Another Batch of Truly Amazing Letters and Commendations!
More than 100 team members and teams from across the organization provided such an outstanding consumer experience that people wrote letters, called, emailed, or posted about them.
To view their grateful notes and comments, simply scroll down or click on any of the areas below:
- Bronx
- Brooklyn
- Long Island
- Manhattan
- Queens
- Staten Island
- Westchester
- Health Plan Member Commendations
Bronx
“My friend.”
One client’s daughter recently raved about the care home health aide Joyce Myrie provides to her mother, calling Joyce “compassionate, professional, and just above and beyond.” The daughter also said how much her mother misses Joyce on the weekends and refers to her as “my friend” in conversations with others.
“I’m so proud of my teammate Gabby…”
One VNS Health team member posted on our social media channel to give recognition to Mobile Crisis program assistant Gabrielle Perez, commenting, “I’m so proud of my teammate Gabby for saving a life and the work our Mobile Crisis teams do every day.”
“Thank you for caring so well for the patients we serve!”
Praise came through one of our social media channels for nurse Sultana Alibasic from a fellow VNS Health team member, who stated, “Thank you Sultana for living out our mission and caring so well for the patients we serve!”
“Very intuitive and caring.”
One Bronx patient called to say, “thank you to the team for helping with my recovery.” He had special thanks for physical therapist Jose Hernandez, calling him “very intuitive and caring.”
“Rated 10+.”
A patient from the Gender Affirmation Program (GAP) sent a note of high praise for the team. “I rated 10+ for nurse Furdicia Morancie because of her consistency with punctuality, assistance with changing my bandages, and educating me on safe hand wash—and I rated 10+ for home health aide Cinthia Jaime-Zapata for being on time and helpful with picking up objects I was unable to lift,” the patient wrote. “She was a great person to talk to and that helped me mentally while recovering. I didn’t feel lonely and that made getting through recovery a little easy.” The patient also gave licensed social worker Asha Lyons a 10+ rating, writing that Asha was “very helpful with resources, supportive, and gave a listening ear.”
Brooklyn
“Thank you to both!”
The daughter of one Brooklyn patient called to say how wonderful senior occupational therapist Ronald Ciaccia and physical therapist Dr. Tarek Elsayed are, and how much they are helping her mother. “Ron is very enthusiastic and encouraging. Tarek is wonderful and a great therapist,” she said. “Both are getting my mother to do more than any other therapists have been able to, and in such a short time. Thank you to both!”
“I’d recommend VNS Health without hesitation to anyone recovering from gender-affirming surgery.”
A patient in VNS Health’s Gender Affirmation Program (GAP) sent a note commending nurse Sylvanie Herve for being “excellent” and so “important to my recovery.” The patient wrote, “Silvanie put me at ease almost immediately. She is knowledgeable, experienced, and has an excellent bedside manner. She is especially good at anticipating things I might be going through and prompting me to mention things that I might otherwise forget. Because of my experience with her, I’d recommend VNS Health without hesitation to anyone recovering from gender-affirming surgery.”
“She is the best—she made my day!”
One patient called in to compliment social worker Yvonne Coles. “She is the best—she made my day!” the patient said. ”She is very professional, knowledgeable, courteous and a perfect representation of the VNS Health organization.”
“Very lucky to have them.”
A client phoned to express her gratitude for home health aides Muriel Beaupierre and Monica Ramus-Hedge. The client said she feels “very lucky to have them helping” her and that they are doing a wonderful job.
“Made a very big difference in my healing process.”
A call came in from a patient who wanted to thank physical therapist Emad Eldin El Refaei for making such a big difference in her healing process. “I was anxious to arrive home so soon after having joint replacement surgery,” she said, “but Emad made a very big difference in my healing process both in providing psychosocial support and of course the actual therapy at home.”
“She was an amazing OT!”
