Amedisys Supports Department of Health and Human Services' New Partnership for Patients

BATON ROUGE, La., April 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Amedisys, one of the nation's leading home health care and hospice companies, supports the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) newly formed Partnership for Patients program, and will join the initiative. The program, which is a joint partnership between hospitals, providers and other health care agencies, is designed to increase patient safety while simultaneously lowering costs to the health care system.

Of the total $1 billion budget earmarked for the initiative, HHS will invest $500 million to funding for community-based organizations that partner with eligible hospitals for care transition services that support patients within 24 hours of discharge from the hospital. According to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, this program is expected to cut preventable hospital readmissions by 20 percent, which will save more than 1.6 million patients from complications that force them to return to the hospital.

"Our clinicians in communities across the country see the impact of care transitions on patient outcomes every day," said Julie Lewis, Vice President of Health Policy and Government Relations for Amedisys and member of the National Priorities Partnership – a committee contracted by HHS to give strategic input to the National Quality Strategy. "We know that patients are particularly vulnerable when moving from one care setting to another.  Our current system is not designed to systematically support patients during these critical transitions, and we are thrilled that HHS is making a concerted effort to assign resources to address this gap.  It will truly 'move the needle' on patient outcomes, and we are excited to be a partner."

Amedisys is prepared to care for patients post-discharge by means of the company's Care Transitions program, the industry's first-ever nationwide transition program designed to seamlessly coordinate care from the hospital to home care setting. Care Transitions, which was launched in April 2010, is offered to patients at all 553 Amedisys Care Centers nationwide and is overseen by licensed clinicians.

About Amedisys:

Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) is a leading health care company focused on bringing home the continuum of care. Our experienced, caring clinicians have the privilege of delivering health care at home for our patients and their families 10 million times a year in communities across the nation. The Company's state-of-the-art advanced chronic care management programs and leading-edge technology enables it to deliver quality care based upon the latest evidence-based best practices. Amedisys is a recognized innovator, being one of the first in the industry to equip its clinicians with point-of-care laptop technology and referring physicians with an internet portal that enables real-time coordination of patient care seamlessly. Amedisys also has the industry's first-ever nationwide Care Transitions program. Amedisys Care Transitions is designed to reduce unnecessary hospital readmissions through patient and caregiver health coaching and care coordination, which starts in the hospital and continues throughout completion of the patient's home health plan of care. For more information about the Company, please visit: www.amedisys.com.

SOURCE Amedisys, Inc.