PITTSBURGH, Pa., Nov. 11, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - Officials of Allegheny Health Network (AHN) and Celtic Healthcare, Inc., (Celtic) a Mars, PA-based subsidiary of Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC), announced today the formation of a joint venture that will combine each organization's home health and hospice assets in the western Pennsylvania region to create a new, fully integrated and industry-leading provider of post-acute care services operating under the AHN brand and managed by Celtic's support service and leadership team.
Founded in 1995, Celtic Healthcare is a comprehensive, Medicare-certified skilled home health and hospice service organization with operations throughout Western, Central and Northeast Pennsylvania, Montgomery and Baltimore counties in Maryland, and parts of Missouri and Illinois.
Celtic provides a complete spectrum of home health, palliative and hospice services across its broad geographic footprint, including medical, surgical, wound and mental health nursing; physical, occupational and speech therapy; medical social services, dieticians and home health aides; palliative care; and physical, emotional and spiritual end-of-life hospice care and support.
The company has earned national recognition for its innovative technology platform, specialized chronic disease management programs and outstanding service quality. Celtic has received numerous "Best Places to Work Awards", including the Pittsburgh Business Times' Top 100, Healthcare Heroes, and Healthiest Employer, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Top Workplace.
The joint venture with AHN will involve only Celtic's Western Pennsylvania operations.
John Paul, President and Chief Executive Officer of Allegheny Health Network, said the opportunity to partner with one of the region's foremost healthcare providers in the post-acute care space will further strengthen and advance the Network's expanding scope of resources for patients.
"Our goal is to ensure that every patient we care for has access to a continuum of high-quality services that extend far beyond the walls of the hospital, that allows us to transition patients back to the comfort of their homes and communities sooner and that helps us keep them there for the duration of their recovery, ongoing care or end-of-life support," Mr. Paul said. "Celtic is an exceptionally well-managed, innovative and forward-thinking company that shares our patient-centered values and represents the ideal partner to help us achieve that vision."
Allegheny Health Network is one of the State's largest integrated healthcare delivery systems, with eight hospitals, more than 2,100 affiliated physicians and more than 200 outpatient facilities and offices in the greater Pittsburgh and Erie, PA markets. AHN's facilities annually perform more than 85,000 surgical procedures, discharge approximately 90,000 patients and log more than1.2 million outpatient visits.
AHN owns and operates Western Pennsylvania's fourth largest home care and hospice programs by volume. When combined with Celtic's western Pennsylvania operations in both categories, the newly formed joint venture will become the second largest provider of homecare and hospice services in the region.
"It is a great honor and privilege to be recognized as an industry leader and chosen by AHN to join forces on the post-acute side of their integrated healthcare delivery system," said Arnie Burchianti, Founder and CEO of Celtic Healthcare. "It is an opportunity to not only shape integrated healthcare delivery in the Pittsburgh region, but to be a part of something bigger to change healthcare in America. This partnership will allow Celtic to fulfill our ultimate mission to serve more patients in the comfort of their home, where they most want to be, with the right care at the right time and in the right place. We will work with AHN to collaborate more efficiently and effectively to transition patients home with better clinical outcomes, to create cost-savings to our entire healthcare system, and most important, to achieve greater patient and family satisfaction. We look forward to this journey with AHN and with our patients and their families in our western Pennsylvania communities."
Celtic currently serves approximately 3,000 patients per day (800 per day in the western Pennsylvania region).
"Both the escalating health needs of an aging population and the growing economic pressures on healthcare providers to develop more efficient patient care models and population health strategies are driving significant demand across the country for well-integrated and effective pre- and post-acute care services," said Brian Holzer, MD, Senior Vice-President of Diversified Services for Allegheny Health Network. "For Medicare patients hospitalized each year, it is estimated that nearly half receive services from one or more types of post-acute care."
"By merging our assets in this space with those of Celtic, and by leveraging the first-in-class operational model and technology platform that Celtic brings to the table, we are establishing the foundation of a total care delivery system that will serve our patients and the community extremely well," Dr. Holzer said.
Bill Gammie, a senior executive at Celtic who has played an integral role in the organization's considerable growth, expansion and success over the past 15 years, has been appointed President of the new joint venture company. As Vice President of Value-Based Care at Celtic, Gammie has led the organization's value-based health care strategy to ensure demonstrated client value, superior quality, strong customer satisfaction and compliance requirements.
Celtic currently employs approximately 175 individuals in the greater Pittsburgh region and AHN employs approximately 200 in its home care and hospice divisions. All will be united as employees of the joint venture.
"Allegheny Health Network will assume majority control of the joint venture and the transaction will close upon receipt of all regulatory approvals and the satisfaction of all closing conditions," Holzer said.
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About the Allegheny Health Network (http://www.ahn.org)
Allegheny Health Network is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the Western Pennsylvania region. Part of Highmark Health, the Network is comprised of eight hospitals, including its flagship academic medical center Allegheny General Hospital, Allegheny Valley Hospital, Canonsburg Hospital, Forbes Hospital, Jefferson Hospital, Saint Vincent Hospital, Westfield Memorial Hospital and West Penn Hospital; the Allegheny-Singer Research Institute; Health + Wellness Pavilions; and a healthcare group purchasing organization. The Network employs approximately 17,000 people, including more than 2,100 physicians on its medical staff. The Network also serves as a clinical campus for both Temple University School of Medicine and Drexel University College of Medicine.
About Celtic Healthcare Inc. (http://www.celtichealthcare.com)
Celtic Healthcare, Inc. is innovative healthcare at home. Headquartered north of Pittsburgh in Mars, Pennsylvania, Celtic currently services Western, Central and Northeast Pennsylvania, Baltimore and Montgomery Counties, Maryland, and parts of Missouri and Illinois. Celtic offers core home healthcare services in Medicare-certified skilled home health, hospice, and palliative care utilizing state of the art technology and practices to enhance our patient's clinical outcomes, experience, and satisfaction.
About Graham Holdings Company (http://www.ghco.com)
Graham Holdings Company (NYSE: GHC) is a diversified education and media company whose principal operations include educational services, television broadcasting, cable systems and online, print and local TV news. The Company owns Kaplan, a leading global provider of educational services; Graham Media Group (WDIV–Detroit, KPRC–Houston, WKMG–Orlando, KSAT–San Antonio, WJXT–Jacksonville); Cable ONE, serving small-city subscribers in 19 midwestern, western and southern states; The Slate Group (Slate, Slate V, The Root); and Foreign Policy. The Company also owns Trove, a digital team focused on innovation and experimentation with emerging technologies; SocialCode, a leading social marketing solutions company; Celtic Healthcare; Forney Corporation; Joyce/Dayton Corp; and Residential Healthcare Group.
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