Occupational therapist Malka Strassfeld was praised by a Brooklyn patient who called her the “best” and thanked her for her experience and service. “Malka helped me use my arms again,” the patient added. “She was an amazing OT!”
“I am profoundly grateful for the support I have received.”
A patient from the GAP program wrote in to commend the outstanding service provided by nurse Milada Khurshudyan—noting, “Milada has consistently demonstrated professionalism, kindness, and attentiveness to my needs.” The patient also thanked licensed social worker Asha Lyons for reaching out to offer invaluable services during the patient’s time of need, including furniture assistance, food assistance, and essential supplies. “She took the time to check on my health and mental well-being, ensuring she did everything possible to support my recovery,” the patient wrote. “Her efforts have gone above and beyond my expectations. I am profoundly grateful for the support I have received.”
Long Island
“Excellent!”
One Long Island patient’s spouse called to compliment nurse Nandy Georges, saying Nandy was “excellent!”
“We are very happy with their services”
The daughter of another Long Island patient phoned to commend the whole team, stating that “all the team members—our nurse, occupational therapist, and home health aide—were wonderful. We are very happy with their services.”
“She made sure I was in minimal pain… spoke to me positively… and genuinely cared.”
A patient who received wound care from nurse Esther Cabeche raved, “I cannot tell you how nice Esther was and how much she helped me get through a difficult time. She was fantastic. She was professional, made sure I was in minimal pain, spoke to me positively about things I was going through, and genuinely cared.”
“I’m very happy to have Eugenie.”
One client recently called in to express how pleased she was with home health aide Eugenie Bowen, stating, “I’m very happy to have Eugenie assigned to me.”
“I gained a lot by working with her.”
A Long Island home care patient called to report what a great experience she had with occupational therapist Jennifer McCaffrey. “Jennifer is amazing, fantastic, and the best I ever had,” said the patient. “I gained a lot by working with her.”
“Compassionate and professional.”
Physical therapist Jan Rogers received a compliment from one of her patients. who said Jan was “compassionate and professional.” The patient added that she had a “wonderful experience” with Jan.
“Every time she comes, she does the best for me.”
A call came in from a patient who said physical therapist Rowena Bernardo is “the best” and noting that Rowena is a “wonderful lady and a professional. Every time she comes, she does the best for me. I would like to thank her.”
“We all rest easy knowing that Dad has her caring for him.”
The daughter of one Long Island client sent a note containing high praise for home health aide Grace Reece. “Our family is blessed to have Grace,” she wrote. “She assists dad with such gentle care. She anticipates his needs, she serves as our eyes and ears, and we all rest easy knowing that Dad has her caring for him. She is just wonderful.”
“Outstanding!”
A Long Island patient described nurse Corrin Hendrickson as “outstanding,” and said that she “went beyond the call of duty” and noting “what an asset” Corrin is to VNS Health.
Manhattan
“Everyone at VNS Health is so lovely and always willing to answer questions.”
The daughter of a Manhattan hospice patient called with compliments for the whole VNS Health team caring for her parent. “Everyone at VNS Health is so lovely and always willing to answer questions,” she said, adding that nurse Cristina Sava’s demeanor is “so kind and gentle, and she is always calling to check up on mom.” The daughter also called home health aide Shaqueesha Caesar “exceptional” and said that she was “beyond words for Shaqueesha. She has made a golden bond.” Finally, the daughter added that home health aide supervisor Gavin Hope was “the highlight of the year” for scheduling Shaqueesha as their regular home health aide.
“Everybody was very kind.”
The relative of another hospice patient was so grateful for the care his family received from the Manhattan Upper Eastside Hospice team. “Everybody was very kind. When we started hospice, everything became less stressful,” the relative said. He went on to compliment admissions nurse Michelle Sampson, saying that his experiences with Michelle were “excellent.”
“One of the most dedicated managers out there.”
