VNA Today

Volume 25 • No. 3 • 2010

The Newsletter of the Visiting Nurse Association

of the Treasure Coast

The Power of Laughter

Looking for a fun and unique

way to support the VNA?
Then mark your calendar for
Saturday, November 20 th for
the VNA’s “Hustle for Home
Health and Hospice.” Join us
for this exciting event as we
celebrate our 35 th anniversary
and National Home Care and
Hospice Month. This 3.5-mile
walk/run will begin at 7:35
a.m. at 1110 35th Lane (VNA
main building). The first
235 registrants will receive a
Anyone within earshot of Verna Braden’s room at Consulate Health free long-sleeved t-shirt and
Care knows when the “Laughing Lady” is visiting. medals will be awarded to all
The “Laughing Lady” is Nancy Johnson, a certified laughter leader finishers. All proceeds will
from Sebastian and a member of the VNA’s North County Advisory benefit the VNA’s charitable
Council. Johnson is a grandmother, volunteer, consultant, and home health and hospice care
someone whose husband died of cancer in VNA Hospice care thirteen in our community. For more
years ago. information or to register,
visit www.vnatc.com/race.
Verna a VNA hospice patient who has Alzheimer’s, is the first patient
to try the laughter sessions, which are paid for by her daughter,
Pamela Bennett, of Vero Beach.

From the sound of things on a recent Monday morning, the sessions WHAT’S INSIDE
are working terrifically for Verna, eighty-nine. All sorts of things
make people laugh, experts say, and it doesn’t take a comedian, or Operation Medicine
even a good joke to fill a person’s lungs with laughter or eyes with 5 Cabinet
joy. Laughter can improve the mood of the very sick and even those
facing terminal illnesses. 6 Answer Nurse

“Laughter is contagious,” Johnson explains. “When someone is What Your Donations

laughing in front of you, it is awfully hard not to laugh as well.” 11 Accomplish
See Laughter on page 3 © 2010 VNA of the Treasure Coast

www.vnatc.com • 1110 35th Lane • Vero Beach, FL 32960 • 772.567.5551 • 800.749.5760

 VNA Welcomes New President & CEO
The VNA’s new CEO has
experienced healthcare in a
way that very few others in the
profession ever will.
Joyce Baldrica gave her mother
a kidney, her quadriplegic
brother a life he could never
have expected without her
help, and transformed her
grandmother’s fatal overdose
of insulin into a lifelong quest
Joyce Baldrica,
President and CEO for patient safety.
Drawing from her Midwestern middle-class roots,
Baldrica worked her way through undergraduate
school as a bank teller, eventually finishing with a
Master’s degree with honors in accounting.
Baldrica started her healthcare career as a hospital
data entry clerk, became a patient accountant,
then a roving Medicare auditor. After several
increasingly larger healthcare finance and
management positions, in 2008 she became a
regional Vice President of St. John Providence
Health System, a $2.5-billion non-profit in the
Detroit area.
So why Vero Beach? “I realized that it wasn’t about
what I could accomplish but about what I wanted
to accomplish,” she said. “I wanted to lead an
organization that cared for our most vulnerable
and often over-looked populations – and to care
for them in their surroundings not an institution,
because I truly believe home is where the healing
can begin.”
She describes herself as a “servant leader with a
laser-like focus on both the patient experience and
improving associate satisfaction.” Those around her
say she leads by example and listens more than she
talks.
While she was in college, two tragedies changed
the course of her life and the way she practices
her career. In 1989, her 19-year-old brother was
paralyzed by an ocean wave while vacationing in
Florida. He had no insurance, hence there was
no immediate surgery and he was about to be
shunted to the margins of medicine. It was then
that Baldrica saw first-hand what can happen to
2 www.vnatc.com
“medically indigent” patients and what role home
healthcare can play in their lives.
“That is where I really learned about caring for
someone…caring for someone in the middle of the
night,” Baldrica said. It is where she learned what
it meant to take for granted simple things like
the ability to get oneself a drink of water without
needing assistance.
Today, her brother is independent, working as a
job counselor in a program that helps disabled
employees. And, as a result of Baldrica’s experience
with her brother, she said she felt “called” to a
career in home healthcare and it shaped who she is
as a healthcare professional and as a person.
Baldrica’s grandmother was sixty-seven when she
developed diabetes and needed insulin. Forced
to drop from school in the third grade, she could
not read or write. “She hadn’t quite understood
everything the nurse said but she didn’t want the
nurse to think she was stupid,” Baldrica said of
her grandmother’s first experience with insulin in
1987. The next day she gave herself an entire day’s
dose of insulin in one injection and within hours
Baldrica’s grandmother died.
“Years later, it dawned on me,” Baldrica said. “In
patient safety, no question is a dumb question. We
ask if they understand what we say, but we are not
asking them to show us.”
Under her leadership, VNA associates and patients
can count on a formalized, rigorous patient safety
and quality assurance program, she said.
Five years ago, another major event occured.
“My mother, at sixty-two, lost the function of her
kidneys and I donated one of mine to her. After
that, I would meet monthly with potential donors
and talk about my experience—one woman even
wanted to see my scars. It has been five years since
the donation and both my mother and I are doing
well.”
When she kicks back, Baldrica bikes, reads, walks,
eats s’mores, and spends time with her husband,
Tony, and their children, Brittany, 16, a high
school junior and son, Anthony, 18, a University of
Michigan pre-med student.
Continued from page 1

