance of risks and benefits for a kidney transplant varies depending on age and other health factors. To find out more information about kidney transplantation, getting on the transplant wait list or becoming a donor, talk with your doctor and visit DaVita.com/Transplant.

About DaVita Kidney Care
DaVita Kidney Care is a division of DaVita Inc., a Fortune 500® company, that through its operating divisions provides a variety of health care services to patient populations throughout the United States and abroad. A leading provider of dialysis services in the United States, DaVita Kidney Care treats patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita Kidney Care strives to improve patients' quality of life by innovating clinical care, and by offering integrated treatment plans, personalized care teams and convenient health-management services. As of September 30, 2017, DaVita Kidney Care operated or provided administrative services at 2,470 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 196,000 patients. The company also operated 230 outpatient dialysis centers located in 11 countries outside the United States. DaVita Kidney Care supports numerous programs dedicated to creating positive, sustainable change in communities around the world. The company's leadership development initiatives and social responsibility efforts have been recognized by Fortune, Modern Healthcare, Newsweek and WorldBlu. For more information, please visit DaVita.com.