Historical Episodes

The Historic Journey of Manchester Visiting Nurse Association

Manchester Visiting Nurse Association

April 4, 1910: Manchester Women’s Club Board voted to start a fund to employ a district nurse.

December 1910: By-Laws named association Manchester Visiting Nurse Association.

1911: The first nurse hired part-time – Miss Laura Carney.

1912: Nurse paid for by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company because she tended to many of their clients.

1913: Became affiliated with the American Red Cross Society – Miss Carney’s uniform now includes national insignia.

Fall 1918: Great influenza epidemic Manchester Cricket – “It is impossible to gauge in any way the amount of loss and suffering saved to our community by all the care and nourishing food so seriously needed as given from our nursing service”.

1919: Added a dental clinic.

1934: Purchased the first automobile for nurse’s daily visit but “rumored that nurse preferred her bicycle”.

1935: Mrs. Helen Cool joined the staff part-time.

In the 1940s: Mrs. Cool became Head Nurse.

1952: Public Health Service and School Department merged into Manchester Nursing Service.

July 1979: Joined Danvers, Beverly, and Cape Ann to become Visiting Nurse Association of North Shore, Inc.

1995: Three regional Visiting Nurse Associations (VNA North Shore, Cambridge VNA, and Dedham VNA) joined to become VNA Care Network & Hospice.

The organization grew again when the VNA of Central Massachusetts joined in 2000 and the VNA of Boston in 2013.

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