News

Colchester, VT–October 9, 2018 — The Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties has changed its name to The University of Vermont Health Network – Home Health & Hospice. The new name and brand identity signify a formal affiliation with The University of Vermont Health Network, which began on January 1, 2018. The UVM Health Network – Home Health & Hospice is the first affiliate of The UVM Health Network to provide post-acute, community-based care.

“This new name reflects our partnership with The UVM Health Network’s member hospitals and physician organization and our shared commitment to providing seamless, patient-centered care across all providers. High-quality home health and hospice services are integral to a fully integrated, regional health care system. Our new name and brand identity align with our role in the Network,” said Judy Peterson, The UVM Health Network – Home Health & Hospice president and CEO.

The UVM Health Network – Home Health & Hospice, Vermont’s oldest and largest non-profit home health agency, is on the forefront of delivering increasingly complex care to people at home. Joining the Network makes it possible to build on its longstanding partnership with The University of Vermont Medical Center, as well as primary care and specialty physician practices across the Network to deliver an enhanced care experience for the patients we jointly serve.

“This affiliation is all about caring for patients and families in a way that is best for them,” said John Brumsted, M.D., president and CEO of the UVM Health Network and CEO of the UVM Medical Center.  “As partners, we are able to think differently about how we can bring providers of all types together in new ways to deliver, better more efficient care in the community.”

The Home Health & Hospice clinical teams have been working collaboratively with their colleagues at The UVM Health Network to pilot new, innovative programs to keep people healthier at home and to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations and emergency department visits. Highlights of this work include:

Integrating Home Health Services with Primary Care

In collaboration with The UVM Health Network, Home Health & Hospice nurses will soon be on hand several days a week at Hinesburg Family Medicine as part of a pilot program to provide guidance and care coordination for patients with multiple chronic conditions who can benefit from home health services.

Nurse-Facilitated Physician Telemedicine Visits at Home

Soon we will be piloting physician telemedicine visits for patients who are under the care of The UVM Medical Center vascular surgery and palliative medicine. Facilitated by Home Health & Hospice nurses, the technology-enabled visits will allow physicians to follow-up with patients in the home, eliminating the need to travel for care.

Post-Discharge Home Visit Waiver

Under a waiver between the federal government and OneCare Vermont, Home Health & Hospice can provide up to nine home health visits to ensure a safe transition from hospital to home for patients who had previously been ineligible for traditional home health services. The pilot program is collaboration between Home Health & Hospice, Colchester Family Medicine and The UVM Medical Center.

Enhanced Home Infusions

Home Health & Hospice nurses are working with The UVM Medical Center clinical services and the outpatient pharmacy to increase capacity to provide intravenous (IV) infusions to patients in the comfort of their homes.

About The University of Vermont Health Network – Home Health & Hospice

The University of Vermont Health Network – Home Health & Hospice, formerly the VNA of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties, is Vermont’s oldest and largest non-profit home health and hospice agency providing medically-complex home and community-based care to individuals and families throughout Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties.  Programs span a lifetime and include comprehensive nursing care for adults and children, rehabilitation services, chronic disease management, hospice and palliative care in the community and at McClure Miller Respite House, adult day programs and private care services. Last year, Home Health & Hospice served more than 5,400 individuals and provided $1.54 million in charitable care to our neighbors in need.  For more information on our services and programs, please call (802) 658-1900 or visit www.UVMHomeHealth.org.

About The University of Vermont Health Network

The University of Vermont Health Network is an integrated system serving the residents of Vermont and northern New York with a shared mission: Working together, we improve people’s lives.  The partners are:

• The University of Vermont Medical Center
• The University of Vermont Health Network Medical Group
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Alice Hyde Medical Center
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Elizabethtown Community Hospital
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Home Health & Hospice
• The University of Vermont Health Network – Porter Medical Center

Our 4,000 healthcare professionals are driven to provide high-quality, cost-efficient care as close to home as possible. Strengthened by our academic connection to the University of Vermont, each of our affiliates remains committed to its local community by providing compassionate, personal care shaped by the latest medical advances and delivered by highly skilled experts.