Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle - History

History

Julia Smith led the formation of a Visiting Nurse Committee in 1906.

In 1907, the first nurse was hired. Within the first month she made 85 visits, assisting local physicians with their care in the Burlington Community.

In 1911, a VNA nurse was assigned to the public and private schools in Burlington to assist the school physician, make home visits and educate older children on health and hygiene issues.

In 1921, the city of Burlington contributed funds to the Burlington Visiting Nurse Association to increase the number of nurses from two to five to help combat the city’s increased mortality rate.

In the 1920s, they obtained funds from the then-new Community Chest (later to become the United Way). Some insurance companies had started to reimburse the VNA to care for their homebound clients.

By 1960, over 4,600 visits were made by the VNA in a six-month period. When Medicare services began in 1965, VNA’s home care services expanded to include rehabilitation services.

The 1970s, VNA's services expanded to all of Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. During the 70s, 80s and 90s, the VNA introduced new programs including:

• The Child Health Services Mobile Unit - 1971
• VNA began staffing the Champlain Islands Health Center – 1974
• The opening of a child day care center - 1975
• Homemaker services - 1978
• Hospice volunteer program – 1979-80
• Adult Day Services - 1981
• Community Care Connection opened - 1985
• Maternal and Child Health Services Family Room opens - 1988
• VNA Hospice and Chittenden Volunteer Hospice merged to form Hospice of the Champlain Valley – 1989
• Vermont Respite House became a VNA program – 1997
• Anderson Parkway project, providing services for adults with mobility impairments, opened – 2001
• Madison-Deane Initiative, a volunteer-led organization providing education and resources about end-of-life care, became a VNA program – 2002