MetCare of Florida Earns High Marks on Customer Satisfaction Survey

Metropolitan Health Networks, Inc. (NYSE AMEX:MDF), ("MetCare"), a leading provider of healthcare services in Florida, announced details of a recent third party comprehensive customer satisfaction survey, including high scores for overall healthcare service, doctor communication, and office staff (see also Metropolitan Health Networks, Inc.).

The survey was undertaken in October 2009 by DSS Research and was designed to assess customer satisfaction with MetCare, its physicians, their staff, and their facilities, and to identify areas for improvement in the delivery of healthcare service. High Overall Satisfaction, Doctor Communication Satisfaction Scores Continue Nearly all customers reported being likely to recommend their doctor to family and friends. All doctor communication measures increased significantly from a year ago. Nearly all customers reported that their doctor showed interest in their questions and concerns and cared about them as a person. More than nine out of 10 customers reported that doctors provided complete and accurate information and their explanations were easy to understand. All office staff measures showed improvement with more than eight out of 10 customers indicating that the staff treats them with courtesy and respect, responds to their needs and requests in a timely manner, and are as helpful as they should be. A significantly larger proportion report always or almost always receiving a follow-up from the doctor's office to give them test results.

Commenting on the survey outcomes, MetCare's President and Chief Operating Officer, Jose Guethon, M.D, M.B.A., stated, "We are pleased to see continued and improved high satisfaction scores, which confirm the commitment of our physicians and their staff to service excellence. This, combined with our FirstTouch customer service initiative, new customer benefits such as access to BenefitsCheckup and Emmi® self management programs, and our transformation to Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) care model continue to have a significant impact on how our customers receive and perceive the services we offer."

Two years ago, MetCare announced a commitment to transform its practices from a traditional care delivery model to the PCMH model, which has drawn national attention as a way to improve patient satisfaction and healthcare quality, promote prevention and management of chronic illness, and add value for the customer. To help drive the transformation, MetCare has increased office staff and nurses, is investing in a state-of-the-art electronic medical records system, and has implemented electronic prescribing.

"In essence, this model prepares our practices to better handle and manage patients with chronic diseases, such as heart failure and diabetes, and drive better clinical and financial outcomes by focusing on transitional care and coordination of healthcare services," said Dr. Guethon. Great Opportunities for Continued Improvement Guethon continued, "As an organization, MetCare seeks to learn from these surveys and uses the results to identify areas for improvement. Outcomes with lesser scores that are important to the customer - such as wait times and detailed communication on insurance, medications and treatment plans - help us better invest and deploy resources such as training and development programs for our associates, physicians, and their staff. These programs continue to improve service levels, build goodwill and loyalty, and create a competitive edge in the markets we serve." About Metropolitan Health Networks, Inc. Metropolitan Health Networks, Inc. ("MetCare") is a growing healthcare organization that provides comprehensive healthcare services for Medicare Advantage members and other patients in Florida. To learn more about MetCare please visit its website at www.metcare.com. About DSS Research DSS Research is a national marketing research firm specializing in health insurance and health care. Over the past 27 years, DSS has conducted research and provided insight for health insurance organizations across the country. The firm's services include product development services, satisfaction research, brand analysis and strategy research, ad testing and tracking, market segmentation research and health risk assessment, giving DSS a high-level view of the evolving health insurance business. DSS employs more than 200 health care market research specialists.