HEALTHSOUTH Corporation , the nation's largest provider of outpatient surgery, diagnostic imaging and rehabilitative healthcare services, has signed an agreement with Delta Air Lines to provide an ergonomics training program over the next year to more than 20,000 flight attendants in 16 of Delta's hubs in the United States and India.

Through this agreement, HEALTHSOUTH will develop a custom ergonomics course that will assist flight attendants at the workplace. This program will include proper lifting and handling techniques, as well as training specific to dealing with aircraft equipment and tasks performed in the aircraft cabin.

"HEALTHSOUTH is pleased to announce this relationship with Delta Air Lines," said Richard M. Scrushy, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of HEALTHSOUTH. "With our national network of facilities, HEALTHSOUTH is qualified to educate companies like Delta with the superb workplace safety techniques in all 50 states and internationally."

"This move is in keeping with our number one value -- safety," said Jim Swartz, Director of Corporate Safety for Delta. "We continue to take the steps necessary to improve the work process for all of our employees, whether in the air or on the ground."

An effective ergonomics program teaches individuals injury prevention through techniques specific to their workplace or industry, decreasing work- related injuries and workers' compensation cases. Employees learn to adapt for a safer workplace, resulting in less time off from work, which is beneficial to both the employee and employer.

Delta's goal is to become the number one airline in the eyes of its customers, while flying passengers and cargo from anywhere to everywhere. Passengers already choose to fly Delta more often than any other airline in the world. Customers can choose from more than 5,299 flights each day to 362 cities in 58 countries on Delta, Delta Express, Delta Shuttle, the Delta Connection carriers, and Delta's Worldwide Partners. Delta is a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance, which provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. For more information, visit Delta at http://www.delta.com/.

HEALTHSOUTH, which can be found on the Web at http://www.healthsouth.com/, has more than 2,000 facilities in all 50 states, the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico, Australia and Canada.

SOURCE: HEALTHSOUTH Corporation