DaVita Inc.
Company History
DaVita History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1979 in Denver, Colorado
When was DaVita founded?
DaVita was founded in 1979 in Denver, Colorado by Total Renal Care and Kent Thiry, making it 47 years old.
- Founded
- 1979
- Founding place
- Denver, Colorado
- Founders
- Total Renal Care and Kent Thiry
- Headquarters today
- Denver, Colorado
- Milestones documented
- 10 (1979–2026)
- Current CEO
- Javier J. Rodriguez
- Acquisitions
- 3
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1979 | Medical Ambulatory Care Founded |
| 1995 | Total Renal Care IPO |
| 1999 | Kent Thiry Joins Total Renal Care |
| 2000 | DaVita Name Adopted |
| 2005 | Gambro Healthcare Acquisition |
| 2012 | HealthCare Partners Acquired |
| 2019 | Optum Sale Completed |
| 2019 | Javier Rodriguez Becomes CEO |
| 2025 | Revenue Reaches $13.643B |
| 2026 | Q2 2026 EPS Up 36% |
- Where was DaVita founded?
- DaVita was founded in Denver, Colorado in 1979.
- Who founded DaVita?
- DaVita was founded by Total Renal Care and Kent Thiry.
- When did DaVita start?
- DaVita was founded in 1979.
- How old is DaVita?
- DaVita is 47 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
DaVita's roots go back to Medical Ambulatory Care, a dialysis business founded in 1979 that later became Total Renal Care. Total Renal Care went public in the mid-1990s, expanded quickly through acquisitions, and merged with Renal Treatment Centers in 1998. By 1999 accounting problems, billing failures, and heavy debt had pushed it into crisis. The board hired Kent Thiry, formerly of Vivra, as CEO. He refinanced the debt, fixed operations, and in 2000 the company adopted the name DaVita, from the Italian for 'giving life', along with its 'Village' culture.
Founders
Total Renal Care
Total Renal Care grew out of Medical Ambulatory Care, a dialysis operator founded in 1979, and became an independent company in the mid-1990s. Through the 1990s it acquired many independent dialysis clinics and in 1998 merged with Renal Treatment Centers. Integration went badly. Billing and accounting problems, heavy debt, and shareholder litigation pushed the company into crisis by 1999. The board hired Kent Thiry as CEO, and in 2000 the company was renamed DaVita. Berkshire Hathaway began buying DaVita shares in 2011 and now owns about 45%. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).
Kent Thiry
Kent Thiry became CEO of Total Renal Care in October 1999, when it was in financial crisis. He led the turnaround, the 2000 rebrand to DaVita, and the 'Village' culture, in which employees are 'teammates' and he was known as 'Mayor'. Under Thiry, DaVita completed the Gambro Healthcare acquisition in 2005 and the HealthCare Partners acquisition in 2012. He handed the CEO role to Javier Rodriguez in 2019 and served as executive chairman until 2020. Kent Thiry was born in 1956.
Key Milestones
Medical Ambulatory Care Founded
The dialysis business that later became Total Renal Care and then DaVita is founded.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgTotal Renal Care IPO
Total Renal Care, the predecessor of DaVita, went public in 1995.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgKent Thiry Joins Total Renal Care
Kent Thiry becomes CEO and begins a turnaround of the dialysis provider that later becomes DaVita.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgDaVita Name Adopted
Total Renal Care is renamed DaVita, marking the start of the company's new identity.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgGambro Healthcare Acquisition
DaVita acquires Gambro Healthcare's U.S. dialysis business, significantly expanding its national clinic footprint.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHealthCare Partners Acquired
DaVita acquires HealthCare Partners to enter physician-group and integrated care services.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgOptum Sale Completed
DaVita completes the sale of DaVita Medical Group to Optum and returns focus to kidney care.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgJavier Rodriguez Becomes CEO
Javier J. Rodriguez succeeds Kent Thiry as Chief Executive Officer.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgRevenue Reaches $13.643B
DaVita reports $13.643B in 2025 revenue, $1.024B of free cash flow, and its first profitable year in Integrated Kidney Care.
Source: investors.davita.comQ2 2026 EPS Up 36%
Q2 2026 revenue rises 5.2% to $3.554B and diluted EPS reaches $4.02. DaVita serves about 298,500 patients at 3,266 centers.
Source: investors.davita.comMajor Acquisitions
Gambro Healthcare (US dialysis business)
2005DaVita bought Gambro Healthcare's U.S. dialysis business for about $3.05 billion to gain national scale against Fresenius Medical Care.
HealthCare Partners
2012DaVita acquired HealthCare Partners to diversify beyond dialysis into physician group management and integrated care. HealthCare Partners operated medical groups in California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, New Mexico, and Washington, serving approximately 1.7 million patients.
Various International Dialysis Providers
DaVita has acquired dialysis providers in multiple international markets including Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia to expand its global footprint. These acquisitions target markets with underdeveloped dialysis infrastructure and growing demand.
Keep researching DaVita
DaVita Company History FAQ
What were the major corporate milestones of DaVita from 1979 to 2000?
DaVita began as Medical Ambulatory Care in 1979 and grew into Total Renal Care, which went public in the mid-1990s and merged with Renal Treatment Centers in 1998. After a 1999 financial crisis, Kent Thiry became CEO, and the company was renamed DaVita in 2000.
When did DaVita acquire Gambro Healthcare and transform into an industry giant?
DaVita completed its roughly $3.05 billion acquisition of Gambro Healthcare's U.S. dialysis business in October 2005, adding more than 500 centers and creating national scale.
When did Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway become DaVita's anchor shareholder?
Berkshire Hathaway began buying DaVita in 2011. Because DaVita keeps buying back shares, Berkshire's stake has risen to about 45%, the cap set in a 2024 agreement.
When did DaVita relocate its global headquarters to Denver, Colorado?
DaVita moved its headquarters from El Segundo, California, to Denver, Colorado, around 2010 and opened its downtown Denver headquarters building in 2012.
When was Javier J. Rodriguez appointed Chief Executive Officer of DaVita?
In June 2019, Javier J. Rodriguez was appointed CEO of DaVita Inc., succeeding longtime leader Kent Thiry and initiating an era focused on home dialysis, value-based kidney care, and digital health.
How did DaVita perform during the 2020 to 2022 COVID-19 pandemic?
DaVita kept its clinics operating as essential care throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and set up isolation treatment for COVID-positive dialysis patients, who were among the most vulnerable groups.
What happened at DaVita in 2025 and 2026?
DaVita reported $13.643 billion of 2025 revenue, $1.024 billion of free cash flow, and its first profitable year in Integrated Kidney Care. In Q2 2026 revenue rose 5.2% to $3.554 billion and diluted EPS rose to $4.02.
What are DaVita's strategic priorities for 2026?
DaVita is focused on clinical outcomes, cost control, home dialysis, international growth, Integrated Kidney Care, and share repurchases. It guides to 2026 adjusted EPS of $14.10 to $15.20.
How did DaVita start?
The company was originally named Total Renal Care (TRC) and was nearly destroyed by massive debt and accounting scandals in 1999. CEO Kent Thiry was brought in, orchestrated a massive turnaround, and renamed it DaVita (Italian for "giving life").
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