Tucson physical therapist Ed Onofrio has been a member of the Interim HealthCare Tucson team for nearly seven years, successfully providing care across a very large geographic territory. An active member of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), Onofrio is recognized as a strong advocate for patients and physical therapists alike. He was nominated for his energy, commitment and dedication to patient care. Onofrio created an exercise video to help senior patients continue their exercise programs after their physical therapy sessions have been completed. He also makes sure the office team at Interim has ergonomically correct work stations, willingly keeps the entire team abreast of all regulatory news, and helps fellow therapists meet documentation and utilization expectations.

Nina Van Beaumont has been a physical therapist with Interim HealthCare’s Omaha office for eight years. She is credited by her colleagues for helping Interim rank as the best agency in Omaha for several public measure reporting periods. A proponent of personal choice, Van Beaumont supports patients who want to integrate homeopathic options and traditional therapy. Also known for her compassionate caregiving and enthusiasm, each patient who is discharged from Van Beaumont’s care receive a pair of knit slippers in the local football team’s husker’s red. Van Beaumont also helps communicate with area physicians about the ways in-home therapy benefit patient recovery.

Runner-up Rainna Nolan of Interim HealthCare in Atlanta is known for her meticulous attention to detail. A physical therapist serving on the Atlanta team for nearly four years, Nolan was credited with taking a leadership role in the development of communications processes for the office staff and in creating the office’s truly multidisciplinary approach to patient care. The personal relationships she develops with patients and caregivers have contributed to the development and success of a large, active outpatient clinic within a premier senior living community. Nolan is known for adapting therapy interventions to the unique needs of the community’s active residents and for achieving fantastic outcomes.

Runner-up Martha Sandven is a physical therapist with Interim HealthCare in St. Paul, Minn. She played an integral role in managing the significant growth of the therapy department and the role of therapy in patient care. Over the past year, she has successfully overseen the development of 12 outpatient therapy clinics in assisted living and independent senior living communities. Driven to deliver high-quality, compassionate, patient-centered care efficiently and within practice guidelines, Sandven conducts detailed orientations with new staff members and conducts regular in-services with existing staffers.

Leadership and staff from Interim HealthCare’s more than 300 franchise locations (www.interimhealthcare.com) across the country were invited to submit nominations for the 2009 Therapist of the Year. Winners were chosen by a select group of impartial clinical judges.

About Interim HealthCare:

Founded in 1966, Interim HealthCare(R) is one of the nation’s leading franchise organizations providing health care personnel at all skill levels in all settings. Through a network of more than 300 offices, independently owned franchisees provide diverse services including community based home health care, hospice and health care staffing. Under the HomeStyle(R) Services brand, Interim franchisees provide non-medical in-home senior services focused on the qualities of an enriched life.

Interim is unique in combining the commitment of local franchise ownership with the support of a national organization that develops innovative programs and quality standards. Interim’s independent franchise owners employ more than 75,000 health care workers who serve 50,000 people each day.

For more information, visit www.interimhealthcare.com .

Interim HealthCare CEO and President Kathleen Gilmartin said, “It is with great pride that we acknowledge the superior performance of many of our franchises. Quality plays a key role in our leadership as the largest and most successful health care franchise organization in the country.”

Barbara McCann, Chief Clinical Officer at Interim HealthCare added, “We are proud to recognize these outstanding franchisees and their clinicians for their achievements. It demonstrates their daily dedication and commitment to improving the lives of our patients. ”

Offices receiving the three levels of patient satisfaction awards for their performance in providing home care and office-based support that patients and their families consistently find timely, caring and helpful as measured in standardized satisfaction surveys included:

Pre-eminent Performance:

Fresno, CA Pueblo, CO Gaffney, SC
Sioux Falls, SD Amarillo, TX Greenville, SC
Lima, OH Anderson, SC Seneca, SC

Outstanding Performance:

Redding, CA Spartanburg, SC
Joliet, IL Lubbock, TX

Exemplary Performance:

Modesto CA Blakely PA
Oak Lawn IL Easley SC

The award for the Top Performing Medicare Franchise in the Network went to Greenville, SC. This office was also the 2008 recipient of the Top Performing OCS (Outcomes Concept Systems) Vision Award and achieved performance in ten public outcome measures in the top 20% of 9700+ certified home care agencies in the nation from Sept. 2007 to Sept 2008. OCS is the leading post-acute healthcare information company, OCS offers insight into the multitude of factors that drive provider success.

