Joanne Handy is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Visiting Nurse Association of Boston, the nation’s oldest and one of its largest such agencies. She is the former President of the Goldman Institute on Aging, an affiliate of the University of California San Francisco, known for its pioneering work in developing community-based services for older adults. She is active nationally in the aging and home care fields, serving as the immediate past Chairman of the Board of the American Society on Aging, the largest gerontological professional association in the country, and on the Boards of both the National Association for Home Care and Visiting Nurse Association of America. She is a former Chair of the California Association for Home Care at Home and served on the National Chronic Care Consortium. She was a Kellogg International Leadership Fellow from 1990-93 and is the author of several publications spanning the areas of geriatrics, home care, management, and marketing. She is a Visiting Scholar at Boston College and an adjunct faculty member of the University of Massachusetts, Boston.
Joanne was recently elected to the AARP Board of Directors and will serve a four year term.
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The Visiting Nurse Association of Boston (VNAB) is a non-profit organization providing comprehensive and compassionate home healthcare and hospice services to Greater Boston residents. Every day, the agency’s experienced nurses, therapists and home health aides visit the homes of thousands of patients and families from infant to elders in a range of socio-economic groups. The VNAB is also the largest provider of home healthcare to individuals who do not have the insurance or financial resources to receive essential care.
Behind the VNAB is over 120 years of service to the Greater Boston community. Established in 1886 under the auspices of the Women’s Education Association (WEA) and known as the Instructive District Nursing Association (IDNA), the IDNA was the first home health care providers in the country. Nurse Amelia Hogkiss made the first home visit on February 6, 1886, to a poor immigrant living in Boston’s West End. In the first year alone, Hodgkiss, along with another nurse, provided 7,128 home health visits to 707 patients; a remarkable schedule by today’s standards. Today, the VNAB provides nearly 250,000 home visits to 12,000 patients annually.
Home Healthcare helps keep families together and allows parents and grandparents to remain outside of institutions. It brings “at risk” babies home with safety and security and provides care for the chronically ill in a comfortable atmosphere, surrounded by loved ones. Thanks to homecare, physically challenged people can function in their community with the support of neighbors and friends.
Studies have shown that patient’s recover more quickly at home, that they live longer, and that they enjoy life with home care support. Substantial cost savings are achieved when home health care is used to prevent or shorten hospital stays or to provide long term care as an alternative to nursing home placement.
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- Volunteer, private, non-profit
- Oldest VNA in the country (est. 1886)
- One of the largest home health care agencies in New England
- Employs 650 healthcare workers and support staff
- Provided over 250,000 visits to over 12,000 patients in 2007
- $34 million operating budget
- Largest provider of free and subsidized home healthcare in Massachusetts
- One of the largest flu immunization programs in Greater Boston
Services
- Skilled Nursing
- Therapy (Physical, Speech, Occupational)
- Home Health Aide
- Medical Social Work
- Nutrition Counseling
- Hospice Care
- Private Pay Care
Programs
- Cardiac Pulmonary Rehab
- Corporate Wellness
- Diabetes Management
- Geriatric Care
- Maternal Child Health
- Telehealth Home Monitoring
- Orthopedic Rehab
- Reducing Acute Care Hospitalization (ReACH)
- Wound Care
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