FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

VNANE Welcomes SALMON Home Care as First For-Profit Member, Expanding Network Collaboration and Innovation

Walpole, MA / July 1, 2026.   The Visiting Nurse Associations of New England (VNANE) is pleased to announce that SALMON Home Care, based in Milford, Massachusetts, has agreed to join its membership network. A signed member agreement has been received, with onboarding to follow.

This marks a significant milestone for VNANE, as SALMON Home Care becomes the organization’s first for-profit member agency. The addition reflects VNANE’s ongoing commitment to fostering collaboration across diverse care delivery models in support of high-quality, sustainable home-based care.

“We are excited to welcome SALMON Home Care to VNANE,” said Donna Devens, Executive Director. “Bringing together nonprofit and for-profit perspectives strengthens our collective ability to navigate an evolving healthcare landscape and identify innovative approaches to care delivery and reimbursement.”

SALMON Home Care is led by Executive Director Amy Strong, who brings extensive experience in the for-profit home care environment. VNANE looks forward to engaging with Ms. Strong and her team to explore insights related to operational efficiency, managed care strategy, and sustainable rate development.

“We are honored to become a member of VNANE and to join a community of home health leaders dedicated to advancing quality care across New England. The challenges facing our industry require collaboration, innovation, and shared learning. We look forward to contributing our perspective, learning from fellow members, and working together to strengthen care delivery and develop sustainable solutions that benefit patients, providers, and the communities we serve,” said Strong.

The inclusion of SALMON Home Care underscores VNANE’s role as a collaborative network dedicated to advancing best practices, improving patient outcomes, and advocating for sustainable models of home health and community-based care.

VNANE anticipates that this partnership will open new opportunities for shared learning and innovation, particularly in addressing the financial and operational challenges facing providers across the region.

About VNANE
The Visiting Nurse Associations of New England (VNANE) is a regional network of home health and community-based care providers since 1985, committed to advancing quality, collaboration, and sustainability in care delivery.

About SALMON Home Care
SALMON Home Care, based in Milford, Massachusetts, provides comprehensive home health services with a focus on quality, patient-centered care, and operational excellence.

Visiting Nurse Associations of New England congratulates our VNANE Network members who have recently been appointed to the 2026 Board of Directors at the Home Care Alliance of Massachusetts.  VNANE and the HCA work together on Home Health industry issues for the benefit of our mutual provider members and their patients.  Jo-Mary Koopman, CEO of All Care VNA & Hospice has been appointed to President and Renee McInnes, CEO of Croi Health has been appointed to Past President.  VNANE also recognizes Holly Chaffee, CEO of Care Central VNA & Hospice, Michael Lyons, CEO of Brockton VNA, and Lisa Parent, CEO of Community Nurse as HCA Board of Directors. We are better together!

Croí Health is proud to be the only organization regionally to hold concurrent five-star Patient Experience and Quality of Care ratings in home care with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

“The nurses lived up to your mission of exceptional, compassionate care,” says a grateful patient.

To learn more about our care, please visit croihealth.org.

Potential VNANE Membership

Community Nurse (Fairhaven), a member of the VNANE network, receives a $25,000 Grant from New England Patriots Foundation

The New England Patriots Foundation awarded a $25,000 grant to Community Nurse, Inc. during a pregame ceremony at the Patriots’ regular season finale on Sunday, Jan. 4 at Gillette Stadium.

The grant was presented in honor of Madeline Cooke, who was named the 2025 Patriots Difference Maker of the Year for her extraordinary service as a hospice volunteer. Cooke continued visiting patients throughout the pandemic, providing companionship and respite to patients and families during an especially isolating time.

The award recognizes Community Nurse, Inc.’s vital role in delivering compassionate, community-based care across the region. We are fortunate to have such high-quality providers in our network.

Visiting Nurse Associations of New England (VNANE) is honored to share that Renee McInnes, CEO of Croi Health (formerly NVNA & Hospice) and Holly Chaffee, President and CEO of Care Central VNA & Hospice were two of only twelve industry executives nationwide to be selected as Executives to Watch.

Both Holly and Renee were recognized for their innovative approaches to payment reform and technology adoption while operating independent non-profit organizations in the current environment. Because of their leadership, their organizations are growing at a time when so many independent home health and hospice agencies are contracting.

We are grateful to have these two leaders as network providers and appreciate their contributions to our industry and to VNANE.

Newsweek and global data intelligence firm Statista introduce America’s Best Home Health Agencies 2026, evaluated on four data sources: quality metrics, peer recommendations, patient experience and accreditations. Quality metrics carried the greatest weight in the scoring model, reflecting the emphasis on clinical outcomes and safety, while survey input from health professionals and patients added valuable perspectives on agency performance. These agencies stood out for their commitment to delivering reliable, evidence-based care in a home setting.

Congratulations to the VNANE Network Members listed in this first Newsweek annual report:

Visiting Nurse Associations of New England (VNANE, Walpole, MA) celebrated 40 years at its recent Annual Meeting on September 24 at the Publick House in Sturbridge, MA.  This year’s business theme was “Creative Solutions in times of Rapid change and Uncertainty” and was followed by lively roundtable discussions on the topics of Virtual and Telehealth vendor relationships, A.I. and Palliative Care.  Donna Devens, Executive Director, announces that the VNANE Member Network has decided to open the network up to eligible For-Profit Home Health and Hospice agency consideration and will provide more detail in the coming months. (1st Photo: Group Picture, 2nd Photo: Board Director, Holly Chaffee, Board Chair, Mike Caselas, 3rd Photo: Care Central VNA & Hospice & VNA of Cape Cod, 4th Photo: VNANE staff & VNA of Cape Cod)