Chinatown NNORC manager Helen Sit was praised on our social media channels for being “one of the most dedicated managers out there. She is the reason the VNS Health Chinatown NNORC is so successful and such a valuable resource for the community we serve.” Another person, also grateful for Helen, added, “thank you for everything that you do for the Chinese immigrant community!”
“Amazing care.”
Hospice team physician Ariel Daube was so impressed by the outstanding care that social worker Bianca Davies provided to one VNS Health Hospice patient at the end of his life, he wrote, “Bianca approached him with deep compassion and helped him to feel loved during his last days. She should be commended for taking such amazing care of this patient.”
“Exceptionally satisfied.”
A hospice patient’s relative wrote to say that he was “exceptionally satisfied” with the hospice team. He specifically thanked hospice team physician Paulina Kim and social workers Bianca Davies and Thomas Brown.
“Empathy, grace and incredible nursing.”
Social worker Bianca Davies complimented nurse coordinator of care Adley Alezy for the way she went “above and beyond” to care for one of her patients. Bianca said that Adley “demonstrated empathy, grace, and incredible nursing with him.”
“Thank you!”
The husband of a Manhattan hospice patient who’d been in our care wrote to thank hospice clinical care manager Seth Simpson. “I would like to express my deepest gratitude for all the support you extended to [my wife] during her life,” noted the husband. “Thank you!”
“You make the difference in the lives of so many New Yorkers.”
The Behavioral Health team received a shout out on one of our social media channels. The post read: “We are proud and commend the work of our VNS Health Behavioral Health team. You make the difference in the lives of so many New Yorkers each and every day.”
“A wonderful nurse, very helpful and kind.”
A patient called to say that nurse Millie Moy-Thompson was “amazing” and that “she is a wonderful nurse, very helpful and kind.”
“Heaven sent.”
The daughter of a hospice patient complimented nurse David Allard, describing him as “heaven sent.”
“Very helpful.”
Hospice team physician Ariel Daube and nurse coordinator of care Adley Alezy were each praised by the daughter of one hospice patient. “Adley was just great and Dr. Daube was very helpful,” the daughter stated.
“Thank you for believing in me and helping me believe in myself.”
A letter came in from a VNS Health intern thanking social worker Asha Lyons for believing in them and helping them during their internship. “What I will remember most will be your support and steadfast commitment to my success,” the intern noted. “Thank you for believing in me and helping me believe in myself.”
“I am forever so thankful.”
Health Home care manager Saheed Kinoshi received a note of thanks from a grateful client who he helped in his time of need. “Thanks to Mr. Saheed for advocating for me,” the client wrote. “I now have a brand-new bed, as well as a new dresser to put my things in, and a couch to sit on. I’m so grateful to him, as well as VNS Health. I am forever so thankful, and I really appreciate you all so much.”
“Your organization does wonderful work”
The relative of one hospice patient complimented the Manhattan Upper Eastside Hospice team, stating, “your organization does wonderful work. You respond so quickly. What do people do without it?” Another patient’s relative also gave kudos to the team, saying, “all the services were terrific. The team was great, and the doctor was so wonderful.” A third patient’s daughter added, “hospice made the experience less stressful and supported a nice transition. I feel blessed with the time I had with my mother.” Yet another patient’s family member said that “VNS Health was tremendous, absolutely amazing. The care and comfort was tremendous.”
“Everyone was amazing.”
The Manhattan Upper Eastside Hospice team received additional praise from the relative of a patient who said that “without exception, everyone was amazing.” The relative especially thanked spiritual care counselor John Asirvatham, stating, “my conversations with John were especially meaningful in challenging times.”
“Fantastic communication!”
The daughter of a hospice patient provided positive feedback on the services provided to her mother from the team. The daughter specifically mentioned nurse David Allard, social worker Dani Calderon, and nurse Antoinette Miller-Brown, saying that they each provided “fantastic communication and explanations of difficult topics.”
“I appreciate his listening ear and support!”
