The health care management organization h/care has acquired the home health and hospice provider Visiting Nurse Association of Ohio (VNA). Financial terms were undisclosed.

VNA was established in 1902 by 13 women seeking to provide care to the seriously ill. The organization has been considering a sale for some time, according to Ryan Haller, CEO and founding principal of h/care. The two companies connected through mutual industry relationships, Haller said.

“That initial conversation between our leadership teams — particularly among the CEOs — quickly evolved into a deeper dialogue about how our more entrepreneurial, decentralized model might better support the needs of the staff, patients and greater Cleveland community,” Haller told Hospice News in an email. “It became clear that there was strong alignment in values and vision for the future of home health and hospice care in northeast Ohio.”

h/care’s goals for the transaction include expanding access to care among underserved communities, integrating new technologies to support caregivers and streamline patient experiences, empowering local leadership and ensuring continuity of care.

The company also plans to grow VNA’s continuum of care with an emphasis on home health, mental health, hospice and private duty care.

h/care expects the deal to be a springboard for expansion. The Cleveland market “fits perfectly” into the company’s hub-and-spoke growth model, Haller indicated.

“Establishing a strong base in Cleveland gives us a launchpad to grow into adjacent markets across Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and upstate New York — areas that are demographically attractive and medically underserved,” Haller said. “We are currently doing the same model in Phoenix. We have never aspired to be the largest provider, just one that is very strategic and has strong tailwinds with demographics of the Boomers.”