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(Hyannis, November 10, 2017) – The Visiting Nurse Association of Cape Cod (VNA of Cape Cod) has once again been named to the HomeCare Elite™ list of Top 500 agencies in the U.S. This is the seventh consecutive year the agency has received the recognition. Now in its 12th year, the HomeCare Elite reviews close to 10,000 home health agencies around the country and identifies the top 25 percent. The VNA of Cape Cod has been included in the top 25 percent for all 12 years. HomeCare Elite further highlights the top 100 and top 500 agencies. VNA has received the top 500 recognition for the last seven years. Winners are ranked by an analysis of publicly available performance measures, including: • Quality outcomes • Best practice implementation • Patient experience • Quality improvement and consistency • Financial performance HomeCare Elite agencies are determined by an analysis of performance measures in quality outcomes, best practices implementation, patient experience (HHCAHPS), quality improvement and consistency and financial health. In order to be considered, an agency must be Medicare-certified and have data for at least three outcomes in Home Health Compare. Out of 9,064 agencies considered, 2,268 are recognized on the 2017 HomeCare Elite winners list overall. The ranking is developed by ABILITY® Network, a leading information technology company helping providers and payers simplify the administrative and clinical complexities of healthcare. It is sponsored by DecisionHealth, publisher of Home Health Line and the Complete Home Health ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Coding Manual. “The team at VNA of Cape Cod has demonstrated an impressive ability to deliver great patient care,” said Christine Lang, senior director for ABILITY Network. “This is due to the skill and dedication of their clinical professionals, as well as the proficiency and efforts of their quality team tracking, measuring and interpreting the data that supports the delivery of care. Together, they have earned this recognition as one of the top 500 home care agencies in the country.” Marcie Heydt, senior content manager for DecisionHealth, added that VNA of Cape Cod “and its peers have worked hard to improve quality outcomes while maintaining solid profit margins, which is increasingly difficult as home health agencies faced increased burdens each year.” The VNA of Cape Cod, a member of Cape Cod Healthcare, serves patients and clients from Provincetown to Pembroke, as well as Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. VNA nurses, therapists, home health aides and staff provide more than 300,000 home health and hospice care visits annually, and also offers screening, immunizations and wellness programs through their public health department. “We are honored to once again be named to the top 500 home health agencies in the U.S. by this prestigious group,” said Michael K. Lauf, President and CEO of Cape Cod Healthcare. “This recognition is richly deserved by our team of incredible physicians, nurses, therapists, outreach workers, home health aides, support staff and volunteers who put the patient at the center of all they do. Cape Cod residents know that the VNA is synonymous with warm, compassionate, skillful care.” As more and more Americans enter their older years, they are looking for qualified and highly trusted organizations like the VNA of Cape Cod to help them age in place, said Ann-Marie Peckham, Vice President of the VNA of Cape Cod. “We are proud to provide the best care using the latest in equipment and technology to help people live independently and safely for as long as possible,” she said. “Our homecare and hospice professionals are trained and experienced in offering skilled, compassionate assistance to those in need of care at home, whether it is for rehabilitation after surgery or illness, long-term health needs, or end-of-life care.” Cape Cod Healthcare is the leading provider of healthcare services for residents and visitors of Cape Cod. With more than 450 physicians, 5,300 employees and 790 volunteers, Cape Cod Healthcare has two acute care hospitals, (Cape Cod Hospital and Falmouth Hospital), the Cape’s leading provider of homecare and hospice services (VNA of Cape Cod), a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility (JML Care Center), an assisted living facility (Heritage at Falmouth), five outpatient centers, four urgent care centers, a medical office building and numerous health programs. For more information, visit Cape Cod Healthcare’s web site at www.capecodhealth.org. Cape Cod Healthcare. Visit our health news site www.capecodhealthnews.com for the latest in relevant and credible healthcare news.