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History
The Visiting Nurse Association traces its beginnings to a single nurse who rode a bicycle to visit patients at their homes. Throughout its history, VNA leaders continually pushed to provide more to Washington - more nurses, more services, and greater geographic coverage, all while embracing the philosophy of "patient first," a philosophy that is still reflected in our current MedStar Health values.
The proposal to create a visiting nurse society was patterned after similar ventures in the late 19th century in more rapidly industrializing cities. The movement for home health started in England in 1875, when a member of Parliament, William Rathbone, organized nursing services to be provided in the homes of working-class Liverpool residents. Later, it spread to other industrial cities in England and then immigrated across the Atlantic to New York City. By the founding of the Instructive Visiting Nurse Society in 1900, only 20 such societies existed in the United States, employing about 130 visiting nurses.
The Visiting Nurse Association has weathered many storms in its over 100 years of existence, including a number of wars, the Great Depression, and financial and regulatory struggles as the ever-evolving models of medicine.
As the area it serves has grown, so has the VNA. What began in 1900 as a small venture sponsored by individual donations has expanded today to encompass numerous cities, hundreds of nurses and other health care specialists, offering services to thousands of residents in the greater Washington-Baltimore area. Today, the nurses and other health care professionals of the VNA bring the latest advances in home health care to their patients' doors.
Timeline
| 1900, April 16 |
Instructive Visiting Nurse Society of Washington, DC was incorporated by Emily Tuckerman, Mary W.C. Bayard, and Dr. Anne A Wilson. |
| 1904 |
IVNS opens its office at 2001 I Street, NW |
| 1909 |
IVNS enters into an experimental relationship with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, showing that nursing care could be a cost-effective investment for insurance companies. |
| 1913 |
Budget grows almost five-fold to $21,000. One out of every seven visits was made to tuberculosis patients. |
| 1919 |
First public fundraising campaign reaches goal of $50,000 |
| 1923, October 15 |
First branch office opens, serving Georgetown |
| 1924, April |
Second branch office opens, serving Brightwood, Takoma Park, Petworth, Park View, Mount Pleasant |
| 1925 |
Third branch office opens, serving Southwest Washington |
| 1927 |
IVNS has four cars in its fleet. Mrs. Calvin Coolidge presides over celebration of the 27th anniversary |
| 1930 |
Budget peaks at $139,772 before Great Depression |
| 1932 |
Eight cars in fleet, city divided into 70 districts |
| 1951 |
First physical therapist added to staff |
| 1953 |
Name changed to Visiting Nurse Association, pilot program initiated in Prince George's County to expand services to Maryland |
| 1954 |
Patients in Montgomery County included |
| 1956 |
Visiting nurse services begin to be covered under major medical insurance plans, starting with Group Hospitalization, Inc. of Washington, DC |
| 1958 |
Social worker added to staff
VNA signs contracts with Medicaid agencies in DC and Maryland
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| Mid 1960s |
VNA expands services in the home by introducing home health aides |
| 1967 |
Branch offices in Prince Georges and Montgomery County opened |
| 1975 |
First Lady Betty Ford hosted 75th Anniversary on the White House lawn |
| 1987 |
Merged with Medlantic Healthcare Group, Inc |
| 1998 |
Merged with Helix Health, adding Baltimore area patients |
| 1999 |
Organization becomes MedStar Health |
| 2011 |
Central Maryland office named to national Homecare Elite List |
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