The Power of Laughter VNA Community

Partner Profile

The Alzheimer & Parkinson

Association of Indian River
County is a self-supporting,
27-year-old organization that
seeks to promote the highest
quality of life for caregivers,
families, and those affected by
Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and
Johnson calls on a bag full of props, including a hilarious, flip-
related neurological diseases.
flopping, green, stuffed mechanical alligator whose antics could
They offer many services to
put a grin on the Egyptian sphinx. Verna laughs aloud when
community members including
Johnson puts it on the table and the critter takes off.
support groups, lending library
Johnson’s work evokes everything from giggles to guffaws. and resource center, monthly
Bennett says she couldn’t be happier with her mom’s laughter meetings, respite care, activity
sessions. “It is just fabulous. It sets her whole week,” Bennett center, weekly Parkinson’s
said. “I think it gets her mind and hands going for the week.” exercise classes, memory
screenings, monthly newsletter,
A simple hand mirror that Johnson gives Verna is especially and other community outreach
effective, Bennett said, always evoking a humorous response activities. The VNA is a proud
from her mother when she peers into the looking glass and asks: supporter and partner of
“Verna, where have you been?” the Alzheimer & Parkinson
There is a lot of lung-stretching laughter going on during this Association of Indian River
fast-paced hour of fun. Verna laughs aloud as she clutches, County. For more information,
squeezes, or cuddles stuffed critters that squeak or squawk, flip visit the association’s website at
or flop. There is even a white, fuzzy bear that says aloud things www.alzpark.org or call them at
like “I love You.” Out comes a yellow stuffed light bulb and they 772.563.0505.
belt out together: “This Little Light of Mine.” Verna sings along
with other stuffed animals that play everything from slamming
‘Mo Town’ to softies like, “That’s What Friends Are For,” sung by
“Girly,” a bear wearing a pink, feathered hat.

