Aquidneck Island non-profits swap homes. What's next for Looking Upwards, Visiting Nurse

PORTSMOUTH – Two respected non-profit organizations are swapping locations and Aquidneck Island towns.

Visiting Nurse Home & Hospice announced the sale of their building at 1184 East Main Road in Portsmouth for $2.9 million to Looking Upwards, a Middletown-based non-profit that offers an array of services to adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities, as well as children and their families.

The VNHH has, in turn, purchased and will move to 438 East Main Road at Forest Avenue in Middletown. The non-profit has less need for office space and the new location is about half the size of the previous building. VNHH plans on conducting renovations, which should be completed by the end of January.

Both moves should be finalized later this year.

“Because of generous benefactors, the agency acquired our building back in 1995. At the time, we needed 22,000 square feet to store medical supplies and paper records. Today we need half of that space,” according to Jennifer Fairbanks, the VNHH chief executive officer.

According to a written release, VNHH Board Chair Mark Hough said that selling the building was part of the agency’s comprehensive strategic plan after the VNHH Board of Directors voted to sell their building and seek more appropriately sized office space on Aquidneck Island. He added that “to continue our legacy of serving all who need us, we are focusing on strategic growth within a challenging healthcare environment.”

While the VNHH is looking to downsize its space, Looking Upwards needs more room due to its expanding programming and services.

“Our administrative offices had been at 438 East Main Road for over 25 years and since then we have experienced significant growth as an organization,” said Looking Upwards CEO Carrier Miranda recently said.

“Essentially, we had outgrown our space and were seeking a location that is accessible, gives us room to work more cohesively both within the agency and with our community. This new location gives us the opportunity for more meeting space and will allow us to consider expanding services beyond our current scope,” Miranda said.

“We are planning to expand clinical services, social skills groups and potentially after-school programming,” Miranda added.

Fairbanks noted that although VNHH is busy, the need for office space pales in comparison to home visits that their nurses make.

According to a previous Daily News article, the costs for heating the building became futile as the organization's nurses were on the road and visiting patients.

“In 2023 the agency made over 82,326 home health visits to 4,085 individuals in our community.

Previous coverage: Home health nurse traveling between assignments saves life of man in Portsmouth park

Founded in Newport in 1950, Visiting Nurse Home & Hospice has grown from a small grassroots homecare agency to a regional home care organization employing over 200 people,” she wrote in a written release.

“Headquartered in Middletown … VNHH also has branch offices in North Kingstown and as well as a supply depot in Swansea, Massachusetts.

“We provide home care nursing, rehabilitation, hospice & palliative care, maternal child health, social work, and community clinics to over 600 patients daily and take pride in living our mission of providing optimal health and quality of life for individuals across Rhode Island and in Southeastern Massachusetts,” according to the written release.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Looking Upwards, Visiting Nurse Home & Hospice swap headquarters