SYRACUSE — Two Syracuse–based home-care agencies have reached an affiliation agreement that will bring them together under a single parent company.
VNA Homecare and Home Aides of Central New York plan to come together under the parent company Home Care of Central New York. However, the two organizations will still operate under their current separate names.
New York’s Department of Health must approve the affiliation before it can be finalized. The organizations expect the state to give its go-ahead in the first half of 2013.
“The affiliation brings together the region’s best-known names in home care,” VNA Homecare Board Chairman Dr. Thomas Dennison said in a news release. “VNA Homecare for providing patients of all ages with long-term, skilled nursing at home and a diverse range of both short and long-term home-care services, and Home Aides of Central New York for helping the aging, frail, and ill remain at home with dignity and independence.”
Current VNA Homecare President and CEO M. Kate Rolf will become president of the two organizations. Home Aides of Central New York President Sandra Martin will continue in her role until the state approves the affiliation and will then help the two organizations integrate. She plans to retire later in 2013.
“I want to thank the boards of each organization for the hard work they put into this decision,” Martin said. “Their vision and foresight will ensure the community these two not-for-profit agencies will continue to serve as the primary providers of home care in Central New York long into the future.”
Approval for the affiliation came from VNA Homecare’s board on Dec. 13. Home Aides of Central New York’s board followed suit Dec. 14. The approvals come as New York state moves forward with a redesign changing the Medicaid system from fee-for-service to managed care. Changes are slated to come to Central New York starting in December 2013.
The combined organization will have 575 employees. Its future leaders expect to increase its employee levels by 10 percent over two years to meet a local home health aide shortage.
VNA Homecare is headquartered at 1050 W. Genesee St. in Syracuse. Its Visiting Nurse Association of Central New York, Inc. division reported $11.36 million in revenue on its 2010 IRS Form 990, the most recent year of the form that is available.
Home Aides of Central New York’s headquarters is 723 James St. in Syracuse. Its 2010 Form 990 revenue was $5.77 million
Contact Seltzer at rseltzer@cnybj.com