LIVINGSTON COUNTY — The Visiting Nurse Service of Rochester Agency, VNS, who has served Monroe County since 1919 has just recently expanded their expertise to patients in need in Livingston County.
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As November is home health care month, VNS looks to step in and help those families in Livingston County that are currently being faced with some tough health issues.
“We have tried to figure out what our long term strategy is, home health care is a tough business to be in,” said Vicky Hines, President and CEO of VNS. “It’s the idea that with any home care agency you live and die with the staff that you hire.”
VNS is affiliated with the University of Rochester Medical Center and Nicholas Noyes Health.
According to Hines, it is especially important to have a good staff as they are a home health agency and in order to maintain a good staff they need to make sure that they can work independently and that they are shown the best practices and given the latest technology.
“A piece of our strategy has been to collaborate and expand with other non profits around the region so that we can chase the best practices that we are already providing and expand that,” said Hines.
According to Hines, VNS’s goal is to expand throughout the region and spread quality care.
The VNS currently has five staff members that all reside in Livingston County, three of which came directly from the former Livingston County CHHA.
“The county CHHA was an excellent chha, it had great quality outcomes but because we are larger we have access to resources that the county CHHA did not because of the nature of their size, but the bottom line is we provide the same kind of service,” said Hines. “With size comes opportunity.”
According to Hines, the VNS makes 300,000 visits per year and has reduced re-hospitalization rates by up to 50%.
“I think we can provide the same satisfaction and also bring more to the table,” said Hines. “The welcome in Livingston County has been really positive.”
The standard services are no different than the former county CHHA, patient services include, nursing, therapy, home health aid support, social work, physical, occupational and speech therapy.
The other sector of patients that the VNS provides services to are patients who are in need of long term assistance.
Telehealth is a monitor in the home for when the nurse is out, and every day the patient themselves can take their vital signs and that transfers back to a nurse at VNS who has a software system that automatically shows if those results are normal for that particular patient.
“Telehealth has a really strong role in making sure that the patients get the help that they need,” said Hines.
According to Hines, the patients enjoy having the monitor there because they in turn learn more about their own health care. This sort of service is especially important as it is very rare to have a nurse visit the same house everyday.
“We not only provide hands on care but we also provide patient education,” said Hines. “We are absolutely thrilled to be in Livingston County.”
For more information about the services provided by the VNS of Rochester please visit, www.vnsnet.com.