Volunteers of America New Orleans Back on Its Feet with Help from CareCentric

CareCentric Demonstrates Its Disaster Recovery Capabilities

ATLANTA (September 5, 2006)— With this year’s hurricane season moving into full swing, CareCentric, Inc., looks back on how it helped a customer deal with the effects of one of the most destructive hurricanes in recent U.S. history—Katrina. It also acts as a reminder for all healthcare entities to plan for the worst.

“As a provider of technology, business-operation and outsourcing solutions for the post-acute market, C areCentric urges its customers to make disaster recovery a part of their information technology strategic planning,” said Bob Jones, vice president of IT outsourcing. “Our experience in New Orleans is a perfect demonstration of how having the right technology partner can help during an unpredictable catastrophic event.”

In the midst of the disaster almost a year ago, Volunteers of America’s facilities in New Orleans sustained a significant amount of water. Since 1896, the organization has practiced and delivered its founders’ promise to “go wherever we are needed and do whatever comes to hand.” Now those facilities that had been delivering prevention, intervention and long-term care services for so long needed help themselves. So Ron Nolte, director of IT for Volunteer of America’s national office in Washington, contacted UltraBridge—now part of CareCentric—to determine how to get their New Orleans facilities back on line providing services to the people that needed them most.

UltraBridge, which has been providing hosting services since 2001 as Volunteer of America’s Technology Partner, immediately began the process of acquiring equipment for deployment to New Orleans. Client services, customer support and technical operations mounted a massive coordination effort to locate telephone service providers and installers that could re-establish communication lines. In some cases, these efforts began even before the flood waters had receded.

Working with Nolte and Brenda Chenevert, director of special finance projects with Volunteers of America in New Orleans, UltraBridge had the infrastructure back up and running in three months. CareCentric continues to support the New Orleans office in preparing for a new hurricane season.

“With CareCentric, if we are struck again, we know that we’ll have the resources we need to get back in business in the shortest time possible,” said Chenevert.

Headquartered in Atlanta, CareCentric delivers technology, business operation and IT outsourcing solutions to providers serving the entire post-acute care continuum—home health, private duty, hospice, home medical equipment, home pharmacy, long-term care and assisted living. Offerings include an array of business-process management, education and consulting services, along with our Microsoft .NET-based Ac-Cura ® software. By addressing its customers’ total management and operational needs, CareCentric allows them to focus on care delivery—enabling both business and clinical success.

Volunteers of America is a national, nonprofit, faith-based organization dedicated to helping those in need rebuild their lives and reach their full potential. Through thousands of human service programs, including housing and healthcare, Volunteers of America helps nearly 2 million people in more than 400 communities. Since 1896, its ministry of service has supported and empowered America's most vulnerable groups, including at-risk youth, the frail elderly, men and women returning from prison, homeless individuals and families, people with disabilities, and those recovering from addictions. The work done by Volunteers of America touches the mind, body, heart—and ultimately the spirit—of those it serves, integrating its deep compassion with highly effective programs and services. For more information about Volunteers of America, visit www.VolunteersofAmerica.org.