Press Releases

WellBound Continues Expansion with Opening of Latest Self-Care Dialysis Center

Vallejo, CA Program is Fifth New Center to Open in 2006

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, December 18, 2006 – WellBound, the first company focused exclusively on supporting the full spectrum of self-care dialysis therapies, today announced the official opening of its ninth specialized self-care dialysis center. Located in Vallejo, California, this "Center of Excellence" will support nephrologists from surrounding communities in providing patients with kidney disease education along with innovative self-care dialysis therapies. The opening of this program, the fifth new WellBound center since the beginning of 2006, continues the growth of one of the country's largest daily home hemodialysis programs.

"We have made a concerted effort to establish WellBound as a leader in the delivery of self-care dialysis. In recent months, we have opened a number of new WellBound programs and, in turn, cemented our position as one of the country's leading providers of daily home hemodialysis," said Marc Branson, WellBound's chief executive officer. "With the opening of this new center, kidney disease patients in the Vallejo area will have access to our innovative self-care dialysis programs and the clinical and quality of life benefits that those programs enable."

"One of the unique features that allow WellBound to support superior clinical outcomes for patients is our focus on proactive wellness education programs," stated Mr. Branson. "These education programs, which serve as an essential complement to our self-care treatments, enable patients to take charge of their own health and play a critical role in achieving the best possible health outcomes."

As part of its operational model, WellBound provides its referring physicians with unrivaled clinical support. These comprehensive support services are provided by WellBound's dedicated team of certified medical professionals and include:

• Early education programs addressing kidney transplantation, dialysis therapy options, and vascular access planning
• Patient wellness programs focused on high blood pressure, stress management, exercise, nutrition and diabetes care
• Training programs for all forms of self-care dialysis
• Clinical care coordination services delivered by Certified Nephrology Nurses
• 24/7 patient care telephone support

"In opening this center, WellBound is providing the opportunity for the treatment of chronic kidney disease to move into the 21st century in Vallejo and the surrounding communities," said Michael Feldman, M.D., medical director of the new WellBound Vallejo center. "I am very excited to align with WellBound and share in the company's vision of allowing motivated CKD patients to treat themselves with innovative therapy options outside of the confines of a traditional dialysis center."

About Self-Care Dialysis
The term self-care dialysis refers to those dialysis therapies which patients are able to self-administer outside the confines of hemodialysis centers, including peritoneal dialysis and all types of home hemodialysis. A growing collection of clinical research clearly demonstrates that the more frequent, more consistent dialysis associated with self-care provides patients with improved health outcomes such as improved mortality rates, reduced hospitalizations and improved cognitive function. Home dialysis also offers significant quality of life advantages including greater convenience, more flexible schedules, and fewer fluid and dietary restrictions.

About WellBound
Founded in 2003, WellBound is an affiliate of dialysis industry leader Satellite Healthcare. As the first company focused exclusively on the full continuum of self-care dialysis options, WellBound frees chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients from in-center dialysis treatment regimens by offering multiple, state-of-the-art "self-care" treatment options. The company's unique expertise in personalized self-care training and patient wellness facilitates a higher quality of life and improved clinical outcomes for CKD patients, while enabling physicians to offer a new, superior level of care.

The company has established nine operational self-care dialysis facilities and is actively engaged in launching a network of WellBound "Centers of Excellence" designed to deliver the full spectrum of self-care dialysis options, including peritoneal dialysis and daily home hemodialysis. To learn more about WellBound, please visit www.wellbound.com or contact the company directly at 1.800.476.5450.

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Contacts:
WellBound
Marc Branson
(650) 404-3613

Vida Communication
Stephanie Diaz
(415) 675-7400

Tim Brons (media)
(415) 675-7402