VNA in Glastonbury Celebrates 90 Years
A reception was held on November 12 to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Glastonbury office of VNA HealthCare.
Glastonbury Citizen
November 25, 2009
By Chris Seymour
Not many groups can claim such a long rich history in Glastonbury as the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA). The organization is celebrating nine decades of serving the community this year.
That long heritage was recognized Nov. 12 as the local VNA held a 90th Anniversary Celebration at its 969 Hebron Ave. office. Town Council member Marti Curtiss was on hand to present the group with a formal Council resolution expressing thanks and appreciation for the VNA and congratulating it on 90 years of service to the community.
Previously known as the Glastonbury VNA, in 1994 the local organization became a part of VNA HealthCare. Today the organization serves the state with offices in Glastonbury, Cheshire, Enfield, Hartford, Southbury, Waterbury and Windsor Locks.
VNA HealthCare is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to “improve the health and well being of individuals by providing a full range of home care, hospice and community-based health and wellness services.”
While most of the patients VNA sees are elderly, it will assist anyone who needs help. “we do care for anybody who needs help – it could be a 20-year-old,” said Joy Savulak, VNA HealthCare Communications Manager.
Last year, the 40-person staff of the Glastonbury office made 33,000 home visits to nearly 2,000 residents of Glastonbury, South Glastonbury, Wethersfield, Rocky Hill, Cromwell, East Hartford, Manchester, Hebron, Marlborough, and Amston.
The Glastonbury office also provides nearly 6,000 Meals on Wheels a year to Glastonbury residents who are unable to cook for themselves.
That’s quite a leap from 1919, when the VNA started in town.
In 1918, the population of Glastonbury was close to 5,600 (compared to around 35,000 today). According to VNA records, the group evolved when women who had been working to help in the World War I effort decided their assistance could be expanded to include local people in need of nursing care.
The Women’s Council of Defense of Glastonbury held several mass meetings to determine if the need warranted the formation of a visiting nurse program and then, with the aid of the War Bureau, took steps to begin the operation.
On June 24, 1919, the VNA hired Miss Marjorie G. Vail as the first visiting nurse. Current VNA HealthCare president Ellen Rothberg reflected on that early history at the recent celebration. “I can’t help by wonder what Ms. Vail would say if she could see us now,” she observed.
The Glastonbury VNA had just one staff member until 1928, when a part-time assistant was added. That same year, 3,092 visits were made by the group.
The local VNA has a history of being deeply involved in the community-and not just for adults. For example, the group held “a conference for babies and children” in 1920 and immunized 828 children against diphtheria in 1930.
At the conference for babies and children in 1920, a newspaper article at the time stated, “Demonstrations will be given of the care of babies, of proper feeding and up-to-date methods. They will meet at St. James’s parish house one afternoon a week. If it proves to be of use they will meet in other centers of the town. This conference with the doctors and nurses is free. All interested have donated their time and meeting place.”
Not everyone was grateful for the VNA’s work apparently. In 1934, someone stole the VNA’s car used for home visits. The stolen vehicle’s registration certificate was found several months later in Westerly, R.I., but the car was not recovered.
The VNA purchased a new Plymouth coupe for $592.11 in August 1934. Within 21 days, the nurse had put more than 440 miles on the new vehicle.
In 1937, the VNA had made a total of 2,716 visits to 760 families. By 1955, the GVNA had grown as three fulltime nurses worked there.
“Throughout the years, we’ve seen the agency evolve in size and scope,” said Rothberg.
In 1965, with the advent of Medicare and the subsequent reduction in the length of hospital stays, the need for home health care ballooned. These needs were reflected in the significant growth of the VNA staff and the expanded range of services offered to Glastonbury residents.
Despite the fact that nearly a century has passed, Savulak said that VNA’s “community outreach is still there” as well as its “focus on prevention.”
While she wasn’t sure where the original VNA office was in Glastonbury, Savulak said that, in 1942, VNA was located at 2225 Main St. In 1969, VNA was located at 2210 Main Street.
In 1973 it made 4,547 visits to Glastonbury residents. In 1974 the group moved from its Main Street location to 972 New London Tpk.
In 1977, VNA moved its headquarters to 34 National Dr. to allow more space for its increasing services. VNA moved again in 1985 when it relocated from 34 National Dr. to 647 New London Tpk. in order to accommodate increased demand for home care services. In 1990, VNA moved to its current location at 969 Hebron Avenue where it is also able to hold well child clinics.
Today, the VNA offers a host of services to patients, including, of course, the tradition visiting nurses. Specialty nurses include those in the fields of cardiac, wound, diabetes and respiratory care.
There is also home health telemonitoring – a program that enables patients to take their own vital signs daily. Data is transmitted via phone lines to the VNA office, where a nurse monitors the patients’ condition daily.
Other VNA services include physical, occupational and speech therapies; nutritionist; medical social workers; home care aides and homemakers; and a hospice program. VNA also offers independent living services, which provides assistance and in-home solutions to keep individuals living independently at home. Services range from an extra helping hand with housework and personal care to Meals on Wheels.
Though the years have passed, the core mission remains the same. “It’s still one person at a time seeing one family member, one patient,” said Rothberg.
