VNA and Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice to affiliate

The Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties (VNA) and Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice (CVHHH) in Vermont have agreed to an affiliation to support their respective missions by fostering close collaboration, while preserving the independence of each organization.
The two agencies have been working on the affiliation since last year, and have recently received approval from Commissioner Susan Wehry of the Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging and Independent Living. The respective Boards of Directors of each agency approved the agreement earlier this year.
The affiliation is expected to enhance the overall home health and hospice patient experience while expanding the scope of clinical services according to Judy Peterson, president and CEO of VNA and Sandy Rousse, president and CEO of CVHHH.
‘I believe we will more effectively meet the needs of our communities and achieve agency goals by working in collaboration with CVHHH. We are both outstanding VNAs and by combining our efforts we will become even stronger, higher quality organizations offering the standardized and innovative care needed in this new era of health care,’said Peterson.
‘Entering into an affiliation with the VNA will allow us to enhance our services to a large population by sharing knowledge and expertise to improve quality while conserving resources. Also, it will allow our agencies to better support our local hospitals, CVMC and FAHC, by improving consistency in care coordination and transitions for patients as they leave the hospital and go back ‘home’into the community, added Rousse.
Both organizations will cooperate in strategic planning processes and initiatives to ensure that common strategic objectives are developed collaboratively. The five areas of focus with specific objectives outlined in the affiliation agreement are Clinical Services, Quality Control, Human Resources, Strategic Planning, and Finance and Administration. Each area will be represented by its own Staff Council consisting of staff appointed by VNA and CVHHH.
‘The affiliation of these two vital health care organizations mirrors Fletcher Allen’s efforts to create an integrated delivery system in Vermont. Such a system leads to improved access to care as well as improvements in the quality and efficiency of that care,’said John Brumsted, MD, president and chief executive officer, Fletcher Allen Health Care.
‘This new affiliation will better serve Vermonters residing in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties as well as the Central Vermont region,’he continued. ‘Through the strong working relationship Fletcher Allen enjoys with the VNA, I see this affiliation opening up new opportunities to provide better, more coordinated care to the people we both serve going forward.’
‘CVMC has a long standing and highly-valued relationship with CVHHH. I think they will find, as we have found with Fletcher Allen Partners, that collaboration can lead to opportunities that are beneficial to patients and employees on many levels,’said Judy Tartaglia, president and chief executive officer of Central Vermont Medical Center.
About VNA
The VNA is a 107-year-old nonprofit home health and hospice agency caring for people of all ages ‘from critically ill children to vulnerable families to adults who need rehabilitation, long-term care, adult day services or end-of-life care. The VNA provides medically necessary home and community-based care to individuals and families regardless of their ability to pay. The VNA serves upwards of 5,000 individuals and families each year. For more information, please contact the VNA at (802) 658-1900 or www.vnacares.org.
About CVHHH
CVHHH is a 102-year-old not-for-profit Visiting Nurse Association serving the residents of 23 Central Vermont towns in the comfort and privacy of their own homes. CVHHH is committed to providing comprehensive, high-quality home health and hospice care to all Central Vermonters, regardless of their ability to pay. In addition, the agency promotes the general welfare of Central Vermont with health promotion and long term care services. For more information about the programs and services of CVHHH, contact (802) 223-1878 or www.cvhhh.org.