Building Campaign - History
In July 1968, the Clarion Community Action Agency and concerned citizens met to organize the Clarion County Visiting Nurse Association. Concerned citizens raised funds in various ways including a contribution from the Clarion County Commissioners. By 1972 the funds were depleted and the agency could no longer provide services. The VNA was reactivated in July 1973 through the efforts of the Board of Directors and community leaders. The association became accredited with the State of Pennsylvania and operated as a branch office of the Butler Regional Home Health Care Agency with Sister Willemene Krise as Executive Director.
After receiving approval by Medicare and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, on October 15, 1975, the Board of Directors of the Clarion County Visiting Nurse Association separated from the Butler Agency. Sister Willemene Krise became Executive Director of the Clarion County Visiting Nurse Association. Additional funding came from the County Commissioners and the United Way of Clarion County. Supportive services were added; first home health aides, then physical therapy, speech therapy, and medical social services.
The VNA’s first office was in the basement of Trinity Lutheran Church in Shippenville, Pennsylvania. From the Church basement, the VNA then relocated to a home on Main Street in Shippenville. In 1988, the VNA moved to Knox, where they rented and then purchased a former funeral home. In 1994 the VNA acquired a property directly behind the office which now houses the VNA Business Office.
A branch office was opened in Tionesta, Forest County in 1979, but was closed in 1987. However, services continue to the residence of Forest County.
Jill Over became Executive Director of the agency in 1988. The agency was undergoing great financial hardship at the time. Thanks to the hard work of a dedicated board and staff, the agency was able to recover and began to grow again. A maternal/infant program was started in 1990. Specialty Care was added in 1991 to provide services to patients in an acute phase of a progressive illness. Occupational therapy was also added in 1991.
VNA’s Specialty Care and Extended Care Services became the proud occupants of a new office in Clarion on February 14, 1994; operating out of the West Penn Orthopedics building on Perkins Road. In March 1994, the VNA received certification from Medicare to provide hospice care. This certification enabled the VNA to provide care for the terminally ill under the Medicare Hospice Benefit and was the first program of its kind in Clarion and Forest Counties.
In 1997 the VNA added an Adult Daily Living Center (ADLC) which was housed on West Main Street in Clarion. In September of 1998 Specialty Care and Hospice moved to the Knox Main Office. In March of 1999 Extended Care moved from the West Penn Orthopedic building to our Adult Day Care building in Clarion. In 2002, Extended Care purchased a building located on Main Street, Shippenville, PA and both Extended Care and the ADLC are currently there.
Hospice House became a reality when it opened in September 2006. The front portion of the Extended Care building was remodeled into a three bedroom home with a living space, sun porch, full and half bath, counseling room and a new conference room.
Today, the Clarion Forest VNA and VNA Extended Care Services maintain the tradition of excellent in home health care handed down to them by the Clarion County VNA.