Mid-Year IMPACT Report

Telehealth has been part of patient care here at Cornerstone VNA for 28 years. We were early adopters, and we’ve never stopped investing in technology that helps us reach patients where they are.

This year, we’re building on that legacy through a new partnership with Ibis Health. Ibis is a remote support program designed for individuals managing multiple chronic health conditions. Ibis works hand-in-hand with our team to help keep patients healthy and safe at home, which is exactly where they want to be. The result? A significant decrease in hospital readmissions.

For many of our hospice patients, their pets are their world. During the first half of this year, our Pet Peace of Mind program supported 26 pets belonging to our hospice patients.

Pets provide such a source of comfort, especially at the end of life. Through Pet Peace of Mind, we help patients keep their pets with them, for as long as possible. Our Pet Peace of Mind fund helps cover food, vet bills, and grooming expenses, and our volunteers step in to walk, feed, and care for these animals, and even help with rehoming if that becomes necessary.

We’re also excited that, thanks to a partnership with Golden Dog Adventure Company, we’re hosting our 2nd Annual Paws & Purpose event on September 27th, to raise money and awareness for this program. [Event page]

Our Lymphedema and Wound Management Coordinators were recently honored at a conference in California for their success in healing complex wounds.

This is a highly specialized service. It takes significant time and expense to become dual-certified in this field, and very few home health organizations offer it. But we’re committed to providing it, because of the difference it makes. In just the first six months of this year, our specialized 5-person clinical team provided 1,804 visits, and thanks to their expertise, we’re healing wounds that many patients never thought possible. (read more)

In May, we celebrated a milestone, our 10th Annual Caregivers Connect event. This year, we moved to a larger venue to accommodate the growing popularity of the event, and we welcomed 50 local family caregivers for an afternoon of support, education, and connection.

Caregiving can be a lonely and demanding journey, and this event is our way of bringing caregivers together and giving them a little extra support along the way. We’re so grateful to First Seacoast Bank for continuing to sponsor this special gathering, year after year.

Finally, we love training the next generation of nurses. This year, we’re welcoming 4 new nursing graduates to our team.

It’s not common for new graduates to enter home healthcare right out of school since it takes a lot of preparation to work independently in a patient’s home. But our Education Team provides comprehensive training and mentorship to make sure our new nurses feel confident and supported as they grow into their roles. They’ll be joining the ranks of our 55 field nurses, who do this important work every single day.