A message from Bob Franko, CEO
Hello and Seasons Greetings to friends & supporters of the VNA Hospice. Thank you for visiting our site.
I’d like to address some rumors and misrepresentations that you may have heard concerning our Arthur B. and Ethel V. Horton Hospice Center. Foremost, the Center is not closing. We are, however, initiating new policies on admissions beginning on January 1, 2026. Specifically, the Center will be available only for established home hospice patients of the VNA Hospice. We can no longer accept external referrals directly into the Center. Operational costs of making the Center available to external referrals while admissions have declined significantly has become impossible to sustain. With a lack of any county, state, or other subsidy to help mitigate operational losses, particularly for those without any funding source, it is no longer feasible to count on donations and the generosity of other contributors to close a nearly $700,000 funding gap each year.
Inpatient care is a vital part of our continuum, and we will continue to seek subsidization from county and state sources as we believe everyone has the right to the high-quality specialized care that our Center provides. Families who have experienced this care for loved ones understand the value and importance of this level of care in managing intense and often extreme symptoms related a patient’s terminal condition. We’re pleased to continue to provide this care to patients of VNA Hospice under more sustainable terms. None of the private, for-profit hospices in our area operate an inpatient center, so we believe it is our obligation as a nonprofit to take these steps to retain access to it.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support of our vital nonprofit hospice and palliative services. On behalf of our Board of Directors, staff and volunteers, please accept my warmest wishes for a healthy and memorable holiday season.