Hurricane Ike

HOUSTON (Oct. 6, 2008) – When Hurricane Ike reached Houston on Sept. 13, causing the death and destruction that has become common with these super storms, members of Supplemental Health Care’s Houston staffing division were able to take some comfort in knowing that they would still receive paychecks despite not being able to work their shifts, the company confirmed today.

“We know that Hurricane Ike caused incredible amounts of stress on top of the overwhelming damage to families and property,” said Harold Entz, Supplemental Health Care’s allied division manager for Houston. “Our company core values are centered on integrity, candor, accountability, respect and excellence—we call this ‘I.C.A.R.E.’ and we make sure to live it every day at Supplemental Health Care. By taking care of our staff and talent members after Hurricane Ike we were able to put the ‘I.C.A.R.E.’ philosophy into action.”

Supplemental Health Care confirmed that it has, to-date, paid the wages of more than 135 team members, including internal employees and nurse and therapist temporary staffers who were not able to work due to the storm. Hours covered by the company ranged from some team members who missed one shift to others who had to miss more than two weeks, totaling nearly $70,000 in wages and benefits paid so far.

“When you plan on getting paid for 40 hours a week, and suddenly that’s reduced by more than half, it’s a huge burden,” said Roy Rivera, PT, DPT, of Houston. “It was such a comfort knowing that as we’re repairing our homes from the storm and helping out in the community we will still get paid.”

Rivera, who has worked as a physical therapist at Supplemental Health Care for approximately 18 months, said he was able to spend part of this time off volunteering for a local food bank and helping to direct traffic at an overwhelmed city intersection.

“I can’t say it was unexpected that Supplemental Health Care continued to pay me even after I couldn’t make it to work because of the storm,” said Rivera. “The company took care of us before when Hurricane Rita hit—even though I had barely come on board, Supplemental Health Care paid me for what I missed. This is very much appreciated.”

“We were thankful that our entire Houston team was able to personally contact our more than 200 full-time therapists, nurses, office staff and field talent members to ensure they and their families were safe,” said Entz. “Being able to cover their pay and medical benefits is a great feeling and is in-line with our company’s core values. Our staff members take pride in the care they provide to their patients, and we are happy to be able to take care of them.”

About Supplemental Health Care, Inc.
Based in Park City, Utah, Supplemental Health Care, Inc., http://www.supplementalhealthcare.com, has been providing health care organizations better access to skilled nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists and rad-tech professionals for more than 20 years. The core values of integrity, candor, accountability, respect and excellence, referred to as “I.C.A.R.E.,” guide the company’s dedication to providing superior service, support and professionalism to both clients and health care employees. The company has 50 nursing and allied divisions in major U.S. markets and places health care professionals in temporary and travel positions both nationally and internationally. Supplemental Health Care ranks as one of the world’s fastest growing health care staffing companies.