Monday, December 16, 2013

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (Dec. 6, 2013)—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. 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 (efleets.com/fleets/home). 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.” Visit camellia.com for more information.