 VNA Home Health Care Services was established in 1942 as the Spokane Visiting Nurse Association. It is Spokane’s only not-for-profit home health agency. VNA is known for having outstanding, experienced staff and providing the highest quality of care. We provide care for all ages (other than infants) and all medical diagnoses. Care is provided to individuals who have difficulty leaving home and need their health care provided in their home. This can be for a temporary condition, such as post-surgical care, or a chronic condition such as heart failure, diabetes or Parkinson’s disease.
As a Providence Sponsored Ministry, VNA cares for all aspects of the person - physical, mental and spiritual. In addition to providing expert patient care, VNA staff focuses on teaching and supporting patients as well as caregivers, family and friends, recognizing their importance in the healing process.
VNA provides care regardless of ability to pay. Charitable services are made possible by United Way funding, individual and corporate donations, grants, and planned gifts. If you would like more information about donating to VNA, please click here or call 534-4300.
VNA History
Mother Joseph
Mother Emilie Gamelin
PHC Continuum of Care
VNA is part of a continuum of care known as Providence Health Care (PHC), which includes a network of 11 integrated ministries in Eastern Washington. All PHC ministries are governed by a local, volunteer Board of Directors representing the interests of the community. PHC ministries include:
- Sacred Heart Medical Center & Children’s Hospital
- Holy Family Hospital
- VNA Home Health Care Services
- St. Joseph Care Center
- Holy Family Adult Day Centers
- Emilie Court Assisted Living
- Pathology Associates Medical Laboratories (PAML)
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VNA Founder
Marjorie Kitto Lyon |
- Providence Physician Services
- St. Joseph’s Hospital, Chewelah
- DominiCare (in-home personal care), Chewelah
- Mount Carmel Hospital, Colville
Providence Health & Services
VNA and Providence Health Care are also a part of the larger Providence Health & Services (PH&S), which are all sponsored by the Sisters of Providence. PH&S employs 45,000 people who serve communities in Alaska, Washington, Montana, Oregon and California. Providence Health & Services includes 26 hospitals, more than 35 non-acute facilities, home health, long term care, adult day health, physician clinics, a health plan, a liberal arts university, a high school, child care and housing. For more information about PH&S, click here.
VNA & Providence Heritage
Providence Health & Services is built on a foundation of more than 150 years of caring by the Sisters of Providence, who left Montreal for the Pacific Northwest in 1856. The example of compassionate service set by the Sisters of Providence enriches our VNA heritage and guides our future.
VNA History
| 1919 |
Efforts to organize a VNA in Spokane are interrupted by involvement with WWI. |
| 1942 |
A "bedside nursing program" (named the Visiting Nurse Association) is organized in Spokane under the direction of Marjorie Lyon. |
| 1943 |
Visiting Nurse Association Incorporated January 6, 1943, to provide nursing services throughout the City of Spokane to: persons served by the Tuberculosis League (22%), to infants and children previously served by the Family Welfare Association (26%) and service through the Red Cross (52%) to families of men in the Armed Forces. Charge for visit Mother and Baby $1.50 first hour, $1.00 second hour, 5% victory tax to be charged.
First six months of service January - June 1943, 3,730 calls to 970 patients.
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| 1944 |
Nurses are exempt from Federal income tax and Federal Social Security tax. (Oh how we long for the good old days!) |
| 1945 |
Doubling in cases for care of Rheumatic Fever - service for TB steady - Whooping cough on the increase |
| 1947 |
VNA becomes a United Way agency (then known as the Community Chest). |
| 1948 |
VNA merges with City Health Department for improved cost effectiveness and efficiency. |
| 1966 |
Medicare begins paying for home health care as part of the new Social Security Act. VNA leaves affiliation with the City Health Department in July, and receives notice of Medicare Certification in August. |
| 1967 |
VNA's Annual Budget $63,000. |
| 1971 |
VNA losing $1,600 month. In July, the VNA Board votes on a motion to cease operations July 30, giving employees two week notice. Mrs. Marjorie Lyon abstains from voting (ultimately saving VNA). On July 27, at a special meeting of the Board, the motion of July 21 to cease operations of VNA is rescinded. |
| 1974 |
VNA provides 90% of home health care visits in Spokane. (Today's estimate is 65%.) |
| 1976 |
Legislation. "The Older Americans Act", expands funding for home services for the elderly. VNA experiences a pattern of record volumes of home visits over the next few years. |
| 1983 |
A name change . . . to doing business as VNA Home Health Care Services. |
| 1984 |
Medicare implements a prospective payment system for hospital care for the elderly (the “DRG” - diagnosis related groups - system provided payment to hospitals by patient’s diagnosis rather than daily rates). The results included earlier hospital discharges and rapid growth in need for skilled home health care. |
| 1985 |
VNA's Foundation is started to ensure the continuation of our mission of serving all who need VNA services . . . regardless of ability to pay.
VNA launches Continuing Care Inc., a private duty home care service, and in 1986, becomes partners with SHMC and Holy Family in C.C.I.'s ownership.
VNA reaches record volume of annual visits - 50,053 and automation (computerization) of office and business systems begins.
