American HomePatient introduces new Hometown Direct to referral line for case managers.BRENTWOOD, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 2, 1996--American HomePatient has announced the implementation of a state-of-the-art telecommunications system called Hometown home·town n. The town or city of one's birth, rearing, or main residence. Noun 1. hometown - the town (or city) where you grew up or where you have your principal residence; "he never went back to his hometown again" Direct(SM) to handle case management referral calls. The Hometown Direct Referral Line is a toll-free routing system that uses a patient's home zip code zip code System of postal-zone codes (zip stands for “zone improvement plan”) introduced in the U.S. in 1963 to improve mail delivery and exploit electronic reading and sorting capabilities. to connect case managers directly with the American HomePatient home health care center closest to the patient's home. Other referral lines typically route calls to a corporate or regional office which either negotiates rates and sends information to the local center or gives the case manager a second phone number to call. Based on market research, American HomePatient was the first health care company to utilize this technology made available by AT&T. Len Serafino, vice president of managed care for American HomePatient, says this greatly enhances American HomePatient's managed care program and provides the company a significant advantage in working with managed care organizations. "In our discussions with both current and prospective managed care contractors, having a single toll-free referral line was consistently viewed as essential to their needs in working with home care providers. Enabling the case manager of managed care organizations to talk directly with the American HomePatient center responsible for delivering the care in one call is a distinguishing characteristic Noun 1. distinguishing characteristic - an odd or unusual characteristic distinctive feature, peculiarity characteristic, feature - a prominent attribute or aspect of something; "the map showed roads and other features"; "generosity is one of his best of this program," Serafino said. American HomePatient Inc. is one of the nation's largest diversified diversified (di·verˑ·s providers of home health care services with 259 home health care centers in 28 states. The company's primary product and service offerings include home respiratory services, home infusion, parenteral parenteral /pa·ren·ter·al/ (pah-ren´ter-al) not through the alimentary canal, but rather by injection through some other route, as subcutaneous, intramuscular, etc. par·en·ter·al adj. 1. and enteral nutrition Enteral nutrition Nourishment given through a tube or stoma directly into the small intestine, thus bypassing the upper digestive tract. Mentioned in: Electrolyte Supplements, Enterostomy, Necrotizing Enterocolitis and home medical equipment. American HomePatient's common stock is traded in the Nasdaq Stock Market Nasdaq stock market The first electronic stock market listing over 5000 companies. The Nasdaq stock market comprises two separate markets, namely the Nasdaq National Market, which trades large, active securities and the Nasdaq Smallcap Market that trades emerging growth companies. (National Market) under the symbol AHOM. CONTACT: American HomePatient, Brentwood Edward K. Wissing, Kathey S. Palmer, 615/221-8884 |
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