The Overlook Visiting Nurse Association Inc. (OVNA) has established a collaborative agreement with Massachusetts-based Care Central VNA & Hospice Inc.

The move will double Care Central’s (CCVNA) workforce and geographic footprint across its home state. The nonprofit visiting nurse association provides home health, hospice and palliative care, as well as adult day, private duty and telehealth services.

The agreement expands Care Central’s geographic service reach across 30 new communities. The home health and hospice provider now serves 128 towns in Massachusetts.

“Our foremost priority throughout this transition is to ensure patients and families continue to receive uninterrupted, high-quality care,” Holly Chaffee, president and CEO of Care Central, said in a press release. “We are also proud to welcome members of The Overlook team, who share our commitment to compassionate, community-focused care.”

Established in 1911, Overlook VNA recently announced that it would be discontinuing its home health and hospice program. The program included more than 15 specialty care services and served upwards of 800 patients daily in central Massachusetts.

The visiting nurses association is part of the The Overlook/Masonic Health System of MA Inc. (MHS), which is located in Charlton, Massachusetts The health system is the parent company of two subsidiaries: The Overlook Life Care Community and Overlook Health & Rehabilitation Center.

MHS recently announced that it would transition OVNA’s home health, hospice and palliative care services to CCVNA, effective Aug. 28. OVNA elected to move away from direct operations of its home health, hospice and palliative care business lines to refocus its core mission on its senior living flagship campus, the organization indicated in a statement.

The VNA is focusing on the expansion of its independent living program, as well as the addition of a “multitude of campus health care services,” and a newly expanded post-acute, short-term rehabilitation center, which is scheduled to reopen in September 2025, OVNA indicated.

“This transition guarantees that those we have been honored to serve will continue receiving the same high-quality, compassionate care through a trusted organization that shares our values and unwavering commitment to our Overlook residents and team members, as well as the surrounding community,” Tameryn Campbell, MHS president and CEO, said in the press release. “Patients electing to transition to Care Central VNA & Hospice will not only experience continuity of care, but will also be comforted by the familiar faces of staff they already know and trust.”

The two organizations are collaborating on patient care plans and support networks, as well as care coordination among clinical teams.

Care Central has initiated onboarding efforts for Overlook clinicians and support staff. Among the goals is to ensure continuity of care, Campbell stated.

Care Central provided 10,716 hospice visits and a total of 86,258 home health visits in 2023, according to its annual report. The organization’s total revenue reached $20.82 million in Fiscal Year 2023.

In addition to home health and hospice, Care Central offers caregiver and bereavement support groups through its locations in Gardner and Webster, Massachusetts. 

“This tremendous growth allows us to touch the lives of even more patients and families with the compassionate, high-quality care they deserve,” Chaffee stated in a recent social media post. “With this transition, CCVNA is proud to announce that we have doubled the size of our home health and hospice programs, allowing us to serve even more patients across our communities while preserving the same high standards of quality and compassion.”