June 8, 2009 — United HomeCare Services Honored Community Leaders at 15th Annual Claude Pepper Memorial Awards and 35th Anniversary Celebration Dinner

United HomeCare Services (UHCS) celebrated thirty-five years of building stay-at-home health care solutions with a spectacular awards ceremony held Thursday, May 21st at the Hilton Miami Airport. Over 300 guests gathered for an evening of camaraderie to celebrate the non-profit’s anniversary and 15th Annual Claude Pepper Memorial Awards. Master of Ceremonies, Pamela M. Silva of Univision-23, led the celebratory evening program and recording artist Ana Cristina entertained guests with her dazzling 6 octave vocal range during dinner. The event, which raised funds to address the unmet needs of older adults and the disabled, was a resounding success with the support of Presenting Sponsor - Advanced Care Solutions, Platinum Sponsor – Butler, Buckley & Deets, and Gold Sponsors – FPL and Medline Industries.

Named after the late Senator Claude Denson Pepper, a champion of issues and programs for the elderly, the Claude Pepper Memorial Awards are given each year to corporations and individuals who follow in his footsteps. "I am proud to present this pristine award to all the honorees in recognition of the significant contributions they have made and will continue to make to help improve the quality of life for older adults and the disabled in Miami-Dade County," stated José R. Fox, President & CEO of UHCS. During the awards ceremony, Mr. Fox was joined by Barbara T. Gray, Chairperson of the Board for UHCS, in presenting the awards to the distinguished honorees in six award categories:

• Corporate Service Award: Dennis Pastrana, President & CEO, Goodwill Industries South Florida
• Corporate Service Healthcare Award: Kevin S. Kearns, President & CEO, Health Choice Network
• Public Service Award: The Honorable Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Congresswoman, U.S. House of Representatives
• Community Builder Award: Pedro José "Joe" Greer, M.D., Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs, Florida International University, College of Medicine
• Thelma Gibson Community Service Award: The Honorable Sally A. Heyman, Commissioner, Miami-Dade County
• Media/Public Awareness Award: Jay Weaver, Courts Reporter, The Miami Herald

Pillar Awards commemorating the agency’s 35th Anniversary were presented to United HomeCare Services’ founder, the United Way of Miami-Dade, and to other long-standing supporters: Agency for Health Care Administration, Alliance for Aging, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Dade Community Foundation, Florida Department of Children and Families, Florida Department of Elder Affairs, Health Foundation of South Florida, and Miami-Dade County.

Highlights of the evening included a surprise award presentation to José R. Fox from UHCS’ Board of Directors and staff, in recognition of his 20 years at the helm of the non-profit organization. A special recognition award was also presented to José K. Fuentes, Immediate Past Chairman of the Board for his invaluable service to the organization from 2007-2009.

The event was also generously supported by Silver Sponsors – A & C Medical Equipment, Alliance for Aging, Baptist Health South Florida, Catholic Hospice, Chez Laffita Catering, Fatima Home Care, Florida International University, Go! Systems, Medi-Nurse, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Sally A. Heyman, Moore Stephens Lovelace, P.A., NextLevel Information Solutions, PBS&J, Sharpton Brunson & Co., P.A., South Florida Medical Equipment, and SunTrust Bank and In-Kind Sponsors - Bacardi, Miami Monthly Magazine, Top Drawer Printers, and Univision-23.

Supporting underwriters included: First Payment Services, Giancarlo Jewelry Designs, Health Services of Miami, The Miami Herald, and Verizon Wireless. Individual donors included: BankUnited, Beatriz Almaro Hennessy, Home Care Association of Florida, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Bruno Barreiro, The Carrie Meek Foundation, The Cathedral Foundation of Jax, The Claude Pepper Foundation, Thelma Gibson, and Urban Jacksonville.