April 19, 2002

A Century of Caring

Visiting Nurse Association Celebrates 100 Years in Davenport

They've led the fight against tuberculosis, traversed neighborhoods at night with the help of police escorts, given immunizations, manned clinics, dispensed baby formula and helped deliver countless newborns.

They've traveled by horse and buggy, battled infantile paralysis, led the way in home care and hospice, cared for homebound elderly people and comforted many a dying patient. Always at the forefront of public health initiatives, they've changed with the times.

This year, the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of Davenport marks its 100-year anniversary and celebrates a rich history that began on January 23, 1902. That's when a group of women created VNA to "supply the service of a trained nurse for the sick poor of Davenport, either gratuitously or at a small compensation."
Here's just a snapshot of its enduring history:

• The first nurse was Sara Peck, who received a $60-a-month salary.
• At the Babies Milk Station in 1913, VNA nurses prepared babies' feedings and delivered the sterilized bottles by horse and buggy.
• The Junior Board of the Visiting Nurses was formed in 1924 to give service and become the fund-raising arm for the organization - the beginning of a long legacy of volunteerism for VNA.
• The VNA moved to new headquarters in 1927. The $43,000 building was built in memory of Betty Adler Waterman, a devoted worker for the VNA. Her brother, E.P. Adler, provided $20,000 for the construction, with the remaining funds supplied by her family and gifts and bequests.
• The '30s and '40s kept the VNA nurses busy with tuberculosis clinics and "heat pack" treatments for children with infantile paralysis. Nurses also helped deliver babies, charging $1 for the first hour and 50 cents for each additional half hour, with a $5 fee for assisting doctors with a delivery.
• By 1962, the Davenport VNA had a fleet of eight cars and 11 different clinics serving 8,500 patients.
• In 1983, a $400,000 remodeling project to the 50-year-old VNA Cottage was entirely funded by contributions.
• The VNA affiliated with Genesis Medical Center in 1994.
• In 2001, the Genesis VNA of Davenport joined Clinton VNA and Illini Home Health Care to form a larger Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice Care of VNA.

A Century of Caring celebration will be May 2, 3-7 p.m. at the Philip D. and Henrietta B. Adler Health Education Center. The event will be hosted by the Visiting Nurse Association of Genesis and the Genesis Health Services Foundation.