MEMBER SIGN IN
Not a member? Become one today!
         iBerkshires     Williamstown Chamber     Williams College     Your Government     Land & Housing Debate
Search
Porchlight VNA Opening Pittsfield Office
By Andy McKeever, iBerkshires Staff
02:03AM / Friday, March 18, 2016
Print | Email  

The company is opening an office on South Street.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Porchlight VNA/Home Care is expanding its footprint with a new South Street office.
 
The company will open the office in leased space on April 1. The move is part of the company's strategic effort to better serve all of Berkshire County. 
 
"People always associate Lee VNA (the company's former name) with South County," said Chief Executive Officer Holly Chaffee.
 
But, that's not true. The company has many clients, spanning the entire county and beyond, she said. Just two years ago, Porchlight grew its footprint even further when it merged with Chicopee Visiting Nurses Association, bringing the company into three Western Massachusetts counties. In Berkshire County, there are hundreds of employees and patients who would need to traverse from way up north or way down south to Lee.
 
"We want to make it easier for our patients and staff," Chaffee said, adding that the location on the main thoroughfare will also boost the company's visibility. "The population in Pittsfield and those traveling through can see we are present in Central and North Berkshire County."
 
The company currently has two offices in Lee and one in Chicopee. One of the two Lee offices will close and staff and patients from that location will be dispersed to the remaining Lee office and the new Pittsfield one — easing commutes all around. 
 
About a dozen office employees will staff the Pittsfield location while the rest of the 413 employees will have the option to stop in there to pick up supplies, file paperwork, or do charting for patients. The company has been looking to make such a move for about four years, Chaffee said, and the opportunity finally came to fruition.
 
The location is seen as one that can better position Porchlight to grow alongside the increasing need for home health care.
 
"Berkshire County has an aging population and there is need for more services," Chaffee said. "As the population ages, there is more growth [for the company]."
 
Most of the employees work on the road as the company provides a gambit of health care options to individual homes — whether it be those recovering from surgery needing temporary care or those with chronic illnesses needing someone there constantly to help with all tasks.
 
"We're the only five-star agency and accredited through the Home Care Alliance," Chaffee said. "We have the complete continuum of care from acute to chronic."
 
Chaffee said the industry has been growing with recent health-care reforms coming from the state and federal government. The push has been to provide less costly services and much of that comes from home care instead of large facilities. Additionally, most of the older population want to stay in their homes instead of nursing homes or hospitals.
 
"We've seen growth in all areas but especially in home care," Chaffee said. "More and more people are staying home for care."
 
She says there is also growth in live-in care, when staff will move into the home of somebody with a chronic illness and help take care of everything from shopping to cleaning to monitoring the patient's health. 
 
While there are various levels of home care and rehabilitation help provided, Chaffee said the goal is to really help people remain on their own. The group also holds seminars and events to give patients tips on such things as how to avoid falls.
 
"We empower patients to be in charge of their care," she said. 
 
Beyond that, the company is the public health agent for 10 Berkshire County town, monitoring and reporting on communicable diseases.
 
Porchlight is no stranger to the county. It boasts of more than 100 years, in 1912, when it began as the Lee VNA. There were clients from all over and with that, the name was changed to Lee Regional VNA. It had also launched the home care company Berkshire Home Care and four years ago, rebranded the entire operation under Porchlight. Two years after that, it merged with the Chicopee Visiting Nurses Association. 
 
With a Central County office now, Chaffee says there is even more growth to come.
Comments
More Featured Stories
Williamstown.com is owned and operated by: Boxcar Media 102 Main Sreet, North Adams, MA 01247 -- T. 413-663-3384
© 2011 Boxcar Media LLC - All rights reserved