“Spiritual care counselor John Asirvatham is awesome!” said one Manhattan hospice patient’s son. “I appreciate his listening ear and support. I don’t have many people to vent to and I feel relieved and supported by the hospice team.”
“They are a very special group of people.”
The hospice team at the Goodman Brown Residence was recently complimented by the relative of one patient. The family member said that the patient’s last days were “very special,” adding, “the team is spectacular. They are a very special group of people.”
“Invaluable and irreplaceable.”
The daughter of an MLTC plan member wrote in to compliment home health aide Jine Huang for being “caring, reliable, resourceful, knowledgeable, physically strong, competent, and a hard worker.” She added that Jine is an “invaluable and irreplaceable home health aide” for her mom, and that they count themselves “very fortunate to have Ms. Huang on my mom’s team.”
“Your efforts and expertise made an overwhelming process much easier to navigate.”
MLTC nurse care coordinator Asmina Nelson received a thank you note from a patient’s daughter for Asmina’s help in coordinating her mother’s care. “Your efforts and expertise made an overwhelming process much easier to navigate,” wrote the daughter. “Thank you for your exceptional service!”
“I appreciate her every day!”
A client recently had praise for home health aide Jacabranda Santos Narvaez. Jacabranda is a “wonderful aide, very attentive,” said the client. He added that Jacabranda is “always caring and concerned for me. I appreciate her every day!”
“Making New York better each day.”
Director of Behavioral Health programs Deirdre DeLeo received praise on one of our social media channels from a fellow team member who stated that they were “so proud to work alongside VNS Health colleagues like Deirdre who are out there making New York better each day. Thanks for all you do!”
“She appreciated each and every one of you.”
The family of one hospice patient wrote in to say ‘thank you’ to nurse David Allard, social worker Dani Calderon, and spiritual care counselor David Ramos. “Words cannot express our utmost sincere appreciation for the care you provided to our beloved mother,” their note read. “She appreciated each and every one of you and was also grateful for your care.”
“Her guidance and expertise made a significant difference.”
A patient wanted to extend her appreciation to physical therapist Milissa Mondestin for the “excellent care” she provided. The patient wrote, “Melissa’s guidance and expertise made a significant difference in my mobility at home and ably prepared me for outpatient PT. Her positive attitude is especially noted!”
“In just four visits Milissa helped me immeasurably.”
Another note of thanks came in for physical therapist Milissa Mondestin from a patient recovering from knee replacement surgery. “In just four visits Milissa helped me immeasurably to get on the road to recovery,” the patient wrote. “Not just the exercises, but her very watchful and helpful corrections, encouragement, and little tips made a huge difference in helping me to be comfortable, take proper care of my leg, know what to watch for, and what not to stress about. She is extremely kind as well as skilled.”
“Greatly lifted my spirits.”
Physical therapist Farouk Khan was commended by one of his patients who wrote to say, “Farouk was very motivational and responsive to all of my feedback. Further, he answered all of my questions and allayed any concerns about the process. It was a tremendous pleasure working with Farouk. His expertise, affable demeanor, compassion, and encouraging words helped not only my physical recovery, but also greatly lifted my spirits.”
“A natural healer.”
A note came in thanking physical therapist Daniel Tan for helping a patient recover from his hip replacement surgery. “I am happy to report that my recovery is going very well. A large part of this is due to Daniel Tan,” wrote the patient. “He demonstrated time and time again that he was wonderfully tuned in to my situation. Daniel is a natural healer. I am very lucky that he was assigned to my case.”
“I appreciate everything he did.”
Another Manhattan patient praised physical therapist Norman Liwanag for being “amazing,” adding that he was “kind and a great listener. I appreciate everything he did.”
“I am very grateful to the aides that gave my dad a good quality of life.”
The daughter of one client wrote in to say thank you to VNS Health for the services her dad received, in particular stating that his home health aides were “amazing.” She noted that HHAs Maria Escolastico, Carmen Puello, Andrea Hernandez, Clara Olazabal, and Yaelmy Cepeda Hernandez were “reliable, caring, patient and professional. I am very grateful to the aides that gave my dad a good quality of life.”
