Since 1927
Bethel Visiting Nurse Association, a non-profit organization, was founded by a group of community-minded women in 1927 at a meeting in the St. Thomas' Episcopal Church. The organization began with one nurse, Sara Baldwin, who functioned as both a school and home care nurse. Since its inception, the Bethel VNA has continued to be governed by a voluntary Board of dedicated individuals through decades of changes and growth. As a result, the Bethel VNA has come a long way in seventy-five plus years.

Our Professional and Paraprofessional Staff
Our professional and paraprofessional staff provides care for all phases of life. Today we have more than a dozen nurses who provide home health care as well as community service via public health screenings, blood pressure monitoring, and flu clinics. In addition to our nurses, our physical therapists assist our patients with ambulation and exercises; our occupational therapists help them with breathing and upper body exercises; our speech therapist helps patients deal with cognitive issues and speech problems; our social workers help them to access appropriate resources and assist with difficult life decisions; our home health aides help our patients with their every day activities and our homemakers help them with light housekeeping chores. Our volunteers visit patients, run errands, give caregivers a break and provide comfort to our dying patients and their families.

Full Circle of Life Care
The Bethel VNA provides home care along the continuum from birth to death. We care for patients when they are coming into the world through our maternal-child health program, during periods of illness or recuperation from surgery under our care of the sick program and at the end of their lives under our palliative care program. Our mission is to provide comprehensive quality health care and to promote wellness in a caring, concerned manner. In addition to Bethel, our staff also provides care to the residents of Brookfield, Newtown and Redding.

Innovations
The Bethel VNA is a progressive home care agency that has recently started a Congestive Heart Failure Management Program with the addition of Telehealth home monitoring equipment.

Education
Since 1968, the Edna Mary Cargill scholarship has been awarded annually to a Bethel Resident who is studying nursing, or a related medical field. This scholarship memorializes Edna Mary Cargill a former Bethel VNA nurse.

Accreditation
The Bethel VNA, a non-profit home care agency, is licensed by the State of Connecticut, is Medicare certified and is accredited by CHAP (Community Health Accreditation Program), a national accrediting body. We are members of the Connecticut Association of Home Care, National Association of Home Care, Visiting Nurse Association of New England and VNA Access.