RUTLAND, VT –The Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of the Southwest Region is breaking ground on Thursday, June 21 at noon on 7 Albert Cree Drive for an expansion of its facilities. The 3,000 square foot expansion will be built primarily to meet the demands of growth within the agency’s Hospice program.
The project designed by architect Edward Clark, with construction project management and building by Naylor & Breen Builders will blend the new addition with the existing structure and will incorporate interdisciplinary environments for Hospice team collaboration. A new parking lot will add 30 additional parking spaces. Once completed, the addition will provide needed space for staff training, education, and collaboration and will feature additional spaces for bereavement support, a resource library, and meeting rooms.
The expansion will be funded through a variety of sources, but primarily through a special $850,000 capital campaign. The campaign, called the Life’s Journey Campaign is under the leadership of seasoned fundraiser and board member, Bill Bannerman and has already raised about $200,000. The campaign will officially kick-off at the groundbreaking ceremony and will include a special campaign announcement.
“Hospice and palliative care is an integral and essential part of a community and its core healthcare needs and, quite frankly, the need for services continues to grow,” said Bill Bannerman, Campaign Chairman. “The Hospice program of the VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region has cared for thousands of people in our community over the past decades and our facilities expansion will position us well to continue to be the leader in providing expert physical, emotional and spiritual care for our patients and their families.
“Hospice care is the epitome of the definition of philanthropy,” said Carrie Allen, President of the Board of Directors. “Philanthropy is the love of humankind and hospice care embraces that philosophy by serving patients at the end of their life and providing comfort and support to families. We are confident that the community will continue to support this vital community program through their generous gifts.”
Construction of the parking lot has already begun with the building work beginning in late June.
About the VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region
Founded in Rutland, Vermont, the VNAHSR has grown to include locations throughout Bennington and Rutland Counties. VNAHSR is a non-profit, Medicare-certified home health and hospice agency delivering a wide-range of advanced medical care with compassion, dependability, and expertise to people of all ages.
With office locations in Bennington, Dorset, Manchester and Rutland, we have nearly 350 trusted health professionals and caregivers committed to providing exceptional care to patients and families.
Proud of our national reputation for quality care, VNAHSR is highly rated for Quality of Patient Care and Patient Satisfaction from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and is recognized as one of the nation’s top 100 performing home health agencies, by HomeCare Elite, a market-leading review that identifies top Medicare-certified agencies.
