Visiting Nurses Association records

The idea for the Visiting Nurse Association grew out of a 1913 Federated Club of Clubs Project entitled “Baby Week.” The Federate Club of Clubs consisted of representatives from every woman’s organization in the county. It was through this Federation that the Visiting Nurse Association, a volunteer organization, was officially created in 1916 “for the benefit and assistance of those otherwise unable to secure skilled assistance in times of illness; to promote cleanliness and prevent sickness by the teaching of hygiene, sanitation and the science of domestic management.” Service began in September 1916 with one nurse, for whom desk space was provided in a corner of the Arcade Drug Store at a rental of $5.00 a month. Within the first month it was necessary to employ an assistant nurse, since the records showed that 223 visits were made to 66 patients. The next three years were periods of branching out to meet community needs in school nursing, industrial nursing, child clinics, and mothers’ conferences. In 1919 an endowment-memorial fund was started and in 1921 the City of Muncie began contributing a monthly sum toward the support of the organization.

The Association became involved in such projects as supervision of summer playgrounds, first aid kits, park clinics, a survey of handicapped children, tuberculosis fieldwork, health supervision of day nurseries, a milk fund for undernourished children and commitment of crippled children to Riley Hospital.

The service was reorganized in 1935 with the purpose of engaging in public health nursing; providing skilled nursing care for the sick in their homes on a part time basis; promoting health and cleanliness of the individual, family and community; and teaching principles of health, hygiene and sanitation to individuals, families and communities. It was reorganized again in 1986 as BMH Homecare Services, Inc., still providing the same types of services to the Muncie Community.