DaVita's Patient Pathways Wins Top Honors for Excellence in Discharge Planning

DaVita®, a division of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. (NYSE: DVA) and a leading provider of kidney care services, today announced that the company’s subsidiary, Patient Pathways^SM, received the Dorland Health “Case In Point” Platinum Award for best Discharge Planning program in the U.S.

Case In Point is a unique awards program recognizing the most successful and innovative care management programs working to improve health care.

“This award recognizes the power of strong partnerships between hospitals and kidney care providers to improve patients’ quality of life and save taxpayer dollars,” said Rodney White, vice president of Patient Pathways. “We are honored to receive this prestigious recognition.”

Patient Pathways supplements partnering hospitals’ staff with onsite renal nurses and patient liaisons who are experts in kidney patient care management and discharge planning. Founded in 2007, Patient Pathways has improved the lives of more than 130,000 dialysis patients in more than 350 hospitals nationwide.

In 2012 alone, the Patient Pathways program reduced renal-related readmission rates by more than 73 percent and saved partnering hospitals a total of 40,800 bed days and 18,500 acute dialysis treatments. Combined, these efficiencies reduced the country’s 2012 health care costs by more than $50 million.

The program’s goals include improving the transition from the inpatient to the outpatient setting; assisting hospital partners with clinically appropriate reductions in length of stay and readmissions; lowering avoidable acute dialysis treatments; and enhancing the patient experience and quality of life.

The winners of the Case In Point Platinum Awards were announced May 7, 2013, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Md.

DaVita, DaVita HealthCare Partners and Patient Pathways are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of DaVita HealthCare Partners Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About DaVita

DaVita is the dialysis division of DaVita HealthCare Partners 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 kidney care in the United States, DaVita delivers dialysis services to patients with chronic kidney failure and end stage renal disease. DaVita 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 March 31, 2013, DaVita operated or provided administrative services at 1,991 outpatient dialysis centers located in the United States serving approximately 156,000 patients. The company also operated 41 outpatient dialysis centers located in nine countries outside the United States. DaVita 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.