LAFAYETTE, La., Aug. 1, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LHC Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:LHCG), a national provider of home health and hospice services, announced today that, effective August 15, 2011, Cathy S. Newhouse, RN, will join the Company as senior vice president of clinical program development and innovation.
Ms. Newhouse, an accomplished registered nurse and healthcare executive with more than 25 years' experience in home health management, will lead clinical program development and innovation initiatives, including oversight for clinical information analytics, care transition, telehealth, telemonitoring, education, training and clinical certifications, for LHC Group's more than 300 locations in 19 states. She will also oversee clinical relations at each of LHC Group's 123 hospital joint venture locations.
"We are honored to welcome Cathy to the LHC Group family," said Keith G. Myers, LHC Group's chairman and chief executive officer. "Her wealth of experience in our industry and proven leadership ability will undoubtedly further our organization's mission to provide the highest-quality care to the patients we are privileged to serve. As the post-acute healthcare landscape evolves, Cathy's addition to our team will help ensure we are at the forefront of innovation and quality."
Ms. Newhouse previously served as senior vice president of sales and clinical programs at Almost Family in Louisville, Kentucky. Prior experience includes more than 20 years in operations and clinical leadership roles at Gentiva Health Services, Melville, N.Y., with terms as vice president of specialties, vice president of orthopedics and vice president of regional sales.
Ms. Newhouse earned a bachelor's degree in nursing and a master's degree in management from Nazareth College in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and holds certification in nursing administration from the American Nurses Association. She is a member of the executive steering committee and physician advisory committee for the Home Health Quality Improvement Campaign and served on the quality working group of the Alliance for Home Health Quality and Innovation, of which LHC Group is a founding member. She will work closely with the Alliance for Home Health Quality and Innovation in her role with LHC Group.
In 2010, Newhouse served on the post-acute care technical expert panel of the CMS Task Force. She previously served on the task force's quality measures technical expert panel. She has also served on the Hospital to Home Task Force and has been a presenter at the Case Management Society of America.
"During my healthcare career, I've had the privilege and opportunity to work with many outstanding professionals in communities across the nation," Newhouse said. "I can honestly say I've not met a finer group of individuals than the leadership team at LHC Group. Like me, the people of LHC Group are passionate about clinical innovation and improving patient outcomes. I'm honored to join this team and look forward to working on behalf of the thousands of patients who trust us with their care."
About LHC Group, Inc.
LHC Group, Inc. is a national provider of home health and hospice services, providing quality, cost-effective healthcare to patients within the comfort and privacy of their home or place of residence. LHC Group provides a comprehensive array of post-acute healthcare services through home health, hospice and private duty locations in its home-based division and long-term acute care hospitals in its facility-based division.
Certain matters discussed in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements about the Company's future financial performance and the strength of the Company's operations. Such forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as "continue," "expect," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including changes in reimbursement, changes in government regulations, changes in LHC Group's relationships with referral sources, increased competition for LHC Group's services, increased competition for joint venture and acquisition candidates, changes in the interpretation of government regulations, and other risks set forth in Item 1A. Risk Factors in LHC Group's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. LHC Group undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.