|
 The
year was 1970 – and the Visiting Nurse Association of Porter County
began providing nursing care and physical therapy from a little
three-room house on Calumet Street in Valparaiso with one nurse and
a bank balance of $1,467.96. Since then, the organization has grown
from serving 126 patients in the first year to 2,825 patients and
clients in 2011.
The VNA was founded in 1970 in
response to Porter Memorial Hospital nurses who were concerned with
the well-being of their recently discharged patients. The Beta Gamma
Upsilon sorority served as a driving force in the establishment of
the VNA, helping to mobilize members of the community to action and
providing seed money for the fledgling agency. The agency has grown
from one nurse to an organization with 200 staff members and nearly
500
volunteers. Over the years, in response to community needs, VNA
services have expanded from basic nursing care to also include
rehabilitation therapies, social services, home and inpatient
hospice care, companion homemaker service, Meals on Wheels,
Lifeline, Telehealth, and senior wellness. The VNA most recently
opened the VNA Phoenix Center to provide peer support for grieving
children, teens, young adults and their families.
For more
information about any of the programs and services offered by the
VNA, please call (219) 462-5195. |