“Laughter therapy actually prolongs life,” explained Kathy

Parker, VNA’s Vice President of Hospice. “It improves both
cardiac and pulmonary function. It releases healing endorphins
that help fight infection and it speeds up metabolism.” Follow Us Online
“This of course supports the theory that there is definitely a
vnatc.com
correlation between mind and body.”
facebook.com/vnatc
“She has to be the happiest resident here,” said Verna’s VNA
health aide, Heather Brathwaite. “I think that every Monday
twitter.com/vnatc
Mrs. Johnson comes in, she puts a renewal on that smile.” youtube.com/vnatc

VNA Today 3
 A Time to
Remember
Take a moment this
holiday season to reflect on
special memories of loved
ones and honor them by
hanging an angel card on
the VNA Hospice Tree of
Remembrance, November 26
through December 24 at the
Indian River Mall.
As part of the Tree of
Remembrance program, VNA
Hospice also offers hand-
crafted porcelain holiday
ornaments and personalized
ornaments to individuals
who donate to our hospice
program. Teddy bear cards
will also be available for
children to color and hang on
a special Teddy Bear Tree.
The proceeds from ornament
sales, and other generous
donations help provide
hospice care to patients in
Indian River County who face
a life-limiting illness.
4 www.vnatc.com
Award Named for Nursing
Educator
At age sixty-one, a time when most
people are starting to slow down,
Dr. Katherine Schenk was just
warming up—beginning an impressive
volunteer career with the VNA that
would span thirty years.
The ninty-one-year-old retired nurse/
educator closed that chapter of her
volunteer service in 2010 and became
the first recipient of a new VNA
Outstanding Volunteer Award that
from now on will bear her name.
The “Katherine Schenk Award” will go
to the VNA volunteer who gives the
most hours of service each year.
Dr. Katherine Schenk
“For thirty years Katherine Schenk
has been a tireless worker, a great friend of her patients, our
nurses, and an inspiration to all of us at the VNA,” said Ann Marie
McCrystal, a founding member of the VNA and current Chairman of
the VNA of the Treasure Coast Board.
Katherine, who earned her doctorate in education from the
University of Florida in 1969, is a former Duke University nursing
professor. She started in the early days of the VNA, giving extra
nursing attention to ten special needs patients five days a week.
In later years she meticulously reviewed hundreds of patient
records each week to ensure that procedures were followed and
documented. She also wrote the VNA’s first policies and procedures
manual and established a nursing education library.
“It was really fun working with young nurses,” Katherine said. “It
was like being a teacher but not having to go to faculty meetings,
or give grades, or do any of the other unpleasant jobs of being a
teacher.” “The things they are doing with patients in the home, the
technical things that were never seen outside the hospital,” she
explained, were not in play when she began her career with the
VNA.
“Education! Education just oozes from her,” said longtime friend
Queen McGowan, VNA Referral Specialist, who worked closely with
Katherine for eight years beginning in 1988. “She’s just a caring
person. So gentle. She has just a calming effect. So smooth, so
charming, so graceful.”
Katherine held many job titles in her storied career at the VNA. The
one she cherishes? “Of all of those, I like: Education Assistant.”
As we went to press, we learned Katherine passed away from a
brief illness. She was a cherished volunteer and an irreplaceable
member of the VNA family. Katherine, you will be missed!
VNA Hidden Treasures Hosts
Operation Medicine Cabinet
On July 12, 2010, the VNA Hidden Treasures Resale
Boutique hosted the Indian River County Sheriff Office’s
Operation Medicine Cabinet Pharmaceutical Take Back
Program, an effort to collect expired and unwanted
medications from community members. The program,
endorsed by the Florida Crime Prevention Association,
runs May through August with a variety of drop-off
locations throughout the county.
“Operation Medicine Cabinet’s goal is to keep unused or
expired medication out of the environment and out of
the wrong hands, because prescription drug usage has
become an abused narcotic today,” said Deputy Roberta
Barker, who runs the county’s program.
The operation at VNA Hidden Treasures started at 9:00
a.m. and within an hour, boxes of prescriptions, vitamins,
and other over-the-counter medications were collected
and then emptied into a hazardous waste box before being
sent to an incineration facility in Orlando.
The operation was very successful, with more than
thirty-four pounds collected in three hours, bringing the
County’s total amount collected to date 421.28 pounds,
according to Barker. Hidden Treasures will now be added
to the regular schedule for collection locations, according
to store manager Theresa Ooley.
For more information about Operation Medicine Cabinet
Pharmaceutical Take Back Program or to find out when
the next operation will take place, please contact the
Indian River County Sheriff’s office at 772.569.6700.
Please Join Us in
Welcoming…
RosALie WeBsTeR
ViCE PRESiDENT
OF HUMAN
RESOURCES AND
EDUCATiON
Rosalie brings to
the VNA more than
fourteen years of HR
support, employee
relations, and managerial experience
in human resource positions for large
companies. In her new role, Webster
will be responsible for the management
and direction of all aspects of the
VNA’s human resource and education
departments. Prior to joining the VNA,
she served as the Human Resource
Director at Senior Resource Association
in Vero Beach, where she provided
leadership, support, and recruitment.
In addition to working at Senior Resource
Association, Webster previously worked
at Musa Holdings, in Florida, as the
Human Resource Director, where she took
a one year project to revamp HR functions
and enhance department and company
performance.
“I have used several services of the VNA
as a caregiver, so I am thrilled to be part
of this great organization. In my role,
I look forward to enhancing Human
Resources and Education to better meet
the changing needs of our associates,
patients, and community,” said Rosalie.
Webster received both her bachelor’s and
master’s degree from Montclair State
University in Montclair, New Jersey.
She is also received her SPHR (Senior
Professional in Human Resources)
through the Society of Human Resource
Management at FAU.
VNA Today 5
 Shoo the Flu
VNA ANSWER NURSE
Glenda Kouns Grady is an Advanced Registered Nurse
Practitioner with the Visiting Nurse Association and is certified
by the American Nurses Credentialing Center in Family
Practice.
Q—What is the difference between the common cold and the seasonal flu?

