VITAS® Healthcare Receives More Than 50,000 Healthcare Supplies From AT&T®

News provided by

Jan 28, 2021, 09:18 ET

CORONA, Calif., Jan. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nearly 12,000 VITAS Healthcare professionals will benefit from a significant amount of supplies, including reusable face coverings and hand sanitizer, from AT&T. AT&T is a healthcare technology collaborator with VITAS.

Valued at more than $100,000, the supplies will be used to care for some 19,000 patients daily.

VITAS Healthcare welcomed more than 50,000 healthcare supplies - including face masks and hand sanitizer - from AT&T on January 26, 2021.

From Corona, California, 18 pallets of healthcare supplies will be distributed by VITAS Healthcare’s Home Medical Equipment division to its hospice professionals throughout the US. Supplies were also shipped to other locations in California, Florida, Texas and Connecticut.

"AT&T's generosity during the pandemic will provide ongoing protection for our dedicated hospice teams and ensure the safety of our vulnerable patients and their families," said Nick Westfall, VITAS president and chief executive officer. "We are grateful for our collaborative relationship with AT&T on leading-edge technology initiatives, and for their concern for the health and safety of our employees and the communities we serve."

VITAS is the first hospice provider to join FirstNet®, Built with AT&T - the nationwide high-speed wireless broadband network purpose built for public safety. With FirstNet, VITAS care teams have priority communications so they can reliably communicate across agencies and jurisdictions, while caring for and assisting patients during emergencies and natural disasters.

VITAS has also used AT&T's 5G network in patient's homes and care settings to explore virtual reality therapy experiences for their ability to ease anxiety and create calming, immersive experiences for hospice patients as they near the end of life.

"We are committed to supporting businesses whose dedicated employees continue to work tirelessly around the clock during the pandemic," said AT&T Business CEO Anne Chow. "Our engagement with VITAS has been an enlightening look at the benefits, value and impact of compassionate end-of-life care. Whether through leading-edge technology or basic equipment and supplies, we want to ensure that our front-line professionals can continue to carry out their mission while protecting the nation's healthcare patients and keeping entire communities safe."

Landing in California, Florida, Texas and Connecticut, the healthcare supplies will be coordinated and distributed by the VITAS Home Medical Equipment division to its hospice teams throughout 14 states and the District of Columbia.

About AT&T^®
AT&T Inc. is a diversified, global leader in telecommunications, media and entertainment, and technology.

About VITAS^® Healthcare
Established in 1978, VITAS Healthcare is a pioneer and leader in the American hospice movement. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, VITAS (pronounced VEE-tahs) operates 49 hospice programs in 14 states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin) and the District of Columbia. VITAS employs 11,649 professionals who care for patients with advanced illness, primarily in the patients' homes, and also in the company's 28 inpatient hospice units as well as in hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living communities/residential care facilities for the elderly. At the conclusion of the third quarter of 2020, VITAS reported an average daily census of 19,045. Visit www.vitas.com.