History

Visiting Nurse Association traces its roots to a group of nurses who traveled to St. Louis homes by horse and buggy in the late 1800's, arriving with only a wash basin and other basic medical supplies. Today, our organization provides the same high-quality home care that St. Louisans have come to expect since the agency's inception almost 90 years ago.

Home nursing or private duty nursing in the home was conceived in 1865 in Liverpool, England where a wealthy English gentleman hired a nurse to care for his ailing wife. Locally, the Provident Association of St. Louis organized the area's first nursing committee to care for "the indigent sick" in their homes in 1895.

Provident's visiting nurses preferred horse and buggy to streetcar services in the late 1800's, finding it to be a more efficient mode of transportation in accessing homebound patients. It has been said that the visiting nurse would arrive at a patient's home with clean linens, sheets and gowns. Frequently, a small white dog would accompany the nurse to guard the buggy's contents during the visit.

We've come a long way since the days of horse and buggy. Provident Association's vision resulted in Visiting Nurse Association being officially organized as an independent, not-for-profit home health care agency on January 6, 1911.

Call today.
Professionals are standing by to answer all of your questions. 314-918-7171 or 1-800-392-4740 (toll-free)
Fax: 314-918-8053
tdwelch@vnastl-cmc.com

Many services are paid for by Medicare. Ask your doctor to specify Visiting Nurse Association (VNA).