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National Study Demonstrates Gentiva(R) Cardiopulmonary's Ability to Increase Patient Functionality, and Reduce Hospitalizations and Emergency Room Visits

Posted on: Wednesday, 7 June 2006, 09:01 CDT

MELVILLE, N.Y., June 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- A two-year national study of more than 700 Gentiva Cardiopulmonary patients demonstrates the ability of this home-based disease management program to increase patient functionality, reduce hospitalizations and emergency room visits, and improve compliance in the taking of medications, it was announced today by Gentiva Health Services, Inc., the nation's largest provider of comprehensive home health and related services.

Conducted between April 2004 and April 2006, the study measured the progress of 733 heart and lung patients admitted to Gentiva Cardiopulmonary, as well as the health status from July 2004 through April 2006 of 269 of those patients 16 weeks after their discharge. The program began accepting patients in 2004 and has now treated approximately 4,000 people in nine states.

According to the newly released Gentiva Cardiopulmonary study: -92% of patients were able to perform activities of daily living at the time they were discharged from the program and 16 weeks after discharge. Only 38% said they could perform such activities when they were admitted to Gentiva Cardiopulmonary. -96% of patients required no further hospitalization 16 weeks after discharge. -Only 10% of patients required an emergency room visit after discharge from the program, and this figure dropped to 6% within 16 weeks after discharge. Approximately 71% required such visits when they were admitted to the program. -91% of patients said they could explain the actions of their medications upon discharge and this figure increased to 99% 16 weeks after discharge. About 51% said they had this capability when they were admitted. -91% said they understood the side effects of their medications upon discharge and the number rose to 96% 16 weeks after discharge. Upon admission, only 43% said they had such an understanding.

Approximately 87% of the respondents were age 65 or over, and 51% were women.

Gentiva Cardiopulmonary is designed to prevent the progression of heart- and lung-related diseases, assist patients and their physicians in managing those diseases, and control expenditures for health insurers by limiting or eliminating the need for more costly institutional care. Specially trained Gentiva care teams work closely with physicians to provide patients with a wide variety of disease management choices, including early detection and intervention; thorough evaluation of current medications for possible interactions and side effects; lifestyle adaptation, including a wellness journal to chart day-to-day progress; identification of environmental triggers; a walking program to build strength and mobility; and daily in-home health monitoring by nursing professionals and telemedicine devices.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, approximately 5 million Americans have heart failure and about 550,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Hospitalizations for the disease, which tripled between 1979 and 2001, continue to rise. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reports that heart failure is the most common reason for hospitalization of Medicare beneficiaries. While approximately 14 percent of Medicare beneficiaries have congestive heart failure, CMS says the disease accounts for 43 percent of total annual Medicare spending. The total cost of Medicare Part A and B benefits in 2004 was a combined $303 billion.

A National Institutes of Health (NIH) study released in 2004 showed that elderly heart patients had a better quality of life and fewer hospital readmissions when they received specialized nursing care through their hospital stay and at home following hospital discharge. The study revealed that such a program resulted in a nearly 38% savings in Medicare costs. For more information on the NIH study, please visit http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/may2004/ninr-12.htm. Gentiva's Cardiopulmonary Program services are covered by Medicare, Medicaid and many health insurance companies.

"As heart and lung diseases become a growing national health issue, the medical community is taking a much closer look at the achievements of home- based programs such as Gentiva Cardiopulmonary," said Beth Landry, Vice President, Gentiva Specialties. "Physicians are discovering that we can help their patients to lead active and productive lives at home where they would prefer to be. We can reduce the burden on local hospitals and emergency rooms by managing and limiting the progression of the disease. And for those concerned about soaring national health expenditures, specialized programs such as Gentiva Cardiopulmonary can help to control the cost of serving our aging population."

Physicians and other interested parties seeking more information on the Gentiva Cardiopulmonary study and program may contact specialties@gentiva.com.

About Gentiva Health Services, Inc.

Gentiva Health Services, Inc. is the nation's largest provider of comprehensive home health and related services. Gentiva serves patients through more than 500 direct service delivery units within over 400 locations in 36 states, and through CareCentrix(R), which manages home healthcare services for major managed care organizations throughout the United States and delivers them in all 50 states through a network of more than 3,000 third- party provider locations, as well as Gentiva locations. The Company is a single source for skilled nursing; physical, occupational, speech and neurorehabilitation services; hospice services; social work; nutrition; disease management education; help with daily living activities; durable medical and respiratory equipment; infusion therapy services; and other therapies and services. Gentiva's revenues are generated from commercial insurance, federal and state government programs and individual consumers. For more information, visit Gentiva's web site, http://www.gentiva.com/, and its investor relations section at http://www.gentiva.com/investors.

Forward-Looking Statement

Certain statements contained in this news release, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "believes,""anticipates,""intends,""expects,""assumes,""trends" and similar expressions, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based upon the Company's current plans, expectations and projections about future events. However, such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: the Company's ability to successfully integrate the operations of The Healthfield Group, Inc., and to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies within expected time frames or at all; the possibility that revenues may be lower than expected following the transaction; the possibility that difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees, customers, or suppliers may be greater than expected following the transaction; the Company's ability to service debt incurred as a result of the transaction; general economic and business conditions; demographic changes; changes in, or failure to comply with, existing governmental regulations; legislative proposals for healthcare reform; changes in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement levels; effects of competition in the markets in which the Company operates; liability and other claims asserted against the Company; ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; availability and terms of capital; loss of significant contracts or reduction in revenues associated with major payer sources; ability of customers to pay for services; business disruption due to natural disasters or terrorist acts; a material shift in utilization within capitated agreements; and changes in estimates and judgments associated with critical accounting policies and estimates. For a detailed discussion of certain of these and other factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in this news release, please refer to the Company's various filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the "Risk Factors" section contained in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 1, 2006.

Media Contact: David Fluhrer 631-501-7102 516-589-0778 david.fluhrer@gentiva.com

Gentiva Health Services, Inc.

CONTACT: David Fluhrer of Gentiva Health Services, Inc.,+1-631-501-7102, +1-516-589-0778, david.fluhrer@gentiva.com

Web site: http://www.gentiva.com/http://www.gentiva.com/investors

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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