In the 65 years since the end of World War II, the men and women who served have been honored but have also surmounted many challenges, including healthcare issues. Recognizing that veterans have unique needs as they near the end of life, VITAS Innovative Hospice Care®, the nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care, provides quality clinical, spiritual and psychosocial care for veterans and their families that qualify for Medicare, Medicaid or commercial insurance.

Now, VITAS proudly announces its national sponsorship of “Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive!” — a grassroots campaign which seeks to commemorate the end of World War II by establishing a permanent annual day of remembrance to honor the legacy of the men and women of America's “greatest generation.” The first “Spirit of ’45 Day” will be celebrated on Saturday, August 14, 2010 — the 65th anniversary of the end of WWII. Subsequent remembrance days will be held annually on the second Sunday of August.

“VITAS is committed both to raising awareness about veterans’ issues and to providing high quality, appropriate care to our veteran patients as they near the end of life,” says VITAS Chief Executive Officer Tim O’Toole. “Designating a national day of remembrance of World War II veterans — and their families — is one way of honoring those who served. VITAS programs throughout the country will be celebrating the day with community events that provide the training and education focused on end-of-life needs that veteran patients require.”

“Experience has taught us that America’s veterans have unique needs as they approach the end of their lives,” adds Peggy Pettit, VITAS executive vice president and chief operating officer. “VITAS hospice professionals work to gather information about our veteran patients’ military history so they are better prepared to address many of the unique clinical and psychosocial issues resulting from their military service.

“In addition, VITAS has a network of dedicated veteran liaisons throughout the country who coordinate the needs of these patients and their families by working with the Veterans Administration (VA), local veterans’ organizations and long-term care facilities to provide customized high quality care,” Pettit says.

VITAS also finds that veterans facing life-limiting illnesses are often anxious to tell their wartime stories, as are their families. This partnership with “Keep the Spirit of ’45 Alive!” will also focus on collecting first-hand memories from these brave men and women as living tributes to their sacrifices and accomplishments.

VITAS Innovative Hospice Care® provides extensive information relating to veterans programs, including a video. Log onto www.VITAS.com for more information or to view the video, or call 800.93.VITAS.

VITAS Innovative Hospice Care®, a pioneer and leader in the hospice movement since 1978, is the nation’s leading provider of end-of-life care. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, VITAS (pronounced VEE-tahs) operates 45 hospice programs in 16 states (California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin). At the conclusion of the second quarter of 2010, VITAS reported an average daily census of 12,584. Visit www.vitas.com.

Listed on the New York Stock Exchange and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Chemed Corporation (NYSE:CHE) operates two wholly owned subsidiaries: VITAS Healthcare and Roto-Rooter.

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