A—The seasonal flu virus is much more dangerous than the common cold
virus and has longer-lasting effects. The seasonal flu is more dangerous
because it can lead to more serious illnesses like pneumonia. Children and
seniors are especially susceptible to developing pneumonia if they have the
seasonal flu. Seasonal flu symptoms are more severe and come on more
quickly. They include: sore throat, cough, headache, fever, muscle soreness,
congestion, and exhaustion. More severe flu symptoms include chills,
vomiting, and diarrhea, which are also common in pneumonia.
Glenda Kouns Grady, ARNP
The common cold typically lasts one week and presents symptoms that come
on gradually, such as sore throat, runny nose, nasal and chest congestion,
and sometimes mild cough. The common cold is contagious for the first
Health three days a person is experiencing symptoms. Pneumonia kills over 60,000
Americans each year and is the leading cause of death in children. Pneumonia

Screening is also the fifth killer of seniors age sixty-five and older.

Schedule
Getting vaccinated against both the flu and pneumonia viruses is easy,
inexpensive, and can help reduce your risk of developing a life-threatening
illness.
Available “shoo the Flu” with the VNA

Online For seventeen years, the VNA has provided low-cost flu and pneumonia
vaccinations throughout Indian River, St. Lucie, and south-central Brevard
Did you know that Counties. Immunization clinics are hosted by local businesses, civic
you have access to the organizations, places of worship, social clubs, and homeowners’ associations
VNA’s blood pressure/ from late September through mid-January. There is no out-of-pocket expense
blood sugar screening for those who present their Medicare or Health First insurance card at the
schedule with just the time of immunization. The VNA will bill these insurances on your behalf.
click of a button? Visit For a complete list of flu and pneumonia vaccination clinics, please visit our
www.vnatc.com and website at www.vnatc.com or call our “Shoo the Flu” hotline at 772.567.5760,
click on the “Community Option 4. If you are interested in scheduling a clinic for your organization,
Wellness” block in the please contact Maggie Creelman at 772.978.5524 or mcreelman@vnatc.com
center of the screen to
view the latest schedule.
The VNA Answer Nurse welcomes your questions. Please write or call: The
You may also call our
VNA Answer Nurse, 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32960, 772.978.5636, or
health screening hotline
answernurse@vnatc.com.
772.567.5760, Option 6.
This material is for general information. To diagnose a specific illness or
disorder, consult your doctor.

