The Visiting Nurse Association, a nonprofit serving the Council Bluffs-Omaha metropolitan area, announced it has signed an agreement to transition home health and hospice operations to Amedisys Inc. on or around July 1.

Amedisys is a publicly traded provider of home health, hospice and personal care.

“As VNA reflects on its mission and long history, it has become clear that we should return to our original focus — to serve those in the community who may not have the resources for home health and hospice care services,” VNA President and CEO James Summerfelt said in a statement. “This was our original mission, and there is still tremendous need in our community. We want to ensure that the needs of individuals and families can be met with expertise and compassion well into the future.”

As the health care industry continues to evolve, VNA’s leadership identified the need to consider external investors to ensure its home health and hospice programs, as well as its foundation, would remain financially strong.

“Amedisys is proud to expand its presence in Omaha’s and Council Bluffs’ healthcare communities and honored to continue and grow VNA’s century of remarkable hospice and home health in the years to come,” Amedisys President Chris Gerard said in a statement.

For more information on the VNA, visit vnatoday.org. For more information on Amedisys, visit amedisys.com.