Annual Report
A Message From the Chairman and CEO
By anyone’s measure, we are entering a new and exciting era in health care.
The passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act, in March, set in motion reforms that will influence the entire health care industry. We at the Vineyard Nursing Association are most interested in how the legislation will affect home health care on Martha’s Vineyard. We not only are committed to understanding the new model and adapting our business practices accordingly, but also to capitalizing on opportunities—created by the legislation—to expand our programs and enhance the services we provide.
The national law also comes at a time of shifting demographics for our community. We are all living longer, and the segment of the Vineyard population over the age of 60 is also growing due to the number of retirees choosing to move here. In less than a decade, almost a quarter of the island population will be senior citizens.
It is clear that the Vineyard will face sharp increases in the demand for home health that require action now.
As we look to the future, we see three priorities for the VNA: investing in staff development, enhancing programs and services, and purchasing our current headquarters.
Our reputation stands on the shoulders of our nurses, therapists, and health aides. The healthcare field changes fast, and finding and retaining professional staff on the Vineyard is difficult. We must shore up our recruitment efforts, as well as develop the skills of current staff by connecting them to professional education and training opportunities. To this end, with the support of Our Island Club, we are helping a new nurse with the educational costs associated with obtaining her RN. We need to do more of this.
We must also make sure our employees are armed with the best tools and the latest technologies. Already, we have equipped our nurses with laptop computers so they can report and chart patients’ health changes. These reports are also available electronically to physicians, enabling access to the most current patient information possible. Most recently, we invested in automated machines that help in the daily distribution of medication to patients, greatly reducing problems associated with medication mismanagement.
Additionally, we need to develop new programs to meet the growing needs of an aging Vineyard population-expanding our patient and caregiver support groups and potentially implementing an Adult Day Health program for people needing special medical support.
Lastly, few people realize that the VNA does not have a permanent home. In the past five years we have occupied three different locations. Fortunately, we have an opportunity to create a permanent location at our current address. We have a one-time option to purchase our current headquarters. An investment in this location will enable us to invest more than $100,000 a year in savings from rent into new programs and staff that will be required to serve the needs of the Vineyard community.
We encourage you to review this Annual Report to learn more about the VNA and understand how an investment in the VNA is an investment in the health of the Martha’s Vineyard community. We look to you for support and welcome your input.
Best wishes,
By anyone’s measure, we are entering a new and exciting era in health care.
The passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act, in March, set in motion reforms that will influence the entire health care industry. We at the Vineyard Nursing Association are most interested in how the legislation will affect home health care on Martha’s Vineyard. We not only are committed to understanding the new model and adapting our business practices accordingly, but also to capitalizing on opportunities—created by the legislation—to expand our programs and enhance the services we provide.
The national law also comes at a time of shifting demographics for our community. We are all living longer, and the segment of the Vineyard population over the age of 60 is also growing due to the number of retirees choosing to move here. In less than a decade, almost a quarter of the island population will be senior citizens.
It is clear that the Vineyard will face sharp increases in the demand for home health that require action now.
As we look to the future, we see three priorities for the VNA: investing in staff development, enhancing programs and services, and purchasing our current headquarters.
Our reputation stands on the shoulders of our nurses, therapists, and health aides. The healthcare field changes fast, and finding and retaining professional staff on the Vineyard is difficult. We must shore up our recruitment efforts, as well as develop the skills of current staff by connecting them to professional education and training opportunities. To this end, with the support of Our Island Club, we are helping a new nurse with the educational costs associated with obtaining her RN. We need to do more of this.
We must also make sure our employees are armed with the best tools and the latest technologies. Already, we have equipped our nurses with laptop computers so they can report and chart patients’ health changes. These reports are also available electronically to physicians, enabling access to the most current patient information possible. Most recently, we invested in automated machines that help in the daily distribution of medication to patients, greatly reducing problems associated with medication mismanagement.
Additionally, we need to develop new programs to meet the growing needs of an aging Vineyard population-expanding our patient and caregiver support groups and potentially implementing an Adult Day Health program for people needing special medical support.
Lastly, few people realize that the VNA does not have a permanent home. In the past five years we have occupied three different locations. Fortunately, we have an opportunity to create a permanent location at our current address. We have a one-time option to purchase our current headquarters. An investment in this location will enable us to invest more than $100,000 a year in savings from rent into new programs and staff that will be required to serve the needs of the Vineyard community.
We encourage you to review this Annual Report to learn more about the VNA and understand how an investment in the VNA is an investment in the health of the Martha’s Vineyard community. We look to you for support and welcome your input.
Best wishes,
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Michael Goldsmith
Chairman | Robert Tonti
CEO |
Click the pdf link below to download our Annual Report.
| vna-annualrpt2009.pdf |
Vineyard Nursing Association
A Community Based Non-Profit Medicare-Medicaid Certified Agency
A Community Based Non-Profit Medicare-Medicaid Certified Agency
