Meet the 2020 Rehabilitation Therapists of the Year Awardees!
As part of National Rehabilitation Awareness Week, which officially ended on September 19th, VNSNY is excited to introduce our eight 2020 Rehabilitation Therapists of the Year. Nominated by their colleagues and departments, and representing regions and roles across the organization, these therapists exemplify the outstanding work done by all of VNSNY’s physical, occupational, and speech-language therapists and therapy assistants—all year long.
Meet this year’s Rehabilitation Therapist of the Year awardees!
Ahmed Elsheikh, Physical Therapist — VNSNY Home Care Staten Island Branch 1
“Helping people return to a normal life makes me very happy,” says physical therapist Ahmed Elsheikh. “When I first meet them, they might be unable to walk or move, so many of them lose their ability to enjoy their lives. When I can get them back to simple activities like getting out of the house, showering, or shopping—things most of us take for granted—it helps restore their sense of hope. Helping them regain their independence is one of my favorite things about my job.”
Mobility is a particular issue in Staten Island, where Ahmed works, he notes, because most or his patients live in houses (versus the easy-access apartment buildings more common in Manhattan and Brooklyn), so there are stairs and other challenges to negotiate. Being stuck in the house can also lead to depression for homebound patients, especially with COVID-19 limiting human interaction.
“Many of my patients are elderly and high-risk, so their sons and daughters might deliver food to their doors but they won’t enter the house for fear of potentially infecting their parents, which made things extra lonely and stressful this year,” says Ahmed. “Sometimes I was the only person my patients saw over a period of a month or two, so I was able to provide emotional as well as physical support. I was able to bring them some peace and relief from the isolation.” Was he ever frightened for himself? “I was never scared,” he says. “I had my PPE and I had a job to do.” Among his patients is a 92-year-old woman who had the coronavirus, then subsequently developed a stroke in the hospital. “She returned home and we eventually got her to the point where she was able to get out of bed, shower, and resume her activities,” he adds. “This is why I love my job.”
Alvin Azcarraga, Physical Therapist — VNSNY Home Care Brooklyn Branch 3
With his excellent bedside manner, gregarious spirit, and outgoing personality, Brooklyn-based physical therapist Alvin Azcarraga is quick to build a rapport with clients from all walks of life, instantly putting them at ease—and entertained—with his pervasive warmth and sense of humor. He’s also notoriously averse to recognition of any kind, preferring to stay out of the spotlight whenever possible. “I love working for VNSNY and I want to thank everybody for the votes; I really appreciate receiving this award,” he says, after we pestered him for a statement. “Have a great day, everybody!”
Gisele Harris, Senior Occupational Therapist — VNSNY Home Care Bronx Branch 1
“The joy of seeing my patients’ happiness when they accomplish something that they wanted to do is the best thing about my job,” says Gisele Harris, an occupational therapist who cares for clients in the South Bronx. Part of her successful strategy is managing her patients’ expectations. “In some cases, people might think they’ll get their full movement back, and I might have to explain to them that our main goal is to prevent things from getting worse. When they understand the reality of what can be accomplished, even if it’s not what they might have hoped for at first, they’re a lot more motivated, and happier with their progress,” she says.
Affectionately dubbed the “drill sergeant” by her patients, Gisele admits that she gets as much comfort from those she cares for as she brings to them. “COVID-19 has been a very isolating and depressing time for me, because my mother is elderly, my aunt is elderly, and all of my grandchildren have disabilities, so I had to stay away from all of them,” she says, noting that it was a pleasure to go to work. “It was a challenging summer because it was very hot, and most patients’ homes are hot, and I’d get completely drenched under all the PPE. But seeing how happy my patients were with the care I provided, and getting phone calls from family members thanking me for taking care of their mom or dad, brought me a lot of joy during a difficult time.”
William Campbell, Senior Physical Therapist — VNSNY Home Care Manhattan Branch 3
When Manhattan-based physical therapist William Campbell first started at VNSNY eight years ago, he had no idea what home care was, but he immediately fell in love with it. “It’s so challenging and dynamic,” he says. “Every patient’s home is different, and there are all kinds of setups you have to figure out for people—like how am I going to get this walker into a tiny New York City bathroom? I really enjoy that kind of problem-solving.”
Appreciated by his clients and colleagues alike for his dedication, exceptional patient care, and team spirit, William recently overcame a very personal challenge of his own. “I came down with COVID-19 in April—on my birthday, of all days,” he says. One of the many frontline heroes who put his own health at risk, William suffered a collapsed lung and pulmonary fibrosis, spent a month in the hospital, then continued to recover at home on high levels of oxygen. “I rehabbed myself at home for a couple of months before returning to work in the first week in July,” he says. The virus left its mark: William lost 50% of his lung to scar tissue, but that hasn’t stopped him from the work he loves. “Aside from getting a little short of breath sometimes going up and down the stairs, there’s no significant impairment,” he notes. “I’ve gradually built back to a full caseload, and it’s a joy to be able to care for my patients again.”