6 www.vnatc.com
18th Annual “Shoo the Flu”
Program Keeps Community
Protected
This year marks several important anniversaries for the VNA.
It is our 35th year providing home healthcare to our friends
and neighbors in Indian River County. On May 3rd, we held
our 20th annual Golf-A-Thon fundraiser. This year also marks
the 10th anniversary of both our Hospice House, and our VNA
Mobile Unit
Space Coast office in Melbourne. Last, but certainly not least,
2010 marks the 18th season of our “Shoo the Flu” vaccination
Schedule
program. The VNA Mobile Unit provides
As you probably know, the flu is nothing to sneeze at. In fact, on basic healthcare services free of
average, approximately 36,000 Americans die from influenza charge for Indian River County
each year, and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from residents who are without
flu-related complications. The best way to protect yourself from health insurance. Our Mobile
the flu is by getting a seasonal flu shot every year, so why not get Unit’s nurse practitioners can
yours from the VNA? We provide low-cost flu and pneumonia examine patients, diagnose
vaccinations at clinic locations throughout Indian River and their illnesses, and prescribe
Brevard Counties. Our immunization clinics are held at local
medications.
businesses, civic organizations, places of worship, social clubs,
and homeowners’ associations from late September through sunday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
mid-January. Fellsmere Community Center
56 North Broadway Street, Fellsmere
There are a few changes this flu season about which you should
be aware. First, you may remember that seasonal influenza Monday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
vaccine protects against three strains of influenza. This year’s Winn Dixie Shopping Plaza
vaccine will protect against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, 2950 9th St. S.W., Vero Beach *
which caused the 2009 pandemic. (Last year because the 2009
H1N1 virus emerged after production began on the seasonal Tuesday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
vaccine, two separate vaccines were needed to protect against Riverview Park
seasonal flu and the 2009 H1N1 pandemic flu virus.) This year, U.S. Highway 1 and Harrison St., Sebastian *
only one vaccine is necessary. Wednesday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Second, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is VNA Parking Lot
now recommending that all people six months of age and older 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach *
should get flu vaccine. This differs from past recommendations, Thursday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
which focused on vaccination of persons at increased risk for Gifford Youth Activity Center
complications from influenza. Simply put, make plans now to 4875 43rd Avenue, Vero Beach *
get your seasonal flu vaccination.
Friday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
This year, flu vaccinations will be $25 and pneumonia VNA Parking Lot
vaccinations $60. As in years past, there is no out-of-pocket 1110 35th Lane, Vero Beach *
expense for those who present their Medicare or Health First
card at the time of immunization. The VNA will bill these saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
insurances on your behalf. CVS Pharmacy
8495 U.S. Highway 1, Wabasso
To locate a “Shoo the Flu” clinic near you or to schedule a clinic
for your organization, please visit www.vnatc.com, and click on * Closed for lunch from noon – 1 p.m.
“Shoo the Flu.”
VNA Today 7
 Protecting Our Patients
Effective August 1, 2010 all newly hired associates,
contract employees, and volunteers of the
VNA will be required to undergo a “level two”
security clearance screening before beginning
employment. Previously, the Agency for Health
Care Administration (AHCA) only required a “level
one” screening. AHCA is the chief health policy
and planning entity for the state of Florida. They
are primarily responsible for the state’s $18 billion
Medicaid program that serves over 2.7 million
Floridians, the licensure of the state’s 41,000
health care facilities, and the sharing of health
care data through the Florida Center for Health
Information and Policy Analysis.
This change in legislation was recently passed in
an effort to create uniform screening requirements
and to increase the protection of patients and
agencies that administer home health services in
the state of Florida.
A level one background check is fairly
straightforward. This form of background check
takes the applicant’s basic information, (name, age,
social security number, etc.), to search through
the state of Florida criminal records. The term
“background check” is often used interchangeably
with “criminal history check.”
Thank You For
Your Support
The VNA & Hospice Foundation would
like to thank the following sponsors for
their support of the “VNA’s Hustle for
Home Health and Hospice.”
8 www.vnatc.com
A level two background check is more strenuous
and in-depth. It requires that the applicant also
fill out a fingerprint card. This card is sent to
the Florida Department of Law Enforcement
(FDLE) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) where the prints are compared against
