Camellia Home Health and Hospice Rolls Out New Company-owned Fleet for Clinical Team Members

HATTIESBURG, Miss., Dec. 6, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Camellia Home Health and Hospice of Hattiesburg, Miss. is lowering operating costs and providing clinical team members an added benefit by providing 105 brand-new, eco-boost Ford Focus models and 20 Ford Escapes. As a result, employees will no longer have to seek reimbursement from the company for mileage driven in their personal cars.

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Camellia Home Health and Hospice expects the fleet of 125 cars will give the company an advantage in a highly competitive industry. The addition will help to promote the company's professional image and attract the attention of patients and prospective employees.

The new fleet of cars, wrapped with the Camellia Home Health and Hospice logo, was unveiled last month as part of a pilot program developed in partnership with Enterprise Fleet Management, a full-service fleet management business for companies with medium-size fleets. Enterprise Fleet Management is owned by the Taylor family of St. Louis, who, through regional subsidiaries, also own and operate Enterprise Rent-A-Car's extensive network of more than 5,500 U.S. branch offices.

"The decision to switch to providing company vehicles from mileage reimbursement is reducing our expenses and those of our employees while offering employees the benefit of driving vehicles that are safe and reliable," said Abb Payne, President and CEO of Camellia Home Health and Hospice.

Rachel Baker, Account Manager for Enterprise Fleet Management, noted, "As the population ages, the demand for home health care services will continue to increase. For Camellia, having dependable vehicles for its team members is a key factor in its ability to serve more patients and achieve continued growth."

According to Payne, "Our field staff drivers log as much as 2.2 million miles a year. Providing company cars that are well maintained and equipped with the latest safety features should help reduce accidents, downtime and absences."

Payne added, "Through the program, staff are provided with maintenance, insurance, vehicle registration and reporting, as well as a fuel card program that automatically monitors fuel purchases and miles for each vehicle."

About Camellia Home Health and Hospice
Headquartered in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Camellia's territories now include 39 home health and hospice locations covering most of Mississippi, east Louisiana, east Tennessee including the metro markets of Knoxville and Chattanooga, and all of metro Atlanta and its surrounding counties.

Camellia Home Health and Hospice prides itself on providing an unequaled level of quality in the delivery of a broad range of modern health care services that respond to the needs of our patients, their community, and all associated health care providers. What distinguishes Camellia from most other health care providers, however, is that its services allow those most in need, the frail and the elderly, to receive award winning health care directly in their own home.

Camellia has a 39-year history of providing exceptional care to patients. In addition, Camellia Home Health and Hospice has been named one of Mississippi's Best Places to Work for three consecutive cycles. This recognition demonstrates Camellia's commitment, both to quality patient care and to its dedicated team members in all of the company's markets. Without question, Camellia's success historically and growth recently are a direct result of the quality of its hundreds of clinicians and support personnel, their contributions to health care and society at large, and their unwavering dedication to put patients' needs first at all times.

About Enterprise Fleet Management
A full-service fleet management business for companies with medium-sized fleets that do not have a dedicated fleet manager, Enterprise Fleet Management supplies most makes and models of cars, light- and medium-duty trucks and service vehicles across North America. Enterprise Fleet Management is owned by the Taylor family of St. Louis, who, through regional subsidiaries, also own and operate Enterprise Rent-A-Car's extensive network of more than 5,500 neighborhood and airport branch offices, all located within 15 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population.

With 58 fully-staffed offices nationwide, Enterprise Fleet Management has been recognized with the Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) "Blue Seal of Excellence" award for 16 consecutive years, an industry record. For more information about Enterprise Fleet Management's environmental stewardship and long-term commitment to the sustainability of the fleet management business, visit http://drivingfutures.com/fleetmanagement. For more information about Enterprise Fleet Management, visit http://www.efleets.com or call toll free 1-877-23-FLEET.

SOURCE Camellia Home Health and Hospice; Enterprise Fleet Management