Beyond the Board: Richard Caldwell

Richard Caldwell’s journey with VNA Health Group began at the ground level: through the organization’s Emerging Leadership Board (ELB). A CPA by training, Rich became one of the ELB’s founding members in late 2015, drawn by the opportunity to give back and explore how his professional experience could support a mission-driven organization.

“I didn’t know exactly what I was getting into or what the board was going to be,” Rich recalled. “But it was a great way to get involved in the community and explore what role I could contribute on the professional side.”

His introduction to VNA Health Group came through family ties. Rich’s father-in-law, Bob Dibble—the organization’s outgoing Board Chair—had recently joined the Board of Trustees and helped launch the ELB as a way to engage the next generation of leaders. “They were starting this up and said, ‘If you have any interest, here’s who you reach out to,’” Rich said. “It was an easy decision to get involved.”

Professionally, Rich is a CFO in healthcare risk, supporting hospitals with medical malpractice and self-insured risk management. While he had experience on the technical and hospital side of healthcare, home health and hospice were less familiar to him at the time. That changed quickly.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned is the impact it makes on people’s lives,” he said. “I had family members who had passed away, but I didn’t really appreciate how difficult things could be, especially the strain it puts on family caregivers. Even a little bit of time from VNA nurses can make such a difference. There’s real value in that.”

Over time, Rich also gained a deeper understanding of the organization’s scope. “I don’t think the general public is aware of the overall breadth of services that VNA Health Group provides,” he noted. “And the reach of the Children & Family Health Institute is incredible. When we get operational updates, there’s just so much going on. If you don’t step outside your professional bubble, you don’t always see how many people are struggling or the kinds of help they need.”

Rich’s leadership responsibilities expanded steadily. A few years in, VNA Health Group needed additional expertise on the Audit Committee, and Rich, encouraged through the ELB to explore other committees, stepped in. “There aren’t always a lot of people with that specific expertise,” he said. “So it made sense.”

He served on the Audit Committee for several years before officially joining the Board of Trustees in 2021, eventually becoming Chair of the Audit Committee. This summer, he also joined the Finance Committee. In parallel, Rich remained deeply committed to the Emerging Leadership Board, serving as Vice Chair in 2019 and Chair from 2021 through 2023. He stayed on through 2024 to help ensure a smooth leadership transition.

“I didn’t want to just walk away,” he said. “We had great support from the philanthropy team, and it was important to transition the right way and make space for new leaders to step in.”

Joining the full board at age 42 brought its own considerations, but Rich says the experience was overwhelmingly positive. “You always worry a little about age bias whenever you walk into a room with such highly successful individuals,” he admitted. “But everyone was incredibly welcoming. I never felt like my opinions were ever discounted, and that meant a lot.”

For Rich, board service has been as much about personal growth as contribution. “You get a lot out of it yourself,” he said. “You’re surrounded by people who are successful, who come from different backgrounds, and who have faced different challenges. Listening to how others think through problems and strategy—it’s a two-way street.”

He also hopes his experience encourages others, especially younger professionals, to consider board service. “If you go to a meeting, you will quickly appreciate the exceptional experience board members have developed overtime time. A number have already entered or are closer to retirement than the start of their career,” he said. “But there’s real value in bringing different perspectives to the table, and board participation is not the burden people sometimes might think it is.”

Ultimately, Rich believes VNA Health Group’s work deserves far greater recognition and support. “Unless you’ve had a relative or friend go through home health or hospice, you don’t really understand it the way you understand hospitals or family physicians,” he said. “There are incredibly compassionate people doing great work behind the scenes, and I don’t think the organization gets the level of support or funding it truly deserves. It’s a nonprofit because you don’t do this for financial gain—you do it to help people. And that’s something special.”