Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County Officially Now a Member of Waveny LifeCare Network
NEW CANAAN, Conn. – The Boards of Directors of Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County
(VNHFC) and Waveny LifeCare Network (WLCN) have announced the completion of the first
phase of their planned integration. Effective January 1, 2021, VNHFC has officially
become a member of the Waveny LifeCare Network, thereby expanding the Network’s
comprehensive home health care offerings with the addition of a well-recognized and
well-established home health and hospice care provider. This combination of the two highly regarded
organizations now provides a fully integrated network of comprehensive health care
services to better serve residents and families of Fairfield County and beyond.
VNHFC also expands WLCN’s continuum of services with the addition of dedicated community- based
services of school nursing programs, public health nursing and New Canaan’s Locust
Avenue Thrift Shop.
The strategic alliance, introduced in October 2020, was formed with the shared mission
of compassion and service for the needs of the community being top of mind. The initial phase
established VNHFC as a wholly owned subsidiary of WLCN. Now that this phase has been
completed, both organizations will undertake a plan to explore the opportunity of
formally merging VNHFC’s home care and hospice services with Waveny’s Home Healthcare division, at
a later date. The sole member transaction has been approved by several governmental agencies,
including Connecticut’s Department of Public Health.
“True collaboration with a shared commitment to provide compassionate, clinical excellence of the
highest quality to residents of Fairfield County has characterized this partnership from its very
inception,” said Kathleen A. Corbet, Chairman of Waveny LifeCare Network. “We look
forward to managing this transition together to implement our vision and strategy for growth.
“The complexity and rapidly changing healthcare industry has only intensified during the
Coronavirus pandemic,” Russell R. Barksdale, Jr., MPA/MHA, FACHE, President and CEO of WLCN, said.
“As two non-profit organizations operating in a highly competitive environment, we must continually
look for ways to evolve to meet the increasing needs of our community. Our alliance could not be
more timely.”
The Waveny LifeCare Network’s Board, comprised of representatives from both agencies and led by Ms.
Corbet as Chairman, now governs all members of WLCN, including VNHFC. Mr. Barksdale will continue
to serve as President and CEO of Waveny LifeCare Network, the parent company and all of its divisions
and subsidiaries including VNHFC. The past President and CEO of Visiting
Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County, Sharon Bradley, RN, MSN, DNP, is now employed by Waveny
LifeCare Network as an Executive in Residence.
ABOUT WAVENY LIFECARE NETWORK
Waveny LifeCare Network is a non-profit organization that provides a comprehensive continuum of
healthcare to serve the changing needs of older adults from all areas. Waveny offers
independent living at The Inn, memory/dementia assisted living and respite care at The Village, and
skilled nursing, inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services at Waveny Care Center. It also
includes the Brown Geriatric Evaluation Clinic, and an array of community-based services through
Waveny Home Healthcare. In October 2020, Waveny LifeCare Network was nationally recognized as one
of the Best Nursing Homes for 2020-21 by U.S. News & World Report and continually scored
as a 5-Star facility by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), provider of
health coverage through Medicare, Medicaid and other programs.
For more information, call 203.594.5200 or visit www.waveny.org
ABOUT VISITING NURSE & HOSPICE OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY
Based in Wilton, Conn., Visiting Nurse & Hospice of Fairfield County was founded over 100 years ago
and has grown to become one of the most enduring home and hospice care organizations in the state.
VNHFC is a non-profit, fully accredited agency that provides professional nursing and support
services, care management, physical rehabilitation, health education, community wellness
programs and compassionate hospice care for adults and children throughout Fairfield County.
For more information, call 203.762.8958 or visit www.visitingnurse.net
# # #
Media Contact:
Terry Henry, MBA
Chief Sales, Marketing & Communications Officer
Email: thenry@waveny.org
Phone: 203.594-5308
