Amedisys Ranked 4th on Forbes' '200 Best Small Companies' List - Company's Chief Executive Officer, William F. Borne, Named Forbes' Entrepreneur of the Year - BATON ROUGE, La., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Amedisys, Inc. (Nasdaq: "AMED" or the "Company"), one of America's leading home health nursing companies, today announced that it has been ranked 4th on Forbes Magazine's annual "200 Best Small Companies" list. In addition, Amedisys' CEO, William F. Borne, was recognized by the publication as Entrepreneur of the Year. According to the publication, in order to qualify for the "200 Best Small Companies" list, companies had to have shown a consistent pattern of positive growth during a five-year period, as well as over the last 12 months. With statistical help from William O'Neil & Co. in Los Angeles, Forbes selected companies with sales in the $5 million to $750 million range ("small" by Forbes' standards), net profit margins greater than 5%, and share prices above $5 as of October 1, 2004. "While I am certainly honored to be named Entrepreneur of the Year by Forbes, I am even more proud of the Company's number four ranking on the publication's '200 Best Small Companies' list," said Mr. Borne. "This truly demonstrates the depth of the Amedisys team, led by Larry Graham, our President and Chief Operating Officer, Greg Browne, our Chief Financial Officer, as well as each of our Senior Vice Presidents. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our employees who have contributed to our success." "We have continued to execute on a growth strategy that focuses on organic growth and acquiring companies at attractive and accretive multiples, and the results of this strategy have been evident," continued Mr. Borne. "Over the past two years, we completed and integrated eight acquisitions, and our net service revenues were up 77 percent in the second quarter of 2004 when compared with the same period in 2003. "With a solid cash position, approximately $90 million, minimal debt, approximately $5 million, and a strict adherence to our internal and external growth strategies, we are confident that we will continue to achieve consistent earnings growth over the next several years," concluded Mr. Borne. Amedisys, Inc., one of the nation's largest providers of home nursing services, is headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Company had approximately $142.5 million in revenue in 2003. Its common stock trades on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol "AMED". Forbes is the publisher of Forbes, the nation's leading business magazine and its international edition, Forbes Global, which together reach a worldwide audience of nearly five million readers. The company also publishes Forbes FYI, the irreverent lifestyle supplement. Other company divisions include: Forbes.com, the company's Internet business; Forbes Conference Group; Forbes on FOX; Forbes Investors Advisory Institute; Forbes Newsletter Group; and Forbes Custom Media, which also encompasses American Heritage, publisher of American Heritage magazine and two quarterlies, American Legacy and American Heritage of Invention & Technology. This press release includes statements that may constitute "forward- looking" statements, usually containing the words "believe," "estimate," "project," "expect" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements inherently involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Factors that would cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, continued acceptance of the Company's services in the marketplace, competitive factors, changes in government reimbursement procedures, dependence upon third-party vendors, and other risks discussed in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. By making these forward- looking statements, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release. Additional information on this Company can be found on the World Wide Web http://www.amedisys.com/ Contact: Amedisys, Inc. EURO RSCG Life NRP Chief Financial Officer Investors/Media Gregory H. Browne Brian Ritchie 225.292.2031 212.845.4269 DATASOURCE: Amedisys, Inc. CONTACT: Gregory H. Browne, Chief Financial Officer of Amedisys, Inc., +1-225-292-2031, ; or Investors/Media, Brian Ritchie of EURO RSCG Life NRP, +1-212-845-4269, , for Amedisys, Inc. Web Site: http://www.amedisys.com/

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