About Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut
Hospice overview and quality summary
Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut is an hospice care provider in Vernon, CT, serving patients and families in Tolland County and the surrounding area. Medicare certified since 1987, Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut has provided 39 years of end-of-life and palliative care to the community.
Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut serves an average of 73 patients per day, covering 38 ZIP codes across its service area. 70% of care is delivered in patients' homes, consistent with the hospice philosophy of enabling comfort care in familiar surroundings.
Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut has earned a 4-star CMS quality rating based on caregiver survey results, reflecting strong satisfaction across communication, symptom management, and emotional support. The facility's Hospice Care Index score is 10 out of 10, a composite measure of care quality and efficiency. 20 physicians are affiliated with this hospice.
When choosing hospice care in Vernon, CT, consider quality ratings, caregiver satisfaction surveys, the hospice's experience with your loved one's condition, and the service area. Since hospice care is typically delivered in the home, the responsiveness and availability of the care team are critical factors.
At a Glance
Caregiver Satisfaction
CAHPS Hospice Survey results from bereaved family caregivers
Very Good
CMS CAHPS Hospice Star Rating
Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut has earned a 4-star quality rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), based on the CAHPS Hospice Survey of bereaved family caregivers. This rating reflects above-average satisfaction across emotional support, symptom management, team communication, and respect. This places Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut among the higher-rated hospice providers serving families in Vernon, CT.
Emotional & Spiritual Support
How well the hospice team provided emotional and spiritual support
90% of caregivers gave a top rating for emotional & spiritual support, consistent with the national average of 90%.
Treated with Respect
Whether the patient was treated with dignity and respect
91% of caregivers gave a top rating for treated with respect, consistent with the national average of 90%.
Help with Symptoms
How well the hospice team managed pain and other symptoms
76% of caregivers gave a top rating for help with symptoms, consistent with the national average of 74%.
Team Communication
How well the hospice team communicated with the family
83% of caregivers gave a top rating for team communication, consistent with the national average of 81%.
Getting Timely Care
Whether the patient received help as soon as it was needed
76% of caregivers gave a top rating for getting timely care, consistent with the national average of 77%.
Training for Family Caregivers
Whether sufficient training was provided to care for the patient
83% of caregivers gave Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut a top rating for training for family caregivers, above the national average of 75%.
Overall Rating (9-10)
Percentage of caregivers rating the hospice 9 or 10 out of 10
83% of caregivers gave a top rating for overall rating (9-10), consistent with the national average of 81%.
Would Recommend
Percentage of caregivers who would definitely recommend this hospice
89% of caregivers gave Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut a top rating for would recommend, above the national average of 84%.
Source: CMS CAHPS Hospice Survey · Vertical markers indicate national average
Quality Process Measures
CMS hospice care quality indicators vs. national benchmarks
Treatment Preferences Documented
Patients whose treatment preferences were discussed and documented
100.0%
Natl: 99.5%
Beliefs & Values Addressed
Patients whose beliefs and values were addressed in the plan of care
99.8%
Natl: 98.3%
Pain Screening
Patients screened for pain upon hospice admission
100.0%
Natl: 98.3%
Comprehensive Pain Assessment
Patients with pain who received a comprehensive pain assessment
100.0%
Natl: 94.8%
Dyspnea Screening
Patients screened for shortness of breath upon admission
99.8%
Natl: 99.0%
Dyspnea Treatment
Patients with dyspnea who received treatment within 24 hours
97.2%
Natl: 97.4%
Opioid Bowel Regimen
Patients on opioids who were offered a bowel regimen
98.8%
Natl: 93.2%
Composite Process Score
Composite measure of all hospice care process quality measures
97.6%
Natl: 91.6%
Hospice Care Index
Composite quality score with 10 sub-measures
Overall HCI Score
National average: 8.8/10
Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut's Hospice Care Index (HCI) score is 10 out of 10, above the national average of 8.8. This composite score reflects stronger-than-average performance across measures of nursing continuity, care transitions, and presence near death.
60.9% of Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut's patients received visits from the hospice team in their final days of life, significantly above the national average of 47.9%. This is one of the most meaningful quality indicators — having the hospice team present during the final hours provides critical comfort to both patients and families.
Visits Near Death
Patients with visits in last 3 days of life
96.5%
Natl: 89.5%
Nurse Care Minutes
Average nurse care minutes per routine home care day
12.4
Natl: 13.4
Weekend Nursing
Percentage of skilled nursing minutes on weekends
11.4%
Natl: 9.2%
Gaps in Nursing Visits
Stays with gaps in skilled nursing visits
30.4%
Natl: 55.4%
Early Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive within 3 days
11.3%
Natl: 7.2%
Late Live Discharges
Patients discharged alive after enrollment
43.4%
Natl: 40%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 1)
Hospice-to-acute-care transitions near death
3.8%
Natl: 8%
Burdensome Transitions (Type 2)
Acute care admissions near death
3.8%
Natl: 2.3%
CHC/GIP Days
Continuous home care & general inpatient days as share of total
0.5%
Natl: 0.6%
Per-Beneficiary Spending
Average Medicare spending per hospice beneficiary
$13,128
Natl: $16,971
Patient Population
Primary diagnoses of hospice patients
Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut's patient population is primarily composed of individuals with cancer (27%), followed by stroke (26%), cardiovascular disease (17%), other conditions (14%), dementia (8%), respiratory disease (8%).
Care Settings
Where hospice care is delivered
Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut delivers 70% of its care in patients' homes, with 22% in skilled nursing settings, 7% in assisted living settings, 1% in hospital settings. The hospice serves an average of 73 patients per day.
Patient's Home
Skilled Nursing
Assisted Living
Hospital
Doctors at Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut
20 affiliated physicians
Dr. Raymond Kurker, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Arthur Skalski, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Joseph Mclaughlin, MD
Hematology/oncology
Dr. Richard Orris, DO
Internal Medicine
Dr. Angelee Carta
Internal Medicine
Dr. Sarah Yiznitsky, NP
Nurse Practitioner
Dr. Alexandra Zacchera, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Shyamal Madhavani, DO
Family Practice
Dr. Debmalya Mukherjee, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Remi Mathews, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Hugh Blumenfeld, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Karen Cadman
Family Practice
+ 8 more physicians
Dr. Satyarani Tallapureddy, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Wilfred Elaba, MD
Geriatric Medicine
Dr. David Edelheit, MD
Family Practice
Dr. Darshan Shah, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. David Fenton, MD
Geriatric Medicine
Dr. Ravi Mangal, MD
Hospitalist
Dr. John Wenceslao, MD
Internal Medicine
Dr. Gerald Bayona, MD
Internal Medicine
Patient Reviews
Reviews and ratings from patients
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Frequently Asked Questions
About Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut
What is the CMS rating for Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut?
Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut has a 4-star quality rating from CMS based on the CAHPS Hospice Survey of bereaved family caregivers, which evaluates satisfaction across areas including symptom management, communication, and emotional support.
What conditions does Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut primarily treat?
Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut's patient population includes cancer (27%), stroke (26%), cardiovascular disease (17%), other conditions (14%), dementia (8%), respiratory disease (8%). This reflects the hospice's experience managing these conditions.
Where does Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut provide care?
Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut provides care in patient's home (70%), skilled nursing (22%), assisted living (7%), hospital (1%).
How large is Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut?
Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut serves an average of 73 patients per day and covers 38 ZIP codes in its service area.
How many doctors are affiliated with Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut?
20 physicians are affiliated with Visiting Nurse & Health Services Of Connecticut.
Data source: CMS Hospice Compare · CAHPS Hospice Survey ·