MISSISSAUGA, ON, July 3 /CNW/ - Bayshore Home Health, Canada's largest
provider of home and community health care services, has acquired Coram
Healthcare, the Canadian home pharmacy services division of Denver,
Colorado-based Coram, Inc.
Coram Healthcare specializes in the preparation and delivery of
intravenous drugs used in areas such as antibiotic treatments, chemotherapy,
palliative care and parenteral nutrition, and distributes related supplies and
equipment. These services generally are delivered in clients' homes instead of
hospitals.
"We are thrilled to be able to add Coram's expertise to our roster of
services," says Bayshore's President Stuart Cottrelle. "Coram's drug
preparation and distribution services are a great fit with our infusion
clinics and home infusion services. They give us the ability to enhance our
service offering and deliver a more coordinated level of service to our
patients as well as institutional/corporate clients who manage their care. In
addition, we look forward to expanding these services across Canada."
Bayshore currently provides in-home infusion services for a variety of
intravenous drugs through specially-trained nurses that work from the
company's 39 home care offices across Canada. It also operates 20 community
infusion clinics and two dialysis centres.
"Bayshore's nursing services and infusion clinics will enable Coram to
expand into other areas of pharmaceutical services and health care," explains
Sahar Whelan, RPh, Coram's Director of Pharmacy. "I feel we are setting the
standard for infusion services in Canada."
A substantial portion of Coram's business comes from being a contracted
provider of drug preparation and distribution services to a number of Ontario
Community Care Access Centres, which oversee provincially-funded intravenous
treatments for Ontario's residents. It also delivers services, to a lesser
degree, through the hospital system and directly to the public.
Whelan believes the new partnership will be beneficial to both
intravenous patients and provincial health care systems. "Combining nursing
and pharmacy services and being able to offer them to a variety of clients
will ultimately result in better care for patients and be more economical for
provincial health care systems," she explains.
About Bayshore Home Health
Bayshore Home Health has been enhancing the quality of life, dignity and
independence of Canadians in their homes since 1966. Canadian owned and
operated, it is the country's largest provider of home and community health
care services, with 39 home care offices and more than 6,000 employees in
eight provinces. Its specialties are in-home nursing, personal care and home
support - offered directly to consumers and also delivered through government
care programs, personal and group insurance plans, and workplace safety
insurance. Its caregivers provide about 5 million hours of home care annually
to 40,000 clients. The company's other services include nurse and caregiver
staffing, pharmaceutical support services, health education programs, infusion
clinics and dialysis centres. Bayshore Home Health is a winner of Canada's 50
Best Managed Companies award for 2006.
For further information: Stuart Cottrelle, President, Bayshore Home
Health, (905) 822-8075 ext 231, scottrelle@bayshore.ca; Sahar Whelan, RPh,
Director of Pharmacy, Coram Healthcare, (416) 245-2100, swhelan@bayshore.ca,
www.bayshore.ca