their database to search in criminal records both
statewide and nationally.
The results of these background checks are what’s
really important. There are certain crimes that
will bar a person from working in the healthcare
field in the state of Florida. Crimes such as fraud,
identity theft, and forgery will disqualify persons
from working in the healthcare field in the state.
“The law presents a financial and logistical
challenge, but in the long run, provides added
peace of mind to caregivers, parents, patients, and
employers, knowing that a nationwide background
check is performed, and the individual has no
history of questionable background,” said Rosalie
Webster, VNA Vice President of Human Resources.
Additionally, the VNA will have until July 31, 2015
to conduct level two background screenings on all
existing associates, volunteers, and contract staff.
Platinum sponsor
Gold Sponsors
Congratulations to…
Susie Barstow, VNA Hospice
Clinical Educator, recently
completed a nationally recognized
“train-the-trainers” course with
the End of Life Nursing Education
Consortium (ELNEC). The focus
of the course was to provide
continuing education nurses, like
Susie, with the latest information
on end-of-life palliative care.
Barstow is now able to provide in-
service training to VNA nurses as
well as nurses at local facilities and
hospitals. Susie is also a Certified
Susie Barstow
Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse.
Sonja Monroy, VNA Hospice House home health aide,
recently passed her Certified Hospice and Palliative Nursing
Assistant exam. Test topics included: patient and family care,
social and spiritual care, interdisciplinary team collaboration,
and ethics, roles, and responsibilities of the nursing assistant
in the end of life care setting. By obtaining this certification
Sonja has demonstrated her dedication to excellence in this
highly specialized field of care.
Bereavement Day Camp
for children who have experienced
the death of a relative, loved one, or
close friend.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
LaPorte Farms
7700 129th Street, Sebastian
•Pony and Hay Rides
•Pumpkin Painting
•Crafts
•Live Butterfly Release
For more information or to
register, call Tracey Soethe at
772.978.5553
Let Us Help You
Through Trying
Times
The VNA’s “COPES” program offers
practical training and support to
those caring for a sick loved one. The
program is free of charge, and all are
welcome to attend.
COPES Caregiver Support Group
First Thursday of every month
10:30 – 11:30 a.m
Third Thursday of every month
11:00 – 12:00 a.m
First Presbyterian Church
1405 Louisiana Avenue, Sebastian
VNA bereavement counselors offer
guidance and support to individuals
and families who have experienced
the loss of a loved one. Services are
available free of charge to all Indian
River County residents. All are
welcome to attend.
Bereavement Support Group
Tuesdays 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Hall
10205 US Highway 1, Sebastian
This is a general bereavement group
Wednesdays 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.
our savior Lutheran Church
1850 6th Avenue, Vero Beach
This is a general bereavement group
Thursdays 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
sebastian River Medical Center
13695 US Highway 1, Sebastian
This is a general bereavement group
Thursdays 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Community Church Library
1901 23rd Street, Vero Beach
This group is for parents who are coping
with the loss of a child
VNA Today 9
 Thanks to You, VNA Associates
We’re Celebrating 35 years Give Back
VNA associates have given an
overwhelming $10,000 to the
organization’s 2010 Annual
Appeal. These donations help
Dear Friends, support charitable home health
and hospice care in Indian River
What seems to be only the blink of an eye to the founders County, charitable home healthcare
of the Visiting Nurse Association of the Treasure Coast is in Brevard County, and the VNA
a truly momentous occasion for Indian River County. We Associate Emergency Fund,
are currently celebrating thirty-five years of progressive which assists VNA associates
and quality healthcare. Looking back to 1975, we fully experiencing hardship.
understand the gravity of the founders’ actions. Their
innovative thinking has benefitted our community by This generosity demonstrated by
providing progressive and quality care. In the past thirty- our associates, shows commitment
five years we have grown from a staff of one nurse, to more to the agency and to the patients
than 500, not including our 400 volunteers. The VNA of the that we serve in our community.
Treasure Coast continues to grow with your help, setting The VNA is more than a
new standards for patients and caregivers needing home- healthcare agency; we are a group
based care, hospice, and community health services. of compassionate individuals,
dedicated to providing the best
The superb hospice care given to my father led me to join personalized care to everyone in
the VNA Hospice Board in 1992. Subsequently, I served as need. We care!
a hospice board member and Chair, and then as the VNA
Treasure Coast Board Chairman, and for the last four
years as Co-Vice Chair of the Foundation Board.

