Vero Beach, FL — The Visiting Nurse Association of the Treasure Coast and Nightingale Private Duty Nursing, Inc. are pleased to announce that Nightingale is now a part of the VNA.
Nightingale was founded in 1998 by Yvonne Sue Stutzke, RN, with the mission of providing private duty nursing services to help families at home when they need it most. The agency started with just 10 employees, but its staff has since grown to well over 100. Nightingale’s nurses, home health aides, and therapists provide custodial care and care management services in patients’ homes for as long as needed. They even offer live-in and 24-hour care, if necessary. “We are so happy to be joining hands with the VNA,” says Stutzke of the sale. “By adding Nightingale’s custodial care to the intermittent care already provided by the VNA, patients can now receive the care they need whenever they need it.”
Sharon Broome, President and CEO of the VNA, echoes Stuzke’s sentiments. “Nightingale’s mission of providing help at home when families need it most is perfectly aligned with the mission of the VNA,” she says. “With Nightingale now a part of the VNA, we will be able to provide a complete continuum of care for our patients. For example, suppose a chronically ill Medicare patient is admitted to the hospital due to complications. Upon discharge, the VNA can provide skilled nursing or therapy services as covered by Medicare, while Nightingale can provide longer term or even live-in assistance, if a patient needs it. The benefit to patients is that now they can receive all of their care from the same trusted agency.”
Broome also reports that the VNA has no intention of dropping the Nightingale name. “Nightingale is a trusted healthcare resource in our community,” she says. “That’s the result of a commitment to providing the best patient care possible…and we have no intention of changing that approach to care.”
The VNA provides home healthcare services—now including private duty nursing care—throughout Indian River, St. Lucie, and Brevard Counties. The non-profit agency also offers in-home companions, transportation to and from doctor appointments, annual flu vaccinations, free monthly blood pressure and blood sugar screenings, and a speakers’ bureau for community groups. The VNA is also the only licensed hospice provider in Indian River County.
Click here to visit the Nightingale Private Duty Nursing website.
