PORTSMOUTH — Looking Upwards and Visiting Nurse Home & Hospice (VNH&H) are swapping places.

VNH&H, a nonprofit home health agency with over 70 years serving Aquidneck Island, announced the sale last week of its 21,858-square-foot building at 1184 East Main Road. 

The nursing agency, which first placed its Portsmouth headquarters on the market back in February 2023, is moving to 438 East Main Road in Middletown. Coincidentally, that building is currently occupied by a fellow non-profit, Looking Upwards, which bought VNH&H’s Portsmouth building in late December.

Founded in 1978, Looking Upwards is a private, nonprofit agency that offers a wide array of services to adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities and children and families with diverse needs.

Carrie Miranda, Looking Upwards’ executive director, said the agency closed on 1184 East Main Road on Dec. 20.

“We will be leaving our longtime home of over 25 years at 438 East Main Road (Middletown). When the (VNH&H) property went on the market last spring, we were already assessing our need for more space due to the significant growth we have experienced over time and once we saw the potential of the space, we knew this was a rare opportunity we had to pursue.”

Miranda said Looking Upwards’ administrative offices will be relocating to the Portsmouth building and the nonprofit also plans to expand clinical services, social skills groups for children and other services. 

“We are looking forward to expanding opportunities to work within our community now that we will have more space and flexibility for programs,” she said.

Initially supporting adults with disabilities, the agency’s services have expanded to serve individuals and families facing diverse challenges. Annually, the agency provides services for 1,200 individuals and families throughout Rhode Island. 

Looking Upwards’ Children’s Services serve children prenatal through young adult, supporting families to help their child to get the best start in life and to thrive. Services for adults living with intellectual/developmental disabilities support each person to live the life they choose fully, Miranda said. “Throughout all of our services, we listen and support each person to strive for and enjoy a life full of possibilities,” she said.

Nurses need less space

Jennifer Fairbank, CEO of VNH&H, said the nursing agency is grateful for the vision of those who came before. 

“Because of generous benefactors, the agency was able to acquire 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,” Fairbank said.

Visiting Nurse expects to be done with renovations to its new space in Middletown by late January. In the meantime, staff members are working out of their North Kingstown office, at home and other temporary spaces. 

Fairbank added, “Measures have been put in place to ensure no disruption of service to patients and referral partners. We look forward to serving our community for years to come.”

Back in July of 2023, VNH&H Board Chair, Mark Hough, said selling the building was part of the agency’s comprehensive strategic plan after the VNH&H 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.”

In 2023 the agency made over 82,326 home health visits to 4085 individuals in our community.

Founded in Newport in 1950, Visiting Nurse Home & Hospice has grown from a small grassroots home care agency to a regional home care organization employing over 200 people. It also has branch offices in North Kingstown and as well as a supply depot in Swansea.

The agency provides home care nursing, rehabilitation, hospice and palliative care, maternal child health, social work, and community clinics to over 600 patients daily.