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Peoplefirst Rehabilitation Announces New Multi-State Contracts for Therapy Services

^{Published on 2010-10-25 14:30:36 - Market Wire}
 

LOUISVILLE, Ky.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--Peoplefirst Rehabilitation, a subsidiary of Kindred Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE: KND), today announced a significant expansion of its customer base in the third quarter with the recent addition of three large, multi-state contracts to provide rehabilitation services to 65 additional post-acute care facilities. The three new customers are CommuniCare Health Services, Lexington Health Network and Paramount Health Care.

"Our partnership is founded on strong communication and demonstrable performance. In a short period of time, our staffing has already been enhanced, allowing us to improve care and successfully transition patients back to their homes and communities."

CommuniCare Health Services manages nursing and rehabilitation centers, a long-term acute care hospital and an inpatient rehabilitation facility, located in Ohio, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Lexington Health Network manages skilled nursing beds, independent living, assisted living, and supportive living units, home health, hospice and private duty services in the Chicago suburbs. Paramount Health Care is a large multi-site nursing and rehabilitation company located in Texas.

aThe execution of these contracts builds upon our commitment at Peoplefirst to be a patient-centered partner that provides high quality therapy services to individuals requiring rehabilitative care,a said Christopher M. Bird, President of Peoplefirst Rehabilitation. aWea™re proud to have CommuniCare Health Services, Lexington Health Network, and Paramount Health Care among our many partners.a

aPeoplefirst will manage rehab services in all of our business lines to provide strong clinical programs and operational expertise, not to mention being a crucial part of our preparation for the many regulatory changes related to health care reform,a said Stephen Rosedale, founder and CEO of CommuniCare Health Services. aTheir expertise makes us confident that they will help to provide quality care to our customers and to accelerate performance on all levels of our business.a

aReducing or avoiding hospital readmissions is a top priority for Lexington,a said Dale Zaletel, CEO of Lexington Health Network. aPartnering with Peoplefirst a" a recognized expert in managing complex patient populations a" will help us strengthen our clinical programs to provide the best care for our residents.a

aOn behalf of all the patients we serve in Paramounta™s 12 facilities, wea™re grateful for the strong strategic relationship with Peoplefirst,a said Jim Meyers, President of Paramount Health Care. aOur partnership is founded on strong communication and demonstrable performance. In a short period of time, our staffing has already been enhanced, allowing us to improve care and successfully transition patients back to their homes and communities.a

About Peoplefirst Rehabilitation

Peoplefirst is a contract rehabilitation services business with more than 8,700 employees working with patients at more than 630 locations across the country at June 30, 2010. At Peoplefirst, our rehabilitation therapists play an integral role in helping people reach their highest practicable levels of functioning. We provide an environment that gives our therapists the freedom to be passionate about patient and resident care. For more information, visit [ www.peoplefirstrehab.com ].

About Kindred Healthcare

Kindred Healthcare, Inc., a top-200 private employer in the United States, is a FORTUNE 500 healthcare services company based in Louisville, Kentucky with annual revenues of over $4.2 billion and approximately 53,500 employees in 40 states. At June 30, 2010, Kindred through its subsidiaries provided healthcare services in 633 locations, including 83 long-term acute care hospitals, 223 nursing and rehabilitation centers and a contract rehabilitation services business, Peoplefirst rehabilitation services, which served 327 non-affiliated facilities. Ranked as one of Fortune magazinea™s Most Admired Healthcare Companies in 2009 and 2010, Kindreda™s mission is to promote healing, provide hope, preserve dignity and produce value for each patient, resident, family member, customer, employee and shareholder we serve. For more information, go to [ www.kindredhealthcare.com ].

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