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| 1989 |
New wardrobes for patient care staff as "blue & white" becomes history.
The VNA Foundation becomes inactive as the Board decides that Development & Fund Raising, which is becoming more important for the achievement of VNA’s Mission, will be managed within the VNA.
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| 1990 |
Record number of visits are set almost weekly, as VNA's rate of growth is 31% over 1 year ago. Continuing Care, Inc., is closed. VNA’s first community newsletter, “At Home With VNA” begins to be published. |
| 1991 |
The Marjorie Lyon Training Center & Resource Library is opened and dedicated in honor of VNA founder Marjorie Lyon. |
| 1992 |
VNA celebrates 50 years of caring service to the community. |
| 1993 |
Visit Volumes exceed 103,000. VNA moves into larger building at 3901 E. Main, doubling office space available to staff. |
| 1995 |
4,500 patients are served through 125,000 visits. Staff number 245. FTEs are 160. In the first 5 years, VNA’s Development Program has raised over $250,000 for support of VNA’s charitable mission. |
| 1996 |
Multiple market forces, including the impact of Managed Care led to a reduction in total visits to 85,000 and the unfortunate layoff of expert, valued employees. Although more patients are admitted to services, there is a reduction in number of visits to patients. VNA remains financially strong and excels in quality of services. |
| 1997 |
After one year of planning and fulfillment of VNA’s strategic priorities and in response to an invitation from Providence Services, VNA becomes a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Providence, St. Ignatius Province under the Providence Services Corporation organizational umbrella, March 1, 1997. Visits per patient per admission average 45 visits. |
| 1998 |
All Providence entities in Eastern Washington agree to merge governing boards to create Providence Services Eastern Washington (PSEW) with one governing Board. The Vision of PSEW is defined as “An aligned system providing a continuum of care for Eastern Washington, convenient to and supporting encounters between patients and clinicians that ensures the viability of the Providence mission and ministry into the future.” Two VNA Board members, Rick Fike and Sue Devaney, are appointed to the new PSEW Board. The VNA Board of Directors transitions to an Advisory Board. VNA remains a distinct corporate entity, a freestanding home health organization under PSEW. The VNA President & CEO now reports to the PSEW President & CEO. |
| 1999 |
Continued pressures from payers to decrease visits per admission challenge VNA to maintain quality services while increasing teaching to patients and caregivers. VNA staff responded with continuing creativity and expertise resulting in 22 visits per patient per admission. 48,000 visits provided to 2200 patients. Charity care provided is at record level of $270,000. |
| 2000 |
The Sisters of Providence of the St. Ignatius Province and the Sacred Heart Province merge on 1/1/2000 to form the Mother Joseph Province. Mother Joseph Province is the sponsor for Health, Education and Human Service Ministries throughout the Western United States.
On October 1, the Medicare payment system changes to a prospective payment methodology – representing the most sweeping change in Medicare Home Health since the inception of Medicare in 1965. VNA thoroughly prepares for this change and transitions smoothly while continuing to provide quality, complex services.
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| 2001 |
VNA begins to provide telehealth visits to patients using state of the art video technology. Telehealth visits allow VNA clinicians who are in the office to have interactive video connections with patients. This technology enhances patient assessments and teaching. |
| 2002 |
VNA celebrates 60 years of caring, quality services to the Spokane Community. As the largest Home Health provider in Eastern Washington, VNA admitted over 2,700 patients and provided over 44,000 home visits with a staff of more than 120. Complex care is provided by a growing number of expert clinicians including certified diabetic educators, a team of certified enterostomal therapists and skin care nurses, IV clinicians, cardiac care clinicians, end-of-life care clinicians, specialty rehab clinicians and pharmacists.
VNA begin providing single-lead ECG monitoring for cardiac patients using a palm pilot device with special software.
VNA receives a significant bequeath from the estate of Denny Murphy, former VNA Board member and long-time friend and supporter of VNA. The funds provide a substantial increase to the VNA Educational Endowment Fund; enable the purchase of state-of-the art clinical equipment and provide needed funds to support the charity care needs of many patients.
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| 2003 |
Effective August 1, Provide Health Care (PHC) replaces Providence Services Eastern Washington (PSEW) as the corporate name for the regional delivery network of 12 health care ministries (including VNA) serving north-eastern Washington.
In December, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began to make public on its web site outcome data for Home health patients served by Medicare-certified agencies. This information, Home Health Compare, provides the public with comparative data from home health agencies on the outcomes of care as measured by eleven standardized indicators. VNA’s outcomes exceed the State, Regional and National outcomes – once again providing evidence to the Community of the quality VNA’s services.
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| 2004 |
VNA begins an employee-funded Mission Fund to support VNA employees participating in mission trips or other ministry outreach. |
| 2005 |
VNA starts a Home Infusion Pharmacy to better meet the complex care needs of our home health patients. |
| 2006 |
Providence Services and Providence Health System join together in a “reunification” on January 1, 2006 to form a new corporate sponsor, Providence Health & Services, for all Providence ministries in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Montana and California, including VNA.
