National Hospice and Palliative Care Expert Joins Amedisys

Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) today announced that 20-year hospice veteran Bridget Montana, APRN, MSN, FPCN, MBA, has joined Amedisys Hospice as the division’s chief nursing officer.

In her new role, Montana will be responsible for leading the practice and provision of nursing services and clinical care for Amedisys’ 94 hospice care centers across the country. Her focus will be on continuously enhancing the standards of patient care, as she serves as an expert advocate for exceptional care experiences for hospice patients and their loved ones.

"Amedisys is committed to continuing to raise the bar in terms of quality care and clinical excellence, and I am confident that Bridget’s expertise and leadership will help us achieve these goals,” said Jim Robinson, executive vice president of Home Health Care and Hospice at Amedisys. "Bridget is coming to us at the right time, as we continue to expand both our footprint and our service offerings, and as we make a positive impact on the lives of thousands of patients and families each day.”

Prior to joining Amedisys, Montana served as chief operating officer at Hospice of the Western Reserve, a multi-site hospice care organization in Northeast Ohio. Over the course of her career, Montana has served in various clinical administrative roles, which included clinical oversight and program development. As a geriatric advanced practice nurse, Montana also has been involved with community organizations that provide meals as well as health and social services to the frail elderly.

"As a clinical leader, I believe that through evidence-based practice, hospice and palliative care clinicians will evolve care to achieve greater excellence in patient outcomes,” Montana said. "It is through the art and science of this application that we distinguish hospice and palliative care within the health care continuum. Improving access to this level of care serves to improve care for those with life-limiting conditions, and I am excited to work with the team at Amedisys to realize their vision for superior end-of-life care across this country.”

Montana earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Akron, a Master of Science degree in nursing from the University of Arizona, as well as a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix. She is a fellow of hospice and palliative care nursing, with the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association, and an adjunct faculty member at the Case Western Reserve University School of Nursing in Ohio.

Montana has authored numerous articles on the topic of hospice and palliative care, and she is an international presenter on the topics of hospice and palliative care, geriatrics, management and leadership. As a hospice expert, Montana has served as a panelist for the Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC), and she has worked with the National Alzheimer’s Association to develop standards of care for individuals with Alzheimer’s at the end of life. Currently, Montana is working with the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists as a member of the Clinical Nurse Specialists Education Standards Panel.

Additionally, she has served on multiple local, state and national boards for various organizations, including service as past president of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association and the Ohio Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (Midwest Care Alliance). Montana currently serves on the Regulatory Committee, and she chairs the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Work Group as well as the Clinical Operations Management Section of the National Council of Hospice and Palliative Professionals Forum at the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization.

About Amedisys:

Amedisys, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMED) is a leading health care company focused on bringing home the continuum of care. Amedisys delivers personalized health care services to patients and their families in the comfort of patients' homes, with approximately 10 million patient care and education encounters per year. Amedisys has two divisions, home health care and hospice. The Company's state-of-the-art advanced chronic care management programs and leading-edge technology enables it to deliver quality care based upon the latest evidence-based best practices. Amedisys is a recognized innovator, being one of the first in the industry to equip its clinicians with point-of-care laptop technology and referring physicians with an internet portal that enables real-time coordination of patient care seamlessly. Amedisys also has the industry's first-ever nationwide Care Transitions program. Amedisys Care Transitions is designed to reduce unnecessary hospital readmissions through patient and caregiver health coaching and care coordination, which starts in the hospital and continues throughout completion of the patient's home health plan of care. For more information about the Company, please visit: http://www.amedisys.com.

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