I am honored to take over the role of VNA & Hospice

Foundation Chairman, following in the footsteps of one
remarkable founder, Ann Marie McCrystal. Her thirty- Make A Gift
five years of commitment, and nineteen years of service Make a gift to the VNA & Hospice
as the Foundation Chairman, are a contagious inspiration Foundation now and keep the
to all of us to further the VNA’s mission with continued income for life with a charitable
enthusiasm. gift annuity!
Charitable healthcare support is an increasing need. More
Indian River County residents than ever are struggling to single Life
obtain the care they need but are unable to afford. As we Age of Gift Annuity
look to the future, we are blessed to have you, our faithful Annuitant Payment Rates
donors, invested in the wellbeing of our community. 60 – 69 5.0 – 5.6%
70 – 79 5.7 – 6.9%
Thank you for helping us make a difference
80 – 89 7.1 – 9.2%
yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
90+ 9.5%

Sincerely, This information is provided as an educational

service only. Rates are subject to change. For one-
life or two-lives specific rate information, contact
Richard Johnson at the
VNA & Hospice Foundation at 772.978.5574 or
Carol M. Kanarek email rjohnson@vnatc.com. For advice, contact
your tax advisor.

10 www.vnatc.com
What Your Donations Accomplish
At least once a week a VNA nurse checks on Josh
Finch’s IV, changes his bandages, inspects the
catheter that runs from his arm to his heart, and
draws blood for analysis.
streamlining patient care. Contributions also cover
staff and volunteer training, wellness programs,
bereavement programs, and services like blood
pressure and blood sugar screenings.

Josh, twenty, a supermarket stock clerk without
medical insurance, wants to work every day and
live life normally, but a spine condition and a
blood disorder are preventing that right now.
Josh, who will need VNA services for about
three months, is one of the many patients whose
uninsured medical costs are being covered by the
VNA & Hospice Foundation and the community’s
generous support.
Nearly sixty percent of donations to the VNA
go toward direct care for home health and
hospice patients. Donations also offset operating
expenses of the VNA Hospice House and help
buy equipment and software like the agency’s
new medical information computer system that is
People can support the VNA in a variety of ways.
They can give to the annual appeal, include the
VNA in their estate, or participate in a charitable
gift annuity in which the giver contributes cash or
stock that the VNA invests and pays a fixed rate,
based on age, to the donor. When the donor passes
away, the balance of the annuity becomes available
to the VNA for its general charitable purposes.
A memorial or honorarium is a fitting tribute to
someone who has been cared for in the VNA’s
Hospice program. Individuals, business or
organizations can sponsor a Golf-A-Thon green or
a tee, or donate a set amount of money for each
hole the local golf pros play in the marathon spring
event.

How your contribution helps:

• $150 pays for one nursing or physical therapy
visit.

