Bob Dibble Reflects on His Tenure as Board Chair of VNA Health Group

As Board Chair since January 2024, Bob Dibble has helped guide VNA Health Group through a period of evolution by focusing on governance, leadership development, and continuity with executive leadership. And while his two-year term as Chair will conclude at the end of 2025, he will continue serving on the Executive Committee as Immediate Past Chair.

“When I was asked to join this board 14 years ago, I didn’t know very much about healthcare—I’d been on Wall Street for 30 years,” Bob said. “But once I got there, sitting around a table of people with diverse experiences and backgrounds, all channeling their interest and experience to help the organization, I realized you don’t have to know healthcare. If you bring your life experience, there’s always a way to contribute.”

During his tenure as Chair, Bob has strengthened board governance and transparency by refining committee leadership selection and encouraging trustees to step into leadership roles.

“One of the things we’ve emphasized is using board meetings to educate people,” he explained. “They hear about the organization’s challenges and our strategy and get enough information to contribute where they can. This board is an impressive group of people who are all committed to the mission and serving their community.”

Bob has also prioritized cultivating emerging leaders. He was involved in establishing the Emerging Leadership Board (ELB) in 2014 as a means of introducing VNA Health Group to emerging leaders and creating a feeder for the main board. “The ELB has been fantastic,” he said. “Three members of that board have taken on considerable roles on VNA Health Group’s Board of Trustees, including chairing committees and overseeing audit, ethics, and strategic planning.”

Beyond his work with emerging leaders, succession planning has been a key priority for Bob, who has worked closely with Vice Chair Eileen Luby to prepare her for the Chair role. “The transition has been very easy,” he reflected. “Eileen has been with the VNA longer than me and has decades of contributions to the organization.”

Bob’s connection to VNA Health Group’s mission is personal. Having seen the organization’s care firsthand when his mother received home care services, he encourages trustees to visit the community health centers and see the impact in action. “I’ve visited the Asbury Park location several times, and it’s amazing to see how we’ve given a sense of community to so many people who’d otherwise might be in an emergency room for care,” he said. “There’s also mental health care—the stress patients carry is significant, and there’s an opportunity to support them.”

That perspective is reinforced by his daughter, a mental health therapist at the Keyport Primary Care Center. Bob noted the contrast between her work with patients facing the challenges of an underserved community and her private practice clients, highlighting the breadth of challenges that VNA Health Group addresses. 

Throughout his term, Bob has worked closely with President & CEO Christopher Rinn on key priorities, including strategy and organizational stability. “My engagement with Christopher is very regular—a couple of times a week. It’s a great relationship. VNA is very fortunate to have Christopher at the helm”, he said.

Bob also emphasized the scope of VNA Health Group’s services: “Most people don’t know we offer Visiting Physician Services, four community health centers, hospice programs, palliative care, and the Children & Family Health Institute. It’s more than at-home nursing. We see over 10,000 people annually for palliative care, conduct 750,000 home health visits, and care for 35,000 patients through Visiting Physicians. We impact the entire community, through everything from prenatal to elder care.”

While retirement has allowed more time for family, travel, and golf, Bob stays deeply involved with VNA Health Group. “I’ll always be happy to stay connected with Christopher and the leadership team, and continue supporting the executive committee,” he said.