WILLCARE CEO RECEIVES STATEWIDE AWARD

Todd Brason, President and CEO of Willcare, was awarded the 2003 Richard Z. Steinhaus Award from the New York State Association of Health Care Providers. Brason received the recognition during the association's annual meeting and conference held recent in Verona, New York.

The award, formerly known as the Health Care Person of the Year, is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the home care industry, and is considered the most prestigious of the awards given by the state association each year.

In announcing Brason's selection, Phyllis Wang, president of the Albany-based providers association, noted: "His contributions are legendary and include spearheading an initiative on the national level to collect real fiscal data on the home health Medicare community and introducing the HCP board to a federal lobby day, and an annual meeting in Washington D.C. with the entire New York Congressional Delegation. He is the individual that many people only wished they worked for."

Brason commented: "The Steinhaus Award holds high significance in our industry and I am truly honored and proud of this recognition for our company. It is a reflection of the commitment by the people of Willcare to advance the benefits and promote the effectiveness of home care as a bona fide service along the health care continuum."

Notable past recipients of this award include former Senator Tarky Lombardi, Assemblyman James Tallon, Robert Dougherty and Dr. Nancy Barhydt of the New York State Department of Health.