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                                                                   Exhibit 31.1

               CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a),
                             AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
                  SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Gary A. Brukardt, certify that:

1.       I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Renal Care Group,
         Inc.;

2.       Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue
         statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary
         to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which
         such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period
         covered by this report;

3.       Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
         information included in this report, fairly present in all material
         respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows
         of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.       The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for
         establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
         defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the
         registrant and have:

                  (a)      Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or
             caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under
             our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to
             the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made
             known to us by others within those entities, particularly during
             the period in which this report is being prepared;

                  (b)      Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's
             disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our
             conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and
             procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report
             based on such evaluation; and

                  (c)      Disclosed in this report any change in the
             registrant's internal control over financial reporting that
             occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the
             registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report)
             that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially
             affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting;
             and

5.       The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed,
         based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
         reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the
         registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
         functions):

                  (a)      All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses
             in the design or operation of internal control over financial
             reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the
             registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report
             financial information; and

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             (b)      Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves
         management or other employees who have a significant role in the
         registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

Date: November 12, 2003                                 /s/ Gary A. Brukardt
                                                        --------------------
                                                        Gary A. Brukardt
                                                        Chief Executive Officer