News about Amedisys Home Health and Hospice Care
As VNA celebrates its 125th year serving the Omaha community, we announce an intentional re-focus of our historical mission to serve those in the community who are without the resources for home health and hospice care services. VNA has chosen to transition home health and hospice operations to Amedisys, Inc., a national leader in home health, hospice and personal care.
In recent years, the home health industry has become extremely competitive, and at the same time, increasingly regulated. The foundational expenses necessary to meet the industry and government rules and regulations of the home health industry have overshadowed our ability to provide compassionate care and remain sustainable. Aggressive competition has duplicated VNA services and congested the market. We believe it is wise to divest ourselves of all insurance-based programs and re-focus on what we do best: providing quality home healthcare and supportive services to individuals and families who cannot afford access to care. This decision helps ensure VNA will continue to provide essential programs and services in Omaha and western Iowa:
- Homeless Shelter Nursing Services: Placing VNA nurses in every local homeless and domestic violence shelter.
- Parenting Support: Offering home visitation programs for at-risk families with infants and small children and empowering them through healthcare and supportive services to overcome real and perceived obstacles.
- Mother and Child Services: Continuing to facilitate the provision of these specialized services, which include the delivery of in-home care for mothers and their children as ordered by a physician, by partnering with local providers and ensuring the best and most timely care is provided to patients.
- Flu and Immunization Services: Partnering with the Douglas County Health Department, VNA currently has more than 60 nurses giving COVID-19 vaccinations. We will continue to be part of the solution to the COVID-19 pandemic, while also providing flu shots annually.
- School Health Programs: Contracting with various public, private, and parochial schools in the metro area to provide nurses as part of our commitment to a healthier community.
- Home Healthcare and Hospice Services: Facilitating access to home health and hospice services to those who are uninsured and indigent through Amedisys Home Health and Amedisys’ owned hospice company, AseraCare.
In 1896, our founder, Anna Millard Rogers, saw people in the streets of Omaha without access to healthcare or health education. She created an organization that took healthcare to the streets and to every place people called home. After 125 years, we have not lost sight of that foundational mission. VNA is honored to be the healthcare organization that goes where others don’t and serves who others won’t. As we simplify operations, I anticipate opportunities to grow and expand the services we provide to some of this community’s most vulnerable individuals for many years to come.
– James Summerfelt, VNA President & CEO
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