Visiting nurses of Aroostook named 2008 National Best Practice

    Fazzi Associates, Inc., a national consulting, benchmarking and best practice research firm, has named Visiting Nurses of Aroostook (VNA) a 2008 National Best Practice Agency.
    “This is the second year in a row that we have received this honor,” says Saundra Scott-Adams, executive vice president. “This award is a credit to our entire staff of nurses, therapists, home health aides, social workers and office staff. I am proud of our team and wish to thank them for their dedication to our home care and hospice patients and families.”
    Agencies named as national best practice agencies are proven leaders and have excelled in two of the most important measures of an agency’s success – quality and financial viability. Based on Home Health Compare quality scores and Medicare financial viability results, Visiting Nurses of Aroostook placed in the top 25 percent of all agencies in the BestWorks national database to receive a BestWorks Award of Distinction. This award is presented to home health organizations that have demonstrated superior performance in both financial results and patient outcomes.
    VNA is celebrating 40 years of service to our Aroostook County neighbors and friends. Last year, VNA’s caring staff drove 714,089 miles to provide 37,178 visits to 1,264 patients and their families. Although home care and hospice services are paid for by public and private sources, or directly by patients and their families, tax-exempt donations from individuals, businesses and towns help cover the costs of care provided to the uninsured or underinsured.
    A part of the Eastern Maine HomeCare Family, and a member of EMHS, Visiting Nurses of Aroostook works to ensure the highest quality home care and hospice is available to all who need it in the nearly 80 towns they serve. For more information about its home care and hospice services, please visit them at www.visitingnursesofaroostook.org or call 498-2578.