• $100 sends an elementary school-age child to

Camp Chrysalis, a bereavement program for
youngsters who have experienced the loss of a
loved one.

• $1,000 funds nearly one year of service for

a chronically ill patient using an in home
telemonitor device that measures vital
health indicators like blood pressure, blood
sugar, heart rate, and weight. The computer
sends the information to VNA headquarters
where a nurse decides if the patient needs an
immediate visit or other intervention.

VNA Today 11
 NON PROFiT
ORGANiZATiON
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
VERO BEACH, FL
PERMiT #240
1110 35th Lane • Vero Beach, FL • 32960
www.vnatc.com

*VNA accepts payment from Medicare/

Medicaid, Private Pay, Private
insurance, Workers’ Compensation
and Veterans’ Assistance.

Mailing information
if you receive multiple mailings, would like
to update your address, or would like to be
removed from our mailing list, please call
772.978.5546 or e-mail mgardner@vnatc.com

GAT Recap
The VNA’s 20th Anniversary Golf-A-Thon, held
on May 3rd at the beautiful Moorings Club,
raised an astounding $200,500 for charitable
hospice and home healthcare! Twelve golf pros
played 135 holes, finishing the last seven in a
competitive shoot-out. One hundred volunteers
from local clubs worked tirelessly driving carts,
repairing divots, raking bunkers, and making
sure the pros had plenty of nourishment to make Golf-A-Thon Pros: (from left to right) Rich Waage, Orchid island; Pat Gorman,
Bent Pine; Frank Mentzer, Grand Harbor; Tom Thornton, The Moorings Club;
it through the day. Thank you for your part in Jason Berchtold, playing for Tom Thornton; Larry Rinker, Riomar; Randy
Hedgecock, Vero Beach County Club; Don Meadows, Quail Valley; Joe Kern,
making this 20th anniversary golf-a-thon a huge indian River Club; Patrick Berry, John’s island; Phil Leddy, Hawk’s Nest; Mark
success! Cammarene, The Club at Pointe West; Matthew Challenor, Windsor

20th Anniversary Golf-A-Thon Corporate Sponsors

Advantage HR Services Donadio & Associates Architects, P.A. Majestic 11 by Cinema World State Farm insurance
Avanzare Gould Cooksey Fennell, P.A. Mama Mia’s Storage Solutions
Bankok in Downtown HBS inc. Windows, Doors Melody inn Restaurant Surf Club Hotel
Becker Holding Corporation HealthSouth Treasure Coast Mimmo’s Scampi Grill T&L Nails & Spa
Becker Trading Co. Rehabilitation Hospital Ocean Grill Tangos ii
Bobby’s Restaurant Holy Cross Catholic Church Ostrom Group The Berghorst Foundation
Bono’s italian Grill Restaurant Panera Bread The Club at Pointe West
Bouchard insurance Jetson Appliance Center Patti’s Bistro The Hill Group
Capt Hiram’s Resort John’s island Real Estate Co. Pearl The Lemon Tree
Carrabba’s italian Grill Jungle Club Perkins Medical Supply The Mooring Realty Sales Company
Chelsea’s on Cardinal Kelley’s irish Pub & Deli Pizzoodle’s The UPS Store #3214
Classic Awards and Promotions Kidz Closet of Vero Beach Pomodoro Grill Vero Beach Book Center
Costa d’Este Kilwin’s Premier Estate Properties Vero Beach Country Club
Croom Construction Kool Stuff River Grille Vero Beach Hotel & Spa
Cutter & Buck Lane Bryant Outlet Sam’s Club Vero Marine Center
Disney’s Vero Beach Resort Aesthetic Dermatology Center Seacoast National Bank Vincent’s Restaurant
Dockside Grille Maison Martinique Snyder Plumbing

Medicare Certified • License #HHA21276095/HPC5038096/HHA299991281 • Hospice License issued in 1986