A merger was announced today among Bethel Visiting Nurse Association, New Milford Visiting Nurse & Hospice, and RVNAhealth. The resultant entity will retain the RVNAhealth name and be one of the two largest home health and hospice organizations in Fairfield County and the seventh largest in the state.
The combined organization will be a single not-for-profit, mission-driven organization, which the group said will be best situated to meet the needs of the 36 communities they collectively serve in Fairfield, Litchfield and New Haven counties. The agencies anticipate a closing date by the end of this year.
The collective organization will be headquartered at the RVNAhealth building at 27 Governor St. in Ridgefield. RVNA President and CEO Theresa Santoro will assume the same roles at the new organization.
“Our driving force is the health and well-being of our patients and communities ”“ today, tomorrow and 50 years from now,” Santoro said in a statement. “As we worked through the details of the union, and as the Covid-19 pandemic made abundantly clear, pooling our collective talent and resources will allow us to invest deeply in the technologies and services that our communities need to thrive, and that we as agencies need to effectively respond to future health challenges.”
The unified agency will offer:
- Improved access to exceptional home-based and community-based care for individuals and communities across western Connecticut, to address the increasing needs of the state”™s rapidly growing aging population as well as the needs of younger families for access to quality preventative care;
- Expanded offerings of preventative and wellness care and educational programs across populations and communities;
- Enhanced care to address all ages, stages, and levels of health, including: community wellness services, home health, rehabilitation, palliative and hospice care; personal caregiving and nursing; and a range of educational and preventative programs ”” nutrition services; immunizations; annual flu and pneumonia vaccines; health fairs; and
- Organizational and operational benefits ”” including a comprehensive and coordinated service model; a significant depth of clinical leadership and talent; ability to support the needs of all health care partners; flexibility to compete among payors; and long-term viability in the communities served.
“We have all made significant investments in talent, technology, programming, and specialty services over the years to meet the needs of our communities,” Santoro said. “By sharing these resources and making future investments together, we set a stronger foundation for the future and enhance our ability to scale our services as our populations require.”
“The health care landscape is evolving to meet the needs of our aging population, and home care will remain an essential component of high-quality care,” added Bethel Visiting Nurse Association Executive Director Margaret Burke. “The longstanding relationships we”™ve developed in our communities will be upheld through this merger ”“ sustained by bringing greater efficiency and financial strength to our collective operations. The union will help preserve our ability to serve our current communities ”“ and embrace new ones ”“ for the long term.”
Founded in 1927, Bethel Visiting Nurse Association provides home health, rehabilitation, personal support, specialty services, and community health programs, presently serving eight towns in Fairfield and New Haven counties.
New Milford Visiting Nurse and Hospice opened as the New Milford Visiting Nurse Association in 1918, during the Spanish Influenza pandemic, and now serves 18 towns in Fairfield, Litchfield, and New Haven counties. Services include home health, rehabilitation, palliative care, hospice, and community wellness programs.
Founded in 1914 as the District Nursing Association and later becoming Ridgefield VNA, the organization evolved to RVNAhealth in 2019.
