Independent Home Health Care has a primary mission of providing the highest quality of home care possible to home health patients. It is their goal to recruit and retain highly qualified personnel with a great of sense of caring and understanding. The company was formed with the intent to provide quality patient-centered and patient-family-centered home care in familiar surroundings. They are dedicated to the provision of home care based on the patient's unique needs.

Still Going and Still Growing

On January 15, 2004, Independent Home Health Care opened its 4th branch office. The newest branch office is located at 201 Abingdon Place Abingdon, VA. Their other branch offices are located throughout Southwest Virginia, with offices in Coeburn, Jonesville, and Rosedale. With the new addition of their Abingdon office, Independent Home Health Care currently serves 9 counties and the City of Norton, VA. Those counties are as follows: Lee, Wise, Scott, Dickenson, Russell, Washington, Smyth, Tazewell, and Buchanan.

In December 2003, Independent Home Health Care was awarded the Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) admittedly compares home care organizations to rigorous standards. Exceeding those standards on a daily basis requires significant effort and diligence on the part of the entire Independent Home Health Care team.

"In becoming accredited, Independent Home Health Care was evaluated against a set of national standards by a Joint Commission surveyor experienced in the delivery of home care services," says Maryanne Popovich, R.N., M.P.H., executive director, Home Care Accreditation Program, Joint Commission. "Achieving accreditation demonstrates Independent Home Health Care's commitment to providing high quality and safe care to its patients."

"We sought accreditation because we want to demonstrate our commitment to patient safety and quality care," says Mike Hughes, Administrator of Independent Home Health Care. "We view obtaining Joint Commission accreditation as another step toward achieving excellence."

Independent Home Health Care has added new and additional services to patients within their service area: Those services include: Providing Chemotherapy at home, use of the Wound V.A.C. (Vacuum Assisted Closure) and Pulse Oximetry. The therapy staff also has undergone extensive training in Dementia Care, which can be helpful when working with stroke patients and Alzheimer's patients. Another therapy service utilized by Independent Home Health Care is the Whirlpool therapy at home. They have recently purchased a new portable whirlpool to take into the home which allows up to 17 inches of a limb to be immersed. For most individuals, that will cover to the elbow and beyond and up to the knee.

Working under a physician's plan of care, Independent Home Health Care is able to provide all 6 disciplines allowed for Home Health. Those disciplines are as follows: Skilled Nursing, Home Health Aides, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Pathology and Medical Social Services. In addition, IHHC also provides specific Wound Care Modalities such as: Negative Pressure Wound, Use of Wound V.A.C. (Vacuum Assisted Closure), Whirlpool Therapy, Specialized services, such as: Diabetes, Pain Management, Chemotherapy, Cardiac Care, and Infusion Therapy. Independent Home Health Care is extremely proud to have nurses with certificates in Wound Care from the Virginia Association of Home Care.

Continuing to provide quality care and serving the communities in which they live and serve is the underlying goal of the Independent Home Health Care team. Serving the community for 17 years reflects their commitment to the provision of the highest standard of care, where "Caring Makes the Difference."