LHC Group Acquires Hospice Locations In Alabama And Louisiana

LAFAYETTE, La., Jan. 3, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LHC Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:LHCG), a national provider of home health and hospice, announced today that it has acquired hospice locations in Alabama and Louisiana and entered into a home health joint venture in Kentucky.

LHC Group acquired certain assets from Hospice Complete, Inc. to operate four Alabama-based hospice agencies located in Trussville, Jasper, Anniston/Oxford and Tuscaloosa. The primary service area of this acquisition covers 22 counties in the Certificate of Need (CON) state of Alabama, with an estimated population of approximately 1.7 million and almost 15% over the age of 65. The combined annual net revenue of these four agencies is approximately $4.8 million. These agencies will continue to operate under the name of Hospice Complete.

In addition, LHC Group acquired Vital Hospice located in Hammond, Louisiana. The primary service area of this acquisition covers a 50-mile radius that includes approximately 18 parishes in Southeast Louisiana, with an estimated population of approximately 2.1 million and almost 12% over the age of 65. Annual net revenue for this acquisition is approximately $1.5 million. This agency will operate under the name of Feliciana Hospice and Palliative Care.

Keith G. Myers, chief executive officer of LHC Group, said, "It is with great pleasure that I welcome the employees from Hospice Complete and Vital Hospice into our growing LHC Group family. These hospice acquisitions fit perfectly into our strategy of growing our hospice footprint in markets where we already have a strong presence in home health. We look forward to continuing with this strategy throughout 2011 and being able to offer quality home health and hospice services to the patients and families in our service areas."

The Company also announced today that it had entered into a home health joint venture with Marshall County Hospital, located in Benton, Kentucky, to provide home health services in Marshall County.