For Putnam residents who rely on the county”™s health care system, a change in the way they receive home health care has apparently been seamless.
Interim County Executive Paul Eldridge and his predecessor, Robert Bondi, were looking for ways to separate the county”™s home health aide program from its health department when it sent out requests for proposals. Eldridge chose Visiting Nurse Services in Westchester from seven applicants.
VNSW took over in mid-December, keeping most of the county”™s current staff and moving the operation to 4,000 square feet of space on Route 22 in Brewster.
“It”™s a great location for us,” said Carol Weber, Â president and CEO of VNSW. “We have not interrupted any services for the clients and when their nurse comes to visit, it”™s no change in schedule for them. That”™s very important for both the patient and the caregiver.”
Weber said many counties are outsourcing home services to cut costs and improve efficiency. It is very difficult for the county to maintain all the demands of its health department and keep track of what is going on with the home health services. I believe the growing trend toward outsourcing this service to agencies who are solely dedicated to providing it works out for both patients and the county. We are accountable to them to provide the best service, and that”™s exactly what we will do.”
The Medicare-certified home health agency offers nursing, physical, occupational and speech therapy services; social work and home health aide services. It plans to add specialty programs for mental health in-home care, diabetic and cardiac disease management, orthopedic and joint replacement rehabilitation, advanced wound and ostomy care, pain management, therapy services for patients with swallowing disorders and palliative care.
“Putnam”™s program was running at a $600,000 yearly deficit for quite some time,” said Weber, a Putnam resident who works with the county”™s  Department of Health. “Everyone from the Department of Health to its nurses and county staff, was at the table when the decision was made to choose VNS. We”™ve pledged to break even this year and to grow the bottom line doing what we do best. We are a mission-driven organization, so it makes sense for us to be given the opportunity to provide this service to Putnam.”  Weber said she expects the Putnam unit to double its current number of employees before the end of the year.
VNSW accepts private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, private pay and also offers services for free for those unable to pay. “No one is turned away,” Weber said.
For more information, (855) 4-PUTNAM or 845-278-2550.
