The Florida Division of Adventist Health System (AHS) and WellCare Health Plans, Inc. announced today that AHS Florida Division joined WellCare’s provider network for Medicare, Medicaid and Healthy Kids members throughout Florida.  Effective March 1, 2008, all 17 hospitals, 16 Centra Care locations, five Florida Radiology Imaging centers, two ambulatory surgery centers and six home health agencies in Florida are available to provide care and services to WellCare members. 

             “Our number one priority is to provide our members with timely access to affordable, quality healthcare,” said Tom Summerill, Chief Operating Officer for WellCare of Florida.  “We are pleased that AHS Florida Division has joined our network.  This new partnership gives WellCare members even more choices, increasing access to hospitals, urgent care centers and physicians.  AHS is well respected and recognized for their quality and compassion and we look forward to working with them to serve our members’ healthcare needs.”

            Adventist Health System provides a wide range of health services, including many nationally and internationally recognized programs in cardiology, cancer, women’s medicine, neurology, diabetes and rehabilitation.  Adventist Health System is the largest non-for-profit, Protestant healthcare organization in the United States with 36 hospitals in 10 states, totaling more than 6,300 beds and serving nearly 4 million patients annually. 

WellCare and AHS Partner to Expand Network

            The AHS Florida Division includes 17 hospitals through out Florida including:  Florida Hospital Altamonte; Florida Hospital Apopka; Florida Hospital Celebration Health; Florida Hospital East Orlando; Florida Hospital Kissimmee; Florida Hospital Orlando; Winter Park Memorial, A Florida Hospital; Florida Hospital Heartland Medical Center; Florida Hospital Lake Placid; Florida Hospital Wauchula; Florida Hospital DeLand; Florida Hospital Fish Memorial; Florida Hospital Flagler; Florida Hospital Oceanside; Florida Hospital Ormond Memorial; Florida Hospital Waterman; and Florida Hospital Zephyrhills.

            “We are pleased to join WellCare’s provider network and to serve the healthcare needs of their members,” said Kevin Lay, vice president at AHS Florida Division.  “Our teams have a shared goal of making sure that the communities we serve have access to quality healthcare.  Our new partnership gives us an opportunity to achieve that goal and have a positive impact on the lives of those who’ve entrusted their healthcare needs to us.”