LEWISBURG — Evangelical Community Hospital’s board of directors recently approved the sale of Evangelical Home Health to VNA Health System, which provides home health care services in 18 counties in central Pennsylvania.
As the newest addition to the VNA Health System family of agencies, Home Health will continue to care for patients in its current coverage area in central Pennsylvania.
“The hospital has taken this step following more than a year of analysis and review,” said Michael O’Keefe, president of Evangelical Community Hospital. Sandy Nelson, director of Evangelical Home Health and the upcoming director of the new Home Health office with VNAHS, said, “In the coming months, we will begin to transition Evangelical Home Health patients and staff to VNAHS. VNAHS is a growing company with positive financials and has committed to providing quality care to our current and future patients.”
VNAHS will be acquiring all Evangelical Home Health employees so there will be no jobs lost. VNAHS has ensured there will be no interruption of home health services to any Evangelical Home Health patient.
“We at VNAHS recognize the talent, compassion and high level of care that Evangelical Home Health Nurses and staff have always extended to their patients. Their Home Health staff will make a positive addition to our team of dedicated nurses,” said Joseph L. Scopelliti, president/CEO of VNA Health System.
“We are excited about the opportunities this merger presents for service area expansion and increasing our growth potential,” Scopelliti said. “The combination will strengthen existing community health care programs for our respective organizations and allow for the development of new services.”
According to Nelson, “VNA Health Systems has a very similar mission as Evangelical Home Health. They have acquired several other home health agencies in the past five years that have kept their own identity and employees. Plus, discussion with the most recent acquisition has verified that the process has been transparent for patients and staff. Patients should expect to receive their same services from the same staff.” Evangelical Home Health has been in existence since 1984 and has served more than 20,000 patients in Snyder, Union and Northumberland counties. Evangelical Hospice, currently a program of Evangelical Home Health Services, will remain part of Evangelical Community Hospital and will not be part of the transition.
VNA Health System is a non-profit, community-based, free-standing integrated home health agency founded in March 1913. VNAHS maintains its principal office at 21 W. Independence St., Shamokin.
