An Interview with EVP and Chief of Provider Services, Andria Castellanos

On October 1st, Andria Castellanos joined VNSNY as the new head of Provider Services, with oversight responsibility for VNSNY Home Care and Hospice, Partners in Care, Community Mental Health Services, and VNSNY’s Population Health and Business Development groups.

Q: Welcome to VNSNY! You arrived just as much of the organization’s Manhattan workforce was moving into the new office at 220 East 42nd Street. What was that like?

Starting my first day in the new space was great, because I didn’t feel like the new person. Everyone was trying to learn where the bathrooms and the coffee machines were, so I was already a part of the rhythm of the building. It made my transition much easier! The space is modern and beautiful, and thanks to the hard work of our Facilities and IT teams the move happened seamlessly.

Q: Previously you served in a number of important leadership roles at New York–Presbyterian. How did you decide to come to VNSNY?

I had been at New York­–Presbyterian for quite a long time, and I felt I’d done everything I wanted to do in a hospital setting. I’ve always been involved in a mission-driven organization, so that was important to me. Plus, New York City is my home. I was born and raised in Queens and I’ve lived in Manhattan for almost 32 years. I love this city, and health care has always been my passion—so the chance to work at VNSNY and serve the people of New York City in a different way is exciting to me. From my long career in the hospital business, I also feel I have a good understanding of what our patients and customers—which include acute care providers, nursing homes and insurance companies—need in term of the services that VNSNY provides.

Q: Can you elaborate on this?

Everyone is looking to bend their cost curve down in a way that also improves quality. That’s the magic formula. VNSNY’s participation in this effort will determine our success. One key part of that involves helping patients who have chronic, multiple medical conditions manage their care at home. Hospitals care for patients extremely well inside their walls, where everything is regulated. After the patient gets discharged, though, it’s up to them and their families to manage their care—but they often don’t have the capacity to do that on their own. If VNSNY can come into the home and help patients and their families follow their dietary, medication and therapy regimens, we can improve the quality of care for those patients, decrease hospital readmissions, and provide them with the ongoing support systems they need to be successful in the future. Our success will depend on recruiting and retaining the most talented nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians, therapists, social workers, home health aides, mental health professionals, nutritionists, clergy and volunteers.

Q: What do we need to do to accomplish this?

VNSNY already has a huge advantage because we have boots on the ground. Our home-based clinicians and home health aides see our patients’ challenges with their own eyes, and communicate directly with them and their families. Our goal and our challenge is to draw on these capabilities, using research-based methods and protocols that provide value to patients and their families and to society. We also need to deliver care in a patient-centered way, which means really listening to what each patient needs and wants. And we need to provide efficient care—no less and no more than what the patient needs, depending on what medical conditions the patient presents with. Insurance companies will also be important customers of ours in the future. Because of our unique position, they will be partnering with us to help reduce costs.

Q: How do you envision VNSNY’s different business units, including Provider Services, contributing to this effort?

For us to provide effective care and be successful, we need to ensure that our patients are in the best mix of product lines for their needs. For that to happen, we need our different products—the CHHA, Partners in Care, Hospice, VNSNY CHOICE, and Community Mental Health Services—to be well integrated with each other. Population Health is also going to play a key role in our success. One focus of mine is going to be opening up the lines of communication between all of our businesses, so we can better understand how we can serve each other well.

Q: Do you see the new Manhattan office helping in this regard?

Absolutely! As I walk around, I’m seeing people talking at the coffee bar, communicating with their workspace neighbors, and having good hallway conversations. I think our new space will bring openness, more and better communication, and more synergies across different lines of business. I also think the timing of the move is good for everyone. VNSNY is at a transformative moment and the new space represents a new beginning.

Q: How would you summarize the road ahead?

Growing VNSNY’s business units and getting more efficiencies out of our existing base will be an important part of our future success. Acquisitions that make sense are certainly going to be part of our future as well. The continued development of products that successfully help manage chronically ill patients will also be key to our future success. That is really going to be the sweet spot for VNSNY. I think it’s an exciting path ahead. There will be challenges for sure, but VNSNY has an amazing, talented team of people who are incredibly knowledgeable in their fields. I’m privileged and excited to be working with all of them, and I look forward to meeting these challenges together.