Orange Visiting Nurse Association, an official town agency, 605 Orange Center Road, is celebrating its 75th anniversary with an open house tomorrow, Wednesday, May 9, from 12-4 p.m.
First Selectman James M. Zeoli will open the formal program with a proclamation followed by remarks from Severio (Bob) P. Fedora, chairman of the Orange Board of Health; Thomas J. Krause, chairman of the OVNA Board of Governors and Dr. Joseph H. Zelson, Orange medical director.
The public is invited and light refreshments will be served.
Orange Visiting Nurse Association began as the Orange Public Health Nursing Service in 1937 and has been providing community, school and home healthcare services to Orange residents and neighboring communities ever since.
The first nurse was Madeline Fox RN, who started out under contract in 1935 from the Derby Visiting Nurse Association, but soon the town recognized that her services were needed full time. She served as the school nurse and public health nurse and attendees who are interested in history can enjoy reading about delivery of health care in the late 30s and 40s as well as look at old photos.
The agency has evolved over the years but has remained true to its original mission of meeting the health care needs and focusing on prevention and promotion of health across the age spectrum.
The OVNA is licensed by the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health as a full-service Home Health agency and is certified by Medicare and Medicaid and is nationally accredited by CHAP (Community Health Accreditation Program).
OVNA provides skilled nursing, physical therapy, occupational and speech therapy, MSW and home health aides to homebound patients with the focus of preventing re-hospitalization and teaching disease self management skills.
The agency’s staff are able to manage a variety of health issues through its Disease Management Program, CHF Program, orthopedic/fracture rehab program, wound care program which is individualized to meet the patient’s needs in collaboration with their physician. For more information call 203-891-4572.
