NEWS RELEASE

Recently, the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) was awarded a $6,000 grant from the Grand Harbor Community Outreach Program to provide a portion of the support required in the Medicaid-Eligible Patient Care Program (M-EPCP). Due to VNA’s 42 year commitment to providing charitable care, the M-EPCP provides funding for people whose low income qualifies them for Medicaid. Qualified patients are under the age of 65, and either under-insured, or without health insurance or money to pay for their health care. The M-EPCP will allow the non-profit home health organization to provide necessary, and sometimes urgent, medical care for an estimated 120 indigent home health patients during the next fiscal year.

“Unfortunately, Medicaid reimbursement covers only a small portion of the cost to provide the multitude of services needed by these very sick patients. The partnership between the Grand Harbor Community Outreach Program and the VNA ensures access to critical home health care for some of our community’s most vulnerable residents so they can return to a productive, independent life,” said Ann Marie McCrystal, VNA co-founder. “Without this program, additional unnecessary trips to the emergency department or re-admission to the hospital would probably be the only solutions, which are not best for the patient or their family.”

Since its founding in 2001, Grand Harbor Outreach has raised and distributed nearly $3.5 million dollars into the local community to help in the areas of education, health, jobs and human services. This collective endeavor which involves 400 donors, more than 100 volunteers and 20 corporate sponsors is transforming lives, strengthening families and rebuilding communities.

The VNA has been serving residents of Indian River County for over four decades, and continues to ensure that the most medically needy in the community are never denied home health care because of their inability to pay. The Grand Harbor Community Outreach Program has helped VNA succeed in doing so by awarding the organization grant money consistently since 2013. For more information about the Grand Harbor Community Outreach Program, please visit www.GHCOP.org. For more information about VNA services, please visit www.vnatc.com.

About the VNA

The Visiting Nurse Association (VNA), a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, provides home healthcare services—including Medicare-reimbursed and private-duty nursing; home health aides; physical, speech, and occupational therapy; in-home companions; and personal transportation—throughout Indian River County. The agency is also the only licensed hospice provider in Indian River County, offering end-of-life care in patients’ homes, local hospitals, nursing homes and assisted living facilities, and the VNA Hospice House. The VNA also provides community wellness services such as flu vaccinations, no-cost blood pressure/blood sugar screenings, and speakers on health-related topics for local community groups.