History - Somerset County's First Home Health Agency 

   Dr. Jan DeVries, the Boswell Lions Club, and the Jennerstown
   Ministerium started the Area Home Health Agency in the northern
   part of Somerset County in 1968.  Management services were
   purchased from the Community Nursing Agency that was based in
   Johnstown .  The first office for Area Home Health was in a Sunday
   school room at Jennerstown United Methodist Church .  
 
   In 1973,the service area for the agency was expanded to the entire
   Somerset County .  The management contract with Community
   Nursing Service was discontinued in 1973.  At this time the three
   Somerset County hospitals (Meyersdale, Somerset , and Windber)
   took over management of the agency. 
  
   In 1987, Somerset Hospital became the sole owner of the agency and  
   made it a department of the hospital.  At that time "In Touch" Hospice 
   moved from the Education Department at Somerset Hospital in with the
   Area Home Health to create a new department named Home Health and
   Hospice Care.

   From the beginning of the Area Home Health Agency until his 
   retirement in 2005, Dr. DeVries served as the Medical Director for  "
   the agency and still participates in an advisory capacity to the Agency.