Cooperative approach allows independent, nonprofit care organizations to maintain their missions and unique identities while benefiting from collaboration and economies of scale
Colorado Visiting Nurse Association (VNA), the state’s largest home health agency, will affiliate with Care Synergy, a nonprofit network of community-based hospice and palliative care organizations serving Colorado’s Front Range.
As a Care Synergy affiliate, Colorado VNA will retain its name and presence in the community. Colorado VNA will remain an independent, nonprofit organization and all its clinical operations will continue without interruption, meaning patients will not experience any changes in their care.
Care Synergy provides back-office support services – including human resources, finance and IT support – for four other Colorado nonprofit care organizations whose operations stretch from Colorado Springs to Fort Collins and Greeley.
Care Synergy has 707 employees and annual revenues of $88 million. Colorado VNA has 315 employees and annual revenues of $19 million.
“Affiliating with Care Synergy allows Colorado VNA to strengthen our foundation so we can deliver even better benefits to our employees and build on our 130-year legacy to serve Colorado communities with quality care for generations to come,” said Christopher J. Lee, president of Colorado VNA. Lee said there will be no changes for clinical or operations staff and he expects minimal impact on back-office personnel. Any impacted staff will be supported through the transition, which will extend through May 1, 2020.
“Adding Colorado VNA as an affiliate is an exciting evolution for Care Synergy, which has traditionally been focused on nonprofit hospice and palliative care organizations,” said Tim Bowen, CEO of Denver-based Care Synergy. “It enables our nonprofit network to expand to offer a fuller continuum of care delivered in patients’ homes and in the community.”
The affiliation between Colorado VNA and Care Synergy reflects a larger trend across health care, as independent nonprofit care groups seek through the cooperative model greater efficiencies and reach in order to succeed in the evolving health care market.
Colorado VNA joins four existing Care Synergy affiliate groups: The Denver Hospice and Optio Health Services, Pathways in Fort Collins and Greeley, Pikes Peak Hospice & Palliative Care in Colorado Springs, and Halcyon Hospice & Palliative Care in Aurora, Northglenn and Weld County.
To reflect this affiliation, Care Synergy will update its mission statement to include Colorado VNA’s scope of services of home health care and community-based wellness programs.
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About Colorado Visiting Nurse Association: Colorado VNA is the state’s largest nonprofit home health care agency with a 130-year legacy serving patients and their families with quality, compassionate care – ranging from preventive to recovery to end-of-life – both at home and in the community.
About Care Synergy: Care Synergy is a nonprofit network of community-based health hospice and palliative care organizations serving Colorado’s Front Range. Care Synergy was formed in 2014 to provide mission support services – including finance, human resources and IT – for nonprofit, community-based care organizations.
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