News

Lake Sunapee VNA is now offering two virtual grief support groups, since its in-person support groups are still on hold. To help anyone grieving during this pandemic and time of social distancing, a Virtual Bereavement Check-in is available on Wednesdays every three weeks from 4:00-5:00pm. In addition, a Virtual Widow to Widow group is held on the first Monday of every month from 3:30-5:00pm. Anyone interested in participating in these free groups should email their contact information to Lori O’Connor at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and a member of the bereavement team will call with further details.

Alyson Santaniello, APRN, AGPCNP-BC, Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner, has joined the palliative care team at Lake Sunapee VNA, bringing with her 22 years of nursing experience. With a BSN from the University of Rhode Island and an APRN from UMASS Lowell, Santaniello has worked in inpatient and outpatient oncology, done research in neuro-oncology, and for the last five years worked at the Community Hospice House in Merrimack, NH.

With an ongoing commitment to find new ways to acknowledge its dedicated staff for their hard work at this challenging time and always, Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice (LSRVNA) offered “Grab & Go” remote lunches this summer at several locations throughout the agency’s 32-town service area. The goal was to thank employees with a special treat and make it as easy as possible for them to participate. Staff ordered a complimentary lunch paid for by LSRVNA and then arrived at the designated location to drive through and pick up their order, masks on for safety!

Many community members have come to rely on Lake Sunapee VNA for its regular Foot Care Clinics and annual Flu Clinics held throughout the area. Though the pandemic has created challenges to operating these clinics, things are looking up.

Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice is proud to be the recipient of this wonderful honor…the Colby-Sawyer College 2020 Community Award. Following is the college’s press release announcing their selection.

Colby-Sawyer College is pleased to announce that Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice (LSRVNA) has been selected to receive the 2020 Community Award in recognition of its many contributions, and commitment, to the college.

Update 4/29/2021 - Helping with Effort to Vaccinate Home-bound Individuals:

As more and more people receive a COVID-19 vaccine through public clinics, pharmacies and other community settings, Lake Sunapee VNA is pleased to be helping with the effort to vaccinate home-bound individuals. We, and many other visiting nurse associations, are working closely with the state and our local public health networks to bring the vaccine to patients right in their own home. With the help of our volunteers, we have called all our patients to determine who still needs and wants a vaccine. Processes have been developed for our nurses to retrieve, handle, transport, store and administer the vaccine properly. And best of all, people who would otherwise have had trouble getting to a clinic are being vaccinated in the comfort of their own home. We remain committed to the health and safety or our community and continue to encourage mask wearing, social distancing, good hand hygiene and vaccination as the most effective ways to end the pandemic. Thank you for doing your part.

Update 1/11/2021 - Vaccine Roll Out Will Take Time and Patience:

Lake Sunapee VNA continues to monitor and follow all COVID-19 guidance from the CDC and State of NH. We are not currently a source for COVID-19 vaccine. As vaccines roll out, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it will take time and patience. The state has announced its vaccination plan, but the timeframe ultimately depends on vaccine doses allocated to NH from the federal government. We recommend that you continue checking https://www.nh.gov/covid19/resources-guidance/vaccination-planning.htm for the latest details. In the meantime, you can count on us to continue serving our community, no matter what the challenges.

Update 11/4/2020 - Grief Support Group Update:

Lake Sunapee VNA is now offering two virtual grief support groups, since its in-person support groups are still on hold. To help anyone grieving during this pandemic and time of social distancing, a Virtual Bereavement Check-in is available on Wednesdays every three weeks from 4:00-5:00pm. In addition, a Virtual Widow to Widow group is held on the first Monday of every month from 3:30-5:00pm. Anyone interested in participating in these free groups should email their contact information to Lori O’Connor at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  and a member of the bereavement team will call with further details.

Update 8/19/2020 - Foot and Flu Clinic Update:

Many community members have come to rely on Lake Sunapee VNA for its regular Foot Care Clinics and annual Flu Clinics held throughout the area. Though the pandemic has created challenges to operating these clinics, things are looking up.

Foot Clinics, all of which were closed down in March, are slowly beginning to re-open with appointments now available at COA Chapin Senior Center (call 526-6368) and Claremont Senior Center (call 526-4077). “Many of the other senior centers and community buildings where we provide clinics haven’t opened back up yet, so as they re-open, we’ll continue to do more foot care as long as it can be provided in a safe environment for both our clients and staff,” says Jim Culhane, President & CEO.

Lake Sunapee VNA does plan to offer Flu Clinics this year, but there will be fewer than usual, and they may look quite different. “We are working hard to identify locations that will provide a good, safe flow for people and possibly even drive-thru service,” says Culhane. “We anticipate starting the Flu Clinics in late September this year and will publicize the dates and locations as soon as our plans are finalized.”

For current clinic dates and information, visit lakesunapeevna.org/calendar.

Update 6/8/2020 - Shoppe Re-opens with Safety in Mind:

Effective June 2, 2020, The Renaissance Shoppe has re-opened with strict adherence to CDC and State of NH guidelines. At this time, we require face masks and social distancing to help keep our customers, staff and volunteers as safe as possible from the impact of COVID-19. You will see many other safety protocols in place as you browse through our shop. As a health care organization, Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice is committed to the health and wellbeing of our community and appreciates your cooperation as we re-open The Renaissance Shoppe in a safe and conscientious manner. Thank you for your continued support!

