North Penn Visiting Nurse Association

The Delaware Valley Chapter of the National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners honored Vicky Weill who received the chapter's Distinguished Member Award in recognition of her compassion, sense of humor, community service, dedication to improving the quality of health care for children and their families, and participation in mentoring new nurse practitioners in the profession. Weill is clinical coordinator for pediatric clinical sites at Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program, University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, and a pediatric nurse practitioner at North Penn Visiting Nurse Association Children's Clinic, and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Emergency Department.

New Dental Clinic
Now Open

Affordable dental care available
to all North Penn area residents.

In a collaborative effort among the Montgomery County Health Department, the North Penn Community Health Foundation, The Greater North Penn Collaborative for Health and Human Services and North Penn Visiting Nurse Association, affordable dental care is now available to all North Penn area residents.

The Greater North Penn Dental Initiative at North Penn VNA provides dental services to individuals, children, families and seniors who do not have dental insurance. The clinic is located at the North Penn VNA building at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale. Services include:

exams
x-rays
cleanings
fillings
sealants
extractions
denture adjustments and denture fittings

Services are provided on a sliding scale payment system based on income level and family size with payments starting as low as $35.00 per procedure.

Call for your appointment at

1-877-GO-NP-SMILES
(1-877-466-7764)

Telehealth Technology Available to
North Penn VNA Home Care Patients

North Penn Visiting Nurse Association has decided to utilize the Honeywell HomMed telemonitor to monitor home care patients 7-days a week in addition to the intermittent nursing visits that patients receive.

Telehealth, or in-home monitoring, uses technology to assist patients in the daily collection of their vital signs and other clinical data. The information is transmitted, securely, through the patient’s telephone line to a computer at North Penn VNA for interpretation by a registered nurse. North Penn VNA will place telemonitoring units, about the size of an alarm clock, in the homes of selected home care patients who will benefit from the additional monitoring of their health status. With a kind voice, the monitors will alert patients when it is time to take their blood pressure, pulse and weight, then the monitor will ask up to 10 yes/no questions on how they feel, or whether they have eaten or taken their medications.

The North Penn VNA nurses will use the information for early detection, intervention, and to educate patients on ways to improve their health. If any of the data is out of a pre-set range,
it will be flagged and a call will be made to the patient, or a visit will be made. “Collecting and evaluating vital signs and other information on a daily basis will allow our nurses to see what’s happening with a patient even when they are not scheduled for
a visit,” said Kitty Fitzgerald, Executive Director of North Penn VNA. “Monitoring patients this way may give us the ability to catch a problem early and prevent a more serious one from developing. We’re excited to see what the possibilities are for our patients, our physicians and the agency with the use of telemonitoring.”

Studies conducted by Honeywell HomMed have shown that patient and physician satisfaction increases with the use of
in-home monitoring during home care service. Physicians whose patients are on monitors will receive periodic reports, including graphs of the data collected, showing their patient’s progress. “With our nurses monitoring patients on a daily basis, physicians can use the clinical data collected to be more pre-emptive in patient care, allowing for quick adjustments to medications or treatment plans in response to a change in condition,” said Jane Brainard, Director of Patient Services at North Penn VNA. “Telehealth allows our patients to immediately see the results of not following their medication regiment or recommended diet. Patients can learn that doing what the doctor and visiting nurse told them to can mean a better quality of life.” In previous telehealth studies, patients have indicated that they feel better knowing that someone is watching out for them each day.