VNA is selected as one of the “HomeCare Elite”, the inaugural compilation of the most successful home care providers in the nation based on Medicare quality, improvement and financial performance data. To qualify, VNA was in the top 25% nationally in all three areas. VNA provided $800,000 in charity care for home health and home infusion, which was 10% of patient revenues. VNA reaches a historic high patient census of 420.
VNA begins using CoaguChek meters, which provide instant results of INR levels for patients on oral anticoagulation treatment.
VNA’s Medical Consultant of nearly 20 years, Dr. Franklin Browne, internist with Physicians Clinic of Spokane, retires from practice.
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| 2007 |
VNA changes from a paper-based documentation system to POCD (Point of Care Documentation) on tablet computers using BeyondNow software products (HomeWorks and RoadNotes) from Cerner. Extensive training began in the summer with the first patient opened to service using POCD on October 1 for post-surgical care and rehab following a knee replacement. All VNA patients were transitioned to the Cerner System by December 31. This is the single biggest project in the history of VNA and is the culmination of almost two years of planning and implementation involving the entire organization.
Due to changes in treatment protocols and reimbursement, VNA closes its Home Infusion service in order to better meet charitable needs in home health.
Dr. Dan Dionne is VNA’s new Medical Consultant. He is an internist with Physicians Clinic of Spokane.
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| Mother Joseph |
Mother Joseph of the Sacred Heart
Pioneer Sister of Providence in the Pacific Northwest
In 1843, at the age of 20, Sister Joseph dedicated herself to the religious life of the newly formed order of the Sisters of Providence. At the age of 33, she was chosen to lead the first four Providence Sisters from Montreal to Fort Vancouver in the Washington Territory in 1856.
Mother Joseph served the people of the Northwest for 45 years, establishing 29 hospitals (including Sacred Heart Medical Center), schools, orphanages, homes for the aged, shelters for the mentally ill and Indian schools, with a particular emphasis on care of the poor. Mother Joseph died on January 19, at the Providence Academy in Vancouver, Washington at the age of 76, after a short struggle with cancer.
Known as a builder and architect, Mother Joseph and the Sisters set out on horseback on extended "begging tours" to the mining camps of Idaho, the Blue Mountains of Eastern Washington, Montana's Alder Gulch and the Caribou Mines of Western Canada in order to build the ministries necessary to provide for the health care, education and social service needs of the Northwestern and coastal regions of the United States and Canada.
In May 1980, a bronze statue of Mother Joseph was installed in the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C. Mother Joseph became the first nun and the fifth woman to be honored in the hall as "a great American." A copy of the statue can be found in the lobby of Sacred Heart Medical Center. There is also a statue of Mother Joseph depicting her role as “builder of hospitals” alongside the Centennial Trail (near Shenanigans Restaurant), the original location of Sacred Heart Medical Center.
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| Portrait of Mother Emilie Gamelin hangs in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican during Beatification ceremonies in 2002 |
Mother Emilie Gamelin, 1800-1851
Foundress of the Sisters of Providence
The Sisters of Providence were founded in Montreal by Mother Emilie Gamelin. She was born Emilie Tavernier in Montreal, Canada, which was then a small town. She experienced loss at the young age of four when her mother died. Her father had to move around in search of work, so she was sent to live with a nearby aunt, uncle and cousins. When she was 14, Emilie’s father died. Despite her own sorrows, Emilie reached out to help others, visiting the poor and helping to provide for their needs. At the age of 23, Emilie married a trademan 27 years her senior named Jean-Baptiste Gamelin. They had three sons, two of whom died in infancy. In 1827, Emilie's husband died, followed a few months later by her last living child.
In her sorrow, Emilie often prayed before a picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Seven Sorrows. She devoted herself to works of charity, joining the Ladies of Charity to provide food and clothing to the poor. Emilie’s early works are linked to our present home health ministry; she visited the poor in their homes, as well as elderly ladies who could not live alone without help or support. She even took some of them into her own home to be fed and taken care of. She began acquiring houses to care for more of the ill and elderly women. She also began visiting prisoners, bringing them food and hope; and she became known as “the Angel of political prisoners.”
The Bishop of Montreal, Ignace Bourget, officially recognized her work and asked her to help him establish a religious order of women. In 1843 seven young women were received as Daughters of Charity, Servants of the Poor. Emilie was not included among the original seven sisters, as religious leaders did not believe she had the vocation to be a Sister. She later convinced Bishop Bourget of the authenticity of her call to serve and on October 8, 1943, she became Sister Gamelin. She was then elected as the first superior of the new order.
Under the leadership of Mother Gamelin, the Sisters' works of charity expanded rapidly. They established orphanages, schools, hospices, a school for the deaf and homes for the mentally ill. They also cared for the ill, including nursing the victims of a typhus epidemic. Because of their profound trust that the Providence of God would supply the needs of those they served, the Sisters became known as Sisters of Providence, a name they officially adopted. Mother Gamelin died at the age of 51 during a cholera outbreak in Montreal. Proceedings are underway that may lead to the sainthood of Mother Gamelin. On October 7, 2001 Mother Gamelin was beatified and is now known as Blessed Mother Gamelin.
For more information, go to the Sisters of Providence Web site
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