Southwestern Illinois Visiting Nurse Association officially began on January 1, 1918 with a staff of five nurses and sixty-three patients transferred from the St. Louis Visiting Nurse Association. Cash on hand was $600 in borrowed funds and a contract with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company to provide nursing care to eligible policy-holders.

The objectives of the agency as stated in the Charter, dated January 9, 1918, were two-fold:

• To provide nursing care to the sick and injured in their home regardless of race, creed or their ability to pay.

• To work with other community organizations to improve the health of the community.

The flu epidemic of 1918 mandated the agency to provide needed and valuable services to our community. Many of the projects SIVNA pioneered later became functions of state and local agencies.

The Child Welfare Program was begun in 1918. 3,188 infants and children to age 6 were weighed, measured and given nutritional counseling. This was a joint program of SIVNA, Red Cross and a child specialist. These later became the infant welfare conferences which were held weekly until the East Side Health District was organized in 1937.

SIVNA worked closely with the Tuberculosis Society in providing nursing care to tuberculosis patients. During 1921, these two organizations, working with a physician, began school health examinations. Also in 1921, assisted by the State Board of Health, four clinics for crippled children were conducted. A special fund was established by the SIVNA's Board of Directors to pay for braces, casts and other corrective appliances.

The East St. Louis Journal assisted the agency in establishing a milk and ice fund for indigent infants and children. This fund was established in 1921 and continued through 1945.

Dental health was another concern in the early years. Queen’s Daughters assisted in the purchase and distribution of toothbrushes for every school child in East St. Louis.

The 50’s and 60’s brought new organizations and additional community services. In 1951, SIVNA began working with the Cancer Society which furnished funds for nursing care of cancer patients including the cost of their dressings and supplies. In 1959, the George Washington Hi-12 Club began their hospital bed project with 35 beds. This project was carried on by a special committee of the club.

January, 1959, SIVNA's Board of Directors gave their approval to serve as the parent organization for the proposed home care program. January, 1960, rehabilitative restorative nursing was initiated. One nurse attended a special course at the Rusk Institute in New York.

On July 1, 1961, a homemaker program began on a three-year pilot basis with private funding administered by SIVNA's Board of Directors. The coordination of health services, home-helper, or home health aide services has been an invaluable supplement to the nursing program.

On July 1, 1966, SIVNA became a provider under Medicare. SIVNA was instrumental in working with the Medicare program in the early years as problems were identified and worked through.

A grant under the Older Americans Act of 1965 made it possible to extend services to cover all of St. Clair County. The Illinois Department of Public Aid, St. Clair County Board of Supervisors, together with agency personnel and equipment, enabled us to qualify for these funds. The grant was for a three-year period and provided nursing care to patients age 60 and over. This program officially began January 1, 1967.

Changes in funding and Medicare services indicated the need for a merger of the Home Care Association and SIVNA. The Home Health Aide Service became certified July 1, 1967 and final details of the merger were completed January 1, 1968.

During the 70’s and 80’s, the agency continued its growth and expansion of programs. The hospital coordinating role was initiated to establish a closer working relationship with hospitals, physicians, and patients. Under Title III, Home Health Service was expanded to Monroe County and a homemaker program was initiated.

In 1983, through a contract with the Illinois Department on Aging, and the Area Agency on Aging of Southwestern Illinois, SIVNA became responsible for the Case Coordination Unit and Title III. Assessment for homemaker, housekeeping, adult daycare, and pre-screenings for nursing home placement continue to be performed by case managers. December, 1990, a contract was signed with the Illinois Department on Aging to follow up on victims of elder abuse. SIVNA’s team of Senior Protective Services case managers was one of the first in the state established to participate in the program.

In 1996, the Choices for Care Program was initiated by the Illinois Department on Aging to provide early counseling to individuals seeking long term care services before being discharged from the hospital. SIVNA’s Case Coordination Unit has experienced case managers who explain all available alternatives to those in need of long term care, including services that can be provided in the privacy of their own home.

The Case Coordination Unit was awarded additional territory by the Illinois Department on Aging in 2000. The Case Coordination Unit now serves the Illinois counties of St. Clair, Madison, Monroe, Randolph, Washington, Bond and Clinton.

2004 introduced the Medication Management Program in which a full-time registered nurse was hired for the purpose of educating and assisting clients in proper medication management. The program is designed to improve compliance with physician prescribed drug regime as well as prevent the misuse or adverse interaction of medications when taken incorrectly.

HouseCalls by SIVNA got its start in 2007. Working directly with physicians specialized in general medicine and elderly care, HouseCalls by SIVNA nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists provide primary medical care in the home for patients who have difficulty getting to their doctor or experience frequent trips to the emergency room.

Southwestern Illinois Visiting Nurse Association continues now, as in years past, in providing superior individualized care to residents in our service area. SIVNA is uniquely able to meet all the needs of area residents who seek to maintain their independence and dignity.