History of VNA of Ohio 
The Baker's Dozen

Over 120 years ago, thirteen pioneering women, the "Baker's Dozen," took the first steps to address the needs that they saw among many marginalized and underserved communities and neighborhoods in Cleveland. Stepping out of the comforts of their own lives at a time when a woman working outside the home was in uncharted waters, our founders established what is today the VNA of Ohio. These women could not possibly have imagined that what they accomplished as likely one of the only women owned and founded organizations at that time would stand the test of time and help to change the lives of thousands of people from all walks of life in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.

Through their trailblazing efforts, VNA of Ohio has spent over a century breaking down barriers by providing exceptional health care in the community and where people want care most-in their own homes. From helping to establish the first public health curriculum for the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University in 1937 to being the first agency to provide community reintegration for psychiatric patients in 1969, VNA's leaders and clinicians have boldly devised innovative solutions to address the most difficult and challenging healthcare disparities in Northeast Ohio.