DaVita, Inc. announced that it recently acquired the outpatient dialysis business previously owned by Hurley Medical Center, in Flint, Michigan, and the Saginaw Dialysis Center, in Saginaw, Michigan. The acquisition of these four outpatient facilities extends DaVita's presence in the Michigan market to include a total of 15 centers. DaVita has also contracted to provide inpatient dialysis services to Hurley Medical Center.

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Kent Thiry, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "the Hurley acquisition establishes us as the leading provider of dialysis services to the Flint community. Hurley has been serving the people of Flint for many years and we are excited by the opportunity to join the medical center, and its physicians, in fulfilling this important responsibility. The Saginaw transaction gives us a new presence in a key market. We look forward to providing quality care to these patients and to expanding our relationships with respected nephrologists in these communities."

David Barton, Hurley's Vice President for Planning and Business Development said, "we are pleased to be partnering with DaVita, a recognized leader in renal care services. DaVita's dialysis expertise and overall commitment to quality care surely will benefit the patients in our community."

Manohar Atri, M.D., Medical Director and former owner of Saginaw Dialysis, said, "We have worked hard to develop this center for our patients. Although we enjoyed running the clinic, we decided it was time to hand the responsibilities of operations to someone else. We believe DaVita will provide excellent care to our patients and give us the support we'll need to grow our practice. We also feel confident that DaVita will provide our staff with the professional development and opportunities they deserve."

DaVita is a leading provider of dialysis services for patients suffering from chronic kidney failure. The Company provides services at kidney dialysis centers and home peritoneal dialysis programs domestically in 33 states, as well as Washington, D.C. As of March 31, 2003, the DaVita network included 523 outpatient facilities serving 45,000 patients, including 3,300 patients in 30 centers under management.

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SOURCE: DaVita Inc.