Press Releases

WellBound Opens New Self-Care Dialysis Center of Excellence in Lafayette, Indiana

First WellBound Center to Open Outside of California

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, October 4, 2006 – WellBound, the first company focused exclusively on supporting the full spectrum of self-care dialysis therapies, today announced the official opening of its first center outside the state of California. Located in Lafayette, Indiana, this "Center of Excellence" will support WellBound's partner nephrologists at the Arnett Clinic, as well as nephrologists from surrounding communities, in providing patients with kidney disease education along with innovative self-care dialysis therapies. The opening of this center, the fourth new WellBound program since the beginning of 2006, marks the initial step in the company's nationwide expansion.

"Having already established WellBound as a leading provider of self-care dialysis therapies and services in the state of California, we are now working to strategically expand our presence to other key markets within the U.S.," said Marc Branson, WellBound's chief executive officer. "The opening of this new center in Lafayette, Indiana represents the first of what we expect to be many new program openings throughout the country. By aggressively adding new centers, we are continuing to grow WellBound as one of the country's largest daily home hemodialysis programs."

There is an expanding body of scientific evidence that demonstrates that patients who receive more frequent and longer dialysis achieve superior clinical outcomes and enhanced quality of life as compared to those that do not. WellBound's patient-friendly centers ensure optimal patient care by combining a focus on wellness and education with innovative self-care therapies that provide more frequent dialysis.

"A critical component of the WellBound Center of Excellence model is our prioritization of patient education programs in the areas of dialysis treatment options and wellness," stated Mr. Branson. "These education programs provide our patients the information to make the best treatment choices for themselves and empower them to maintain healthy and normal lifestyles."

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

The Arnett Clinic's Stephen Ash, M.D. will serve as medical director for WellBound of Lafayette. Dr. Ash is widely-recognized as a thought leader in the dialysis industry, and has played an important role in the evolution of home dialysis, including the development of devices used by peritoneal dialysis and home hemodialysis patients worldwide.

"This is a great day for chronic kidney disease patients in Lafayette and the surrounding communities as they now have access to state-of-the-art self-care dialysis treatment options and world-class education and wellness programs," said Dr. Ash. "By offering local patients the ability to treat themselves through peritoneal dialysis and various forms of home hemodialysis, we are providing them the tools to improve their health and recapture the freedom, energy and overall well-being that is often lost when dealing with chronic kidney disease."

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 and reduced hospitalizations. 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 eight 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