VNA/Hospice Of Western New England Names New President

SPRINGFIELD — Ruth Odgren has been named president of the Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of Western New England (VNAH), a member of Baystate Health System (BHS). She will oversee home care services in Springfield, Greenfield, and Ware, as well as Infusion & Respiratory Services of Western New England.

VNAH is a not-for-profit provider of home health care and hospice services for thousands of patients in Western Mass.

Before joining the VNAH, Odgren served as vice president for Home Care Service Operations at the Visiting Nurse Association of Central New Jersey.

“We are pleased to have attracted someone of Ruth’s caliber to Baystate Health System,” said Mark R. Tolosky, executive vice president of BHS. “She has the expertise to positively face the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead in home care, and the vision and leadership to further the VNAH’s tradition of providing excellent home care for people in our communities.”

During her tenure as vice president for Home Care Operations at the Visiting Nurse Association of Central New Jersey, Odgren oversaw implementation of the Prospective Payment System, which provides over 330,000 patient visits each year.

In previous leadership roles at the Visiting Nurse Service System, Inc. and Visiting Nurse and Health Services in New Jersey, Odgren oversaw a corporate reorganization, led joint ventures and affiliations and partnerships with local universities, implemented an affiliation model, and worked closely with staff in all disciplines to integrate and improve service delivery. She has also held positions as a clinical instructor, nurse practitioner, and nursing supervisor in both New Jersey and Massachusetts.

Odgren holds an M.S. degree in Community Health Nursing from Rutgers University and a B.S. in Nursing from Stockton State College in Pomona, N.J. She resides in Longmeadow.