Inpatient Hospice

1-800-WE VISIT

VNA of Northern NJ to Open Inpatient Hospice
at Saint Clare’s Dover Hospital

Milestone expansion marks creation of home care provider’s first inpatient unit
Morristown, NJ, August 12, 2019 -- The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern NJ (VNA), a leading regional provider of comprehensive home health care solutions, is pleased to announce the upcoming opening of a 12-bed inpatient VNA Hospice at Saint Clare’s Dover Hospital under a licensure expansion granted by the NJ Department of Health. The facility, located in a recently vacated leased space on the fourth floor of the hospital’s south wing, will open on August 19.   
 
“Together with our established hospice at home program, this inpatient unit will help to ensure the availability and continuity of care for area residents with life limiting illnesses,” said Faith F. Scott, MPH, MBA, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Visiting Nurse Association of Northern NJ.  “While most hospice patients prefer to remain at home, some have needs that require transfers to inpatient care.   Our VNA is now better positioned to seamlessly support such patients and their loved ones by delivering high quality, coordinated, compassionate care in both settings.”
   
A Long Commitment to Hospice
“This strategic development is a logical next step for the Visiting Nurse Association of Northern NJ which has served patients in the final phase of life throughout its 121-year history and operated a dedicated in-home hospice program since 1995,” CEO Scott said. “Our organization has historically been at the forefront of addressing timely community needs and hospice care currently ranks among them.”
 
The VNA’s comprehensive hospice program is dedicated to comforting patients with limited life expectancies and their loved ones.  An individualized care plan is devised for every client based upon their needs and preferences. The VNA is equipped to provide physician case oversight; pain and symptom management; skilled nursing; rehabilitative therapy; registered dietician/nutrition services; counseling by licensed social workers; chaplains; practical home health aide assistance with personal hygiene and household tasks; and specially trained volunteer companions.  In the difficult months following the passing of a loved one, the VNA also offers bereavement counseling for family members.  
 
“The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern NJ is a leading regional provider of home-based hospice care. We are delighted that VNA has elected to establish an inpatient facility at Saint Clare’s Dover Hospital.  By selecting this location, the VNA is making end-of-life resources conveniently available to patients with complex pain and symptom management needs,” said Jan Bednar, Chief Nursing Officer, Saint Clare's Health. 
 
Hospice Support for Saint Clare’s Denville Hospital
A separate hospice contract between the Visiting Nurse Association of Northern NJ and Saint Clare’s Denville Hospital was also recently finalized.  Under the terms of that agreement, the VNA will assist with palliative and hospice care services on the Denville campus.
 
The Dover and Denville hospitals are part of Saint Clare’s Health which also operates a network of specialty and ancillary care facilities that serve residents of Morris, Sussex and Warren Counties. 
 
About VNA
The Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey (VNA) is a nonprofit organization with a distinguished history that spans 121 years. Its service area encompasses Morris, Hunterdon, Sussex and Warren Counties and neighboring communities. VNA services include skilled nursing, physical, occupational and speech therapy, hospice, certified home health aides, caregiver support programs, private care solutions, telehealth and Friendship House, a social adult day care center.   For more information, call 1-800-WE-VISIT (938-4748) or go to vnannj.org. 
 
About Saint Clare’s Health
Saint Clare’s Health is a CMS 5 Star Rated and award-winning provider of safe, high quality, compassionate care serving the communities of Morris and Sussex counties. Its network of hospitals and healthcare facilities include Denville Hospital, Dover Hospital, Behavioral Health centers in Boonton, Denville, and Parsippany, and an Imaging Center in Parsippany, among other satellite locations. To learn more, visit SaintClares.com. 

400 W Blackwell St., Dover, NJ 07801