“His kindness and professionalism have left a lasting impression on our family.”
The son of one patient wrote to express his “deepest gratitude and appreciation for the exceptional home care and support” that physical therapist Richard Lapan provided to his father. “I firmly believe that health care professionals like him are rare gems, and his commitment to his patients’ well-being is truly commendable,” the son noted. “His kindness and professionalism have left a lasting impression on our family, and we will always hold him in the highest regard.”
“You have a great team!”
Nurse Alice Manso, senior occupational therapist Erica Kaplan, and physical therapist Nikolay Soni all recently received compliments from a Manhattan home care patient. The patient shared that “Alice took time, cared, and made sure healing was complete. Erica was very helpful in having my upper body involved in my recovery and I stayed aware of balance exercises. Nick was thoughtful and diligent in my efforts to use my body safely during recovery. He was fully engaged in safety first and building muscles. Together you have a great team!”
“I am very grateful for all.”
The daughter of a Manhattan hospice patient called to say how “caring” all of the nurses and team members of the Manhattan Upper Westside Hospice team were to the patient and their family. “I am very grateful for all,” said the daughter. Another hospice patient’s daughter wanted to extend an “across-the-board commendation to everyone involved in her mom’s care, stating that “every visit and call meant so much.”
“Svetlana is lovely!”
Nurse practitioner Svetlana Basina was complimented by the wife of a hospice patient. “Svetlana is lovely!” the patient said “She was so kind and helpful. I wish we could see her more often.”
“She displayed such a level of compassion and kindness to me that it touched me to my core.”
A commendation came in for VNS Health Personal Care case supervisor Melissa Martinez, praising the help she recently provided to a patient. The patient wrote of Melissa, “She displayed such a level of compassion and kindness to me that it touched me to my core. I want to thank her for all her support. If I am able to regain my mobility, it will be due in large measure to the time and care that Ms. Martinez gave to me. I am extremely grateful to her and to VNS Health.”
“Made me feel better and more at ease.”
A hospice patient’s wife called to say how “pleased” she was with nurse Karin Schyboll, stating that Karin is an “excellent nurse.” “Not only did she make my husband feel better,” said the wife, “but she also made me feel better and more at ease.”
“Because of him, my father’s quality of life has gotten so much better.”
Hospice team physician Ariel Daube was praised by a hospice patient’s daughter. Dr. Daube “has been so creative and full of good ideas and suggestions,” she noted. “Because of him, my father’s quality of life has gotten so much better in the past few weeks. We’re so grateful to him.”
“She was very bubbly and always happy.”
A client and his wife phoned to say how happy they were with home health aide Ja Necia Jordan. They wanted her supervisor to know that Ja Necia “did an excellent job with the patient. She was very bubbly and always happy.”
“There truly are not enough words to express how special she really is.”
A hospice patient’s daughter wrote to say how thankful she is for home health aide Dahlia Young. “Dahlia is sweet, kind, loving, and very attentive. She is also very dedicated in how she cares for her client,” wrote the daughter. “Plus, Dahlia is wonderful with the client’s grand-babies, and helps the client read books to them. Dahlia is a gift from God. I could literally go on for pages about how wonderful she is. There truly are not enough words to express how special she really is.”
“Relief and peace of mind.”
The granddaughter of one Manhattan patient wrote in to express her “deep gratitude” for the “exceptional care provided by nurse Kristen Wong.” The granddaughter stated that “Kristen has been instrumental in helping us manage my grandmother’s complex medication regimen. Her support thus far has been life-changing for our family. Her dedication, professionalism, and compassionate care have brought us relief and peace of mind.”
Queens
“So excellent.”
A patient called in to compliment nurse Jacqueline Conway, stating that Jacqueline is “so excellent.”
“I feel safe and comfortable working with her.”