Offices receiving awards for achieving scores in the top 20% of home care agencies in the country for in improving the patient’s ability to walk, transfer and bathe during the same period were:

Omaha, NE Erie, PA Greenville, SC

Offices receiving awards for achieving scores in the top 20% of home care agencies in the country from Sept. 2007 to 2008 for the lowest hospitalization rates were:

Oklahoma City, OK Erie, PA Johnstown, PA

Offices receiving awards for Most Improved Patient Outcomes from 2007 to 2008 were:

Manchester, NH New Boston, OH

Founded in 1966, Interim HealthCare is the nation’s oldest proprietary national organization providing health care personnel at all skill levels in all settings. Through one of the country’s most comprehensive networks of over 300 franchise offices, Interim HealthCare provides diverse services including hospice, home care, medical staffing, occupational health and pharmaceutical support services. Interim employs more than 75,000 health care workers and provides services to approximately 50,000 people each day.

For more information, visit www.interimhealthcare.com .

During her remarks to more than three thousand home care and hospice providers attending the National Association of Home Care & Hospice 27th Annual Meeting in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on October 12th, Woodruff acknowledged Interim HealthCare franchisee Stephen Smith for the wonderful care his company has provided for her son over the last three and a half years. Smith, who has been an Interim HealthCare franchisee for 24 years, provides home care and health care staffing services for residents of Southeastern North Carolina through his 8 offices.

Commenting on the recognition given to Smith, Interim HealthCare Inc. CEO and President Kathleen Gilmartin said, “I’m thrilled Steve was publicly acknowledged for the outstanding care he provides to his patients. His commitment and dedication to making sure patients and their families receive the highest level of service are truly an inspiration to everyone in our industry. Steve also serves in a leadership role within our franchise network as well as in his state association. We’re proud to work with him and his exemplary team.”

Smith commented on the recognition, “While we appreciate the public recognition among our peers, the true gratification has been to see a number of severely disabled young people roll their wheelchairs across the stage at graduation in recent years at the college we serve.”

About Interim HealthCare

Founded in 1966, Interim HealthCare is the nation’s oldest proprietary national organization providing health care personnel at all skill levels in all settings. Through a national network of more than 300 franchise offices, Interim HealthCare provides diverse services including home care, medical staffing and occupational health. Interim employs more than 75,000 health care workers and provides services to approximately 50,000 people each day.

For more information, visit http://www.interimhealthcare.com.

Prior to joining Interim HealthCare, Gilmartin served as COO of Nursefinders, Inc. Her extensive career also includes nine years in acute care supervisory positions within the Catholic Health Systems (NY) and Princeton Medical Center (NJ). Her interest in the staffing and home care sector led her to join the Interim HealthCare franchise organization in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1981 where her management and business skills were further developed. She relocated to Florida and joined the Interim HealthCare corporate franchisor staff in 1984 and worked through several successive promotions leading to the position of COO of Interim HealthCare in 1997. In 2000 Gilmartin initiated a private consulting practice which focused on staffing and healthcare clients. Gilmartin received her undergraduate degree from D’Youville College.

Mrs. Gilmartin stated, “It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to lead a company with such a rich legacy. With over four decades of business success, our owner network has collaborated to meet the challenges of the past. I’m confident we have what it takes to design our future success and continue the legacy for the next generation of entrepreneurs. For me, it’s like coming home. I learned so much about providing quality healthcare and operating a business in an honorable way when I first joined Interim HealthCare. It’s all about our credibility and trust with our patients, caregivers, office staff and owners. I’m excited to once again have the chance to work with a talented group of owners and staff to deliver care and services that truly make a difference in people’s lives.”

About Interim HealthCare

Founded in 1966, Interim HealthCare is the nation’s oldest proprietary national organization providing health care personnel at all skill levels in all settings. Through a national network of more than 300 locally owned and operated franchise offices, Interim HealthCare provides diverse services including home care, medical staffing and occupational health. Interim employs more than 75,000 health care workers and provides services to approximately 50,000 people each day.

For more information, visit http://www.interimhealthcare.com.