Care… it’s in our name and in our mission

Our mission is to provide exceptional home health care and hospice services that enhance comfort, promote healing and independence, and improve the quality of life for the patients and families we serve.

VNHC History

As the oldest home healthcare agency in Stamford, Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care of Southwestern CT has been the cornerstone of home care nursing in lower Fairfield County. The guiding principal since the agency began has been to provide compassionate care to those in need, regardless of financial circumstances, while responding to community needs with improved and increased services.

VNA Care of Stamford was founded in 1912 with one nurse and 400 patients. Until 1913, when a bicycle was donated, patient visits were made on foot or by trolley. As the agency grew, VNA nurses took on a greater role in preventative medicine, with visits to schools and homes of the poor to teach healthy living skills.

In the seventies, the hospice philosophy of compassionate, dignified home care for terminally ill people was gaining national recognition. In October 1981, Hospice of Stamford opened its doors in space donated by Champion International, functioning as a program of VNA. By June of 1982, Hospice of Stamford had secured its own license and certification as an independent home health agency.

VNA Care was integrated into the Stamford Health System in 1994. Hospice Care became a Stamford Health System affiliate in 1996. In 1998 the two agencies were united and became Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care of Southwestern CT, Inc.

In 2000, VNHC added residential hospice care to its roster of services with the opening of the Richard L. Rosenthal Hospice Residence. For hospice patients who cannot manage to be cared for at home, this 12-bed facility offers an alternative, in a peaceful, home-like setting. The Rosenthal Residence is the only one of its kind in the State of Connecticut, and is located on the campus of Stamford Hospital.

The most recent shift came in 2004, when Stamford Health System divested itself of VNHC, and we once again became an independent, not-for-profit, health care agency. Throughout these shifts in affiliation and location, VNHC has never lost sight of the importance of the human touch in healthcare, and compassionate caring remains a constant.