A client from Queens praised home health aide Consuelo Contreras, saying Consuelo “is such an excellent aide.” “She learned my routine and I feel safe and comfortable working with her,” the client added.
“She was very knowledgeable and nice.”
A client called to say she had a great experience with home health aide Paula Nelson. “She was very knowledgeable and nice,” said the client.
“With the therapy I received, I am able to walk again with the cane.”
A patient called to express her thanks for the care provided by physical therapist Elisa Resuello and nurse Raisa Abramova. “I am happy, satisfied, and thankful how the clinicians treated me,” she said. “I am very grateful, because with the therapy I received, I am able to walk again with the cane.”
“Helped keep me calm.”
A Queens client phoned to say how helpful home health aide Sonia Pope was in keeping her calm during an incident that day. Sonia was “a Godsend and helped keep me calm because I was panicking,” the client said.
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the work you did for her and my family.”
The relative of a Queens hospice patient called to thank the Queens Hospice Central team. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the work you did for her and my family,” said the relative. “She died in peace, and with your help we were able to honor her wish of being home. Thank you.”
“She is a woman of kindness, love, and passion.”
A patient in VNS Health’s Gender Affirmation Program (GAP) wrote to commend nurse Emma Kaleo-Bioh, saying that Emma is a “woman of kindness, love, and passion. I just want to say thank you to her for her hard work and time.”
“Happier than I can express.”
Another Queens patient called to compliment physical therapist Yael Babayeva. The patient explained that she was able to walk without a cane and without fear and is “happier than I can express” and had tears in her eyes from the joy. She also said that she is “excited about my progress.”
“Wonderful.”
A client called to express his gratitude to VNS Health, and said he wanted to especially highlight how “wonderful” home health aide Janice Forde was.
“Gave me a lot of confidence.”
Physical therapist Neil Tecson received high praise from a patient who called Neil “top rated.” The patient added that Neil was “very professional, very patient, very clear with his instructions, and gave me a lot of confidence.”
“Excellent and very good with his instructions.”
The wife of one Queens patient raved about physical therapist Steven The, saying that Steven was “excellent and very good with his instructions.”
“Warm, loving, excellent and precise services.”
A letter came in from a member of the Flushing Community Center thanking senior community liason Xiaoyue Hu, senior community center coordinator Joe Li, and community center coordinator Jayne Lin for their “warm, loving, excellent and precise services.”
“I am glad I persuaded my father to join all of you.”
An email came in thanking the Mott Street Neighborhood NORC team. The writer was especially grateful to manager of the neighborhood NORC Helen Sit, department coordinator Phoebe Ho-Wong, and administrative assistant Karen Chin for the birthday celebration they held for their members. “My father and I enjoyed the entertainment very much,” the person wrote. “Thank you again for all the work you have done. I am glad I persuaded my father to join all of you. He had a fun time.”
Staten Island
“Excellent and works very well with my mom.”
Home health aide Kisha Baker recently received positive feedback from her client’s daughter, who said that “Kisha is excellent and works very well with my mom.”
Westchester
“I cannot thank her enough for all her help!”
A Westchester patient called to “highly recommend” nurse Doretta Galasso, saying that Doretta was “extremely knowledgeable, kind, and caring. I cannot thank her enough for all her help!”
“Happy and satisfied.”
One patient’s wife wanted to send a compliment to nurse Ashley Eustache. She stated that Ashley was “extraordinary today” and that both she and her spouse are “happy and satisfied.”
“I will forever be grateful.”
Physical therapist Khushbu Jain was complimented in a letter sent by one Westchester patient. Khushbu is “amazing, dedicated, and motivating. Without her I would not be doing as well as I am,” wrote the patient. “I cannot express enough my gratitude to her. Thank you for sending me the best therapist. I will forever be grateful.”
Health Plan Member Commendations
“Whenever I speak with her, I can rest assured that my concerns will be addressed.”
A health plan member wrote