FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
06-16-04
Independent Home Health Care
800-413-3756

Wise County - Independent Home Health Care has signed on to a new program to improve care for their patients. Mike Hughes, Administrator for Independent Home Health Care said he was responding to the new "Virginia Home Health Improvement Collaborative (VHHIC) aimed at preventing the need for urgent, unplanned medical care and admission to the hospital of home health patients in Virginia."

The VHHIC is an exciting, new statewide quality improvement opportunity. The VHHIC, sponsored by the Virginia Health Quality Center (VHQC), brings together health care professionals and organizations that share a commitment to making changes that produce significant breakthrough results. Participating home health agency teams will have the opportunity to interact with statewide quality improvement experts.

Independent Home Health Care will work with the VHQC, the state's Medicare quality improvement organization, to help identify areas to improve the quality of care provided to their patients.

In order to be successful, quality improvement must be an agency-wide effort, involving all levels of our staff," said Mike Hughes. "In the current survey regulations, home health agencies are required to have quality assurance programs that meet the minimum standards for licensing and /or certification. Looking to the future, we want to implement ongoing improvements at Independent Home Health Care that are better than minimum. The quality improvement concept involves more than just a few people; it's a philosophy that reflects what our patients and their families can expect when placing their trust in us."

VHQC Home Health Project Manager Terri Lindsey looks forward to the partnership with Independent Home Health Care. "We'd like Independent Home Health Care to be a model for effective quality improvement," said Lindsey. "By agreeing to participate in this statewide collaborative, their staff has demonstrated a commitment to improving the quality of care for their residents. With their active involvement and the VHQC's technical assistance, they can achieve their goal."

Independent Home Health Care has 4 office locations and serves the counties of Wise, Washington, Dickenson, Lee, Scott, Smyth, Buchanan, Russell, Tazewell and the City of Norton. Their offices are located in Abingdon, (276-628-9847) Coeburn, (276-395-5770), Jonesville, (276-346-4420), and Rosedale, (276-880-1386).