Update 4/10/2020 - Important News for Supporters of LSRVNA:

On March 27, 2020 President Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) covering a number of areas, including tax benefits related to charitable giving. Prior to the coronavirus crisis, taxpayers who claimed the standard deduction generally did not get a tax benefit related to charitable contributions made during the tax year due to a law passed in 2018 that capped the state, local and property tax deduction at $10,000. If you did not reach the threshold to itemize, you would not be able to deduct charitable gifts. The CARES Act changes this by allowing taxpayers who do not itemize to deduct up to $300 of cash contributions to public charities with an above-the-line deduction in tax years beginning in 2020. Taxpayers can claim the deduction and do not need to go through the process of itemizing. This change under the CARES Act relates only to cash contributions; gifts of real estate, stock and other tangible property do not qualify. This is positive news for vital nonprofit organizations that rely on philanthropy to sustain the programs and services that impact so many and make all our communities stronger and healthier. If you have questions about supporting our COVID-19 Fund or other programs of Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice, please contact Cathy Raymond, Development Officer, at 603-526-4077 x231 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Update 3/26/2020 - 2020 Women Who Make A Difference Luncheon Cancelled:

Out of care for the community and with an abundance of caution due to COVID-19, Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice has cancelled the 2020 Women Who Make A Difference Luncheon, originally scheduled for May 13. Lake Sunapee VNA thanks all those who have supported the luncheon and looks forward to welcoming you back in 2021. If you would like to learn more about how to support Lake Sunapee VNA at this time, please contact Cathy Raymond at 603-526-4077 x231 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Posted 3/20/2020 - LSRVNA Responding to COVID-19 Challenges:

Like so many other community organizations, Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice (LSRVNA) is working hard to meet the daily challenges of COVID-19 throughout the 32 towns it serves. On any given day under normal circumstances, LSRVNA has an average of 625 people on service receiving home health, hospice, palliative and private care, and the agency is adapting every day to meet the needs of those patients—as well as its staff—safely and effectively. Following are some of the ways in which the agency is responding:

• Monitoring the rapidly changing daily flow of information and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services regarding personal protective equipment, testing, screening protocols, etc.
  
  
• Limiting exposure among its 200 staff members by having the majority of office staff work from home and reducing the need for field staff to go to the office by holding virtual team meetings and calling ahead for medical supplies. According to Jim Culhane, President & CEO, “Home health care is by design a very mobile and adaptable business, which gives us at least a small advantage in meeting the challenges of COVID-19.”
  
  
• Closing all non-essential services for the safety of everyone involved and to focus on essential patient care services. Non-essential services that have been closed at least through the end of April include blood pressure clinics, foot care clinics, support groups, education programs, Good Day Respite, and The Renaissance Shoppe. Culhane shares, “While these are very important services that we provide to the communities we serve, we need to maximize and focus our resources on the programs that are designed to help people with illness and injury, specifically our home care, hospice and palliative care programs. In addition, we will continue to focus on the programs that are the sole service that prevents patients from moving into nursing facilities, such as Medicaid CFI, private duty services and some of our grants.”
  
  
• Screening all patients by phone for COVID-19 symptoms before going into the home and again during each visit.
  
  
• Developing contingency plans to shift resources as hospitals get busier and the demand for home care increases. “Many of our staff have foregone planned vacations and travel in order to minimize personal risk, as well as risk to coworkers and patients, and maximize our availability to meet the growing health care needs of the community,” says Culhane.
  
  
• Educating patients who may be concerned about receiving home visits about CDC guidelines for minimizing risk and various options for care, such as less frequent visits and additional phone calls.
  
  
• Communicating with community partners, such as the Upper Valley and Greater Sullivan County public health networks, area hospitals and other health and human service agencies, to share information and resources. “Many of us work together regularly on emergency preparedness efforts to train and prepare for all types of unexpected events, and those plans and relationships are currently helping all of us to meet this challenge,” says Culhane.
  
  
• Working on supportive measures for staff around pay, childcare and other resources, so they have the ability to see patients while maintaining their own physical and emotional health. Culhane shares, “Our staff is our primary and most precious resource. They are also at the forefront of risk, so addressing their safety and needs, which impact those of patients and the wider community, is a top priority. Rest assured that the agency is looking at every possible way it can support this dedicated, needed team throughout this unprecedented event.”

Culhane continues, “We are an agency made up of individuals who share a common goal and focus, and that is the health and safety of our communities. When all of us made the decision to work in home health, we made the explicit decision to work in public health. We strive for improvements with each individual patient, and collectively, we improve the public health of the towns we serve. We play a significant role in the well-being of many communities. It is this public health obligation that calls us now….to help us navigate this unchartered territory through hard decisions, hard work and perseverance and by doing everything we can to help mitigate risk.”

For more information about the essential services currently being provided by Lake Sunapee VNA, call 603-526-4077.

Effective March 16, 2020, Lake Sunapee VNA has temporarily closed the following programs and services due to the COVID-19 pandemic: blood pressure clinics, foot care clinics, support groups, education programs, Good Day Respite, and The Renaissance Shoppe. In addition, no donations of merchandise to The Renaissance Shoppe will be accepted until further notice.

Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice (LSRVNA) presented its annual staff and volunteer excellence awards at its Annual Meeting on February 13.

Caitlin Harmon, RN, BSN, has been named Chief Clinical Officer at Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice (LSRVNA).

Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice (LSRVNA) invites the community to its Annual Meeting to be held on Thursday, February 13, 2020 at 4:00pm at the Wilmot Community Association Red Barn on 64 Village Road in Wilmot, New Hampshire.