Visiting Nurse Association of Hudson Valley joins Northwell Health

TARRYTOWN, NY – The state Department of Health has approved an agreement allowing the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of Hudson Valley to join Northwell Health. The partnership with Tarrytown-based VNA further expands the scope of services that Northwell delivers to residents of Westchester and Putnam counties. It builds on the strong regional foundation that Northwell has established in recent years with the addition of Northern Westchester Hospital of Mount Kisco, Phelps Memorial Hospital Center in Sleepy Hollow and Westchester Health Associates, a medical group that has more than 100 providers in 39 locations throughout Westchester and Putnam counties, as well as Stamford, CT.

Comprised of a certified home health agency, a licensed home care services agency and a hospice agency, VNA of Hudson Valley and its 350 employees provide home care to about 6,000 patients, according to a spokesperson. VNA provides a wide range of home services, including skilled nursing, physical, occupational and speech therapy. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

“We look forward to building on VNA of Hudson Valley's long legacy of care and expanding home-based services to families in Westchester and Putnam counties as part of the Northwell Health Home Care Network,” said Merryl Siegel, regional executive director of post-acute services at Northwell Health. “Things have obviously changed enormously at the VNA of Hudson Valley from the days of nurses on foot to today’s thoroughly modern practitioners, but the unifying theme has always remained the same – care, compassion and commitment. It's a culture that's similar to the Northwell Health Home Care Network.”

VNA of Hudson Valley's long history as a home-care provider in the community dates back to1898. Its inspiration came from Ellen Wood, a young Mount Kisco resident who saw women in her family caring for sick neighbors and became determined to get the proper training to carry on this noble tradition. After returning from Spanish-American War in 1898, Ms. Wood joined the American Red Cross Relief Committee as its first nurse. That same year, the organization became the District Nursing Association of Northern Westchester – the ancestor of VNA of Hudson Valley.

“We are excited about our future as part of the Northwell Home Care Network,” said Michele Quirolo, president and CEO of VNA of Hudson Valley. “While the VNA has long been established in our community and has provided vital services, joining with Northwell Health provides the opportunity to accomplish even greater things and to continue our tradition of caring.”

The Northwell Health Home Care Network includes a team of about 2,000 nurses, physical and occupational therapists, speech/language therapists, social workers and home health aides who work with patients in Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island and Long Island to provide the same caliber of care they would expect in a hospital in the privacy of their own home. Its staff serves more than 40,000 patients annually.

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