LAFAYETTE, La. (December 10, 2018) – LHC Group (NASDAQ: LHCG) and LifePoint Health® today announced the continued expansion of their partnership. The companies have finalized two transactions to purchase and share ownership of home health service providers in Hickory, N.C., and Danville, Va.
LHC Group and LifePoint formed a joint venture to share ownership of home health and hospice providers across LifePoint’s footprint in January 2017. In less than two years, the joint venture, which started with 20 home health and 10 hospice locations, has grown to include 33 home health, 14 hospice, and one home and community based services locations.
In Hickory, LHC Group and LifePoint are purchasing and sharing ownership of Guardian Health Services. LHC Group has majority ownership and will assume management responsibility of the agency, which will continue to provide service from its current location under a new name: Guardian Home Health. Guardian Home Health will be affiliated with Frye Regional Medical Center, which is part of Duke LifePoint Healthcare.
In Danville, LHC Group and LifePoint Health are purchasing and sharing ownership of Commonwealth Home Nursing and Hospice. LHC Group has majority ownership and will assume management responsibility of the agency, which will continue to operate at its current location under the same name. Commonwealth Home Nursing and Hospice will be affiliated with Sovah Health – Danville, a LifePoint Health facility.
“We look forward to continuing our work with our partners at LifePoint – expanding their post-acute presence and capabilities as they serve communities across America,” said Keith Myers, LHC Group chairman and CEO. “Together, we will grow these existing service lines, offer new services, and enhance our partners’ ability to provide high quality care to the patients and families they serve.”
By growing its relationships with LifePoint and other healthcare partners around the nation, LHC Group enhances its ability to provide post-acute care solutions. Hospitals and health systems increasingly seek a high-quality post-acute partner to help manage the transitioning of patients – making sure that they move through the post-acute care continuum as effectively and efficiently as possible.
“As the way people utilize healthcare services shifts, access to high-quality home health services has never been more essential,” said David Dill, CEO of LifePoint Health. “We are delighted to continue growing our joint venture with LHC Group to achieve a shared mission of making communities healthier, and look forward to working further with their team to expand the services we can provide across the nation.”
LHC Group is a leading national provider of in-home healthcare services and the joint venture partner of choice for 330 hospitals across the United States.
Hospital and home health partnerships are a key component in helping patients manage their conditions and achieve an optimum outcome. Home health professionals treat a wide range of medical conditions, allowing patients to rest and recover in the comfort of home.
Working together, LHC Group and its partners deliver a level of in-home healthcare service that is recognized industry-wide for consistent quality. They provide effective and affordable care options that offer the guidance, support, and resources patients and families need to make an informed decision for themselves or a loved one – helping them regain strength and independence and attain the quality of life they deserve.
About LHC Group, Inc.
LHC Group, Inc. is a national provider of in-home healthcare services and innovations, providing quality, value-based healthcare to patients primarily within the comfort and privacy of their home or place of residence. LHC Group’s services cover a wide range of healthcare needs for patients and families dealing with illness, injury, or chronic conditions. The company’s 32,000 employees deliver home health, hospice, home and community based services, and facility-based care from 780 locations in communities in 36 states. Through its healthcare innovations business, LHC Group drives increased utilization of home healthcare and enhances patient and caregiver engagement. LHC Group is the preferred in-home healthcare partner for 330 leading hospitals around the country.
About LifePoint Health®
LifePoint Health is a leading healthcare company dedicated to Making Communities Healthier®. Through its subsidiaries, it provides quality inpatient, outpatient and post-acute services close to home. LifePoint owns and operates community hospitals, regional health systems, physician practices, outpatient centers, and post-acute facilities across the country. It is the sole community healthcare provider in the majority of the non-urban communities it serves. More information about the company can be found at www.LifePointHealth.net.
Forward-looking Statements
Certain statements and information in this press release may be deemed to contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements may include, but are not limited to, statements relating to our objectives, plans and strategies, and all statements, other than statements of historical facts, that address activities, events or developments that we intend, expect, project, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future. These statements are often characterized by terminology such as “believe”, “hope”, “may”, “anticipate”, “should”, “intend”, “plan”, “will”, “expect”, “estimate”, “project”, “positioned”, “strategy” and similar expressions, and are based on assumptions and assessments made by LHC Group’s management in light of their experience and their perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. Any forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof, and LHC Group undertakes no duty to update or revise any such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results, developments, and business decisions to differ materially from forward-looking statements are described in LHC Group’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, including the sections entitled “Risk Factors”, as well MEDNAX’s current reports on Form 8-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.