John Casey, Physical Therapist — VNSNY Home Care Westchester Branch 1
A physical therapist who works in Westchester, John Casey takes pleasure in seeing dramatic changes in his patients. “It’s wonderful watching someone who had trouble walking, or who was in a lot of pain before the intervention, regaining independence,” says John, noting that the main challenge he faces with patients is getting them compliant in their own care. “We can only do so much. I tell them that if they don’t follow their regimen, whether it’s exercises or diet, they won’t go back to playing golf or driving their car—whatever it is that they want to go back to. Life can get in the way for all of us, but motivation is important when you have goals to meet.”
With twin sons born premature, John has been through a lot over the past year, but these challenges gave him a slight edge when COVID-19 hit the scene. “I was already taking precautions to protect my family,” he says, “so the pandemic basically reinforced what I was already doing—wearing masks, handwashing, even early on when nobody knew too much about it. And VNSNY did a great job guiding us through the changing protocols.” Asked why he thinks he won the award, John is very quick to share credit. “I work with really great people. That’s why I won it,” he says. “All of my colleagues—the managers, nurses, occupational therapists I work with—make this job so much easier. Nothing is more important than having a great team.”
Sherri Hughes, Speech-Language Pathologist — VNSNY Home Care Nassau Branch 1
A speech-language pathologist based in the Nassau regional office, Sherri Hughes is a passionate teacher, trainer and educator, and an outspoken advocate for her field. She also doesn’t mince words. “I have no tolerance for subpar speech therapy, so I’m always pushing everybody to be and do better, from leadership to the clinical team to patients’ family members—and, of course, myself,” she says.
A proactive and tireless researcher with a wealth of clinical expertise, Sherri combs through scientific articles and keeps the speech therapy staff informed about anything relevant to speech-language pathology—as well as the latest science around COVID-19, which she faces with characteristic aplomb. “When I’m doing feeding assessments, my patients can’t wear masks,” she notes. “I can’t do swallowing therapy if my patients aren’t eating. So I suck it up and get it done—but of course I’m wearing my mask, I’m wearing my shield, and I have my goggles. I’m not exposed for long, and I’m out in the fresh air between patients. I follow the science and I take my personal protection very seriously.”
Sherri’s proactive spirit extends beyond the office. “I’m sending out early-voting information to my neighborhood, informing people where they can vote,” she says. “You do what you have to do. You do the right thing. And winning this award will only make me scream more loudly and push harder!”
Magdalen Joseph, Occupational Therapist — VNSNY Home Care Queens Branch 3
Known for her compassion, warm smile, and strong sense of empathy with patients and colleagues alike, Magdalen Joseph is a Queens-based occupational therapist who welcomes—and conquers—every challenge that crosses her path. “I have a wide range of patients, most of them between 50 and 100 years old, and I enjoy meeting and interacting with them and their families,” she says. “Every case is unique, and I adapt very easily to change. There’s nothing like the look of satisfaction on my patients’ faces when they’re making progress. I find it very rewarding to watch them become more and more independent in their day-to-day activities.”
Back in March, at the beginning of the pandemic, when nobody really knew what was happening, many patients were frightened to have therapists come to their homes. “I spent a lot of time educating them about the precautions we were taking, so they eventually welcomed me back into their home, and they were grateful to have their treatments resume, safely,” recalls Magdalen. “But I, personally, never worried about the virus. I follow the protocols and I wear the mask, the gloves, the PPE. I make the best of the situation because I have an important job to do.”
Kathleen Petrullo, Clinical Care Manager — Population Health 2
A 16-year VNSNY veteran, occupational therapist Kathleen Petrullo is the first office-based Rehabilitation Therapist of the Year winner. “After 15 years in the field, it was time to reinvent myself,” says Kathleen, who now does telephonic care management—a pioneering role in the rehab realm. “My role as a clinical care manager is to provide additional support to our patients during the home episodes with VNSNY. As a telephonic care manager in Population Health, I enjoy working in tandem with our frontline clinicians for best outcomes. I continue to monitor each patient even after field clinicians have concluded in–person home care visits through the end of the case rate period. I provide additional support and I am somewhat of a safety net with the goal of facilitating wellness and preventing rehospitalizations. Telephonic care management as a rehab therapist might sound like an odd concept, but I’ve been in the field for so long that I can envision the scenario. My rehab perspective lets me pick up distinct clues from what the patient is telling me.”
During one phone call with a patient who was describing difficulty ambulating, Kathleen detected that he was having a stroke. Calmly informing him of the fact, she called 911 and stayed on the phone with him until the ambulance got him to the hospital. Her hunch was correct—and she had saved his life. On the flipside, she’s also talked a client out of heading to the ER for a swollen knee, arranging for him to see his surgeon instead. Already in the car, he followed her directive and changed his plans. “It involves a lot of problem-solving to determine what’s best for the patient as well as maintaining fiscal responsibility,” says Kathleen. “I never thought I’d be shifting my role to being telephonic. I do have survivor’s guilt knowing that that my brave colleagues are all out in the field during the pandemic risking their lives, but I am now able reach out to support them from a different role. It’s exciting that rehab is thinking outside the box and beginning to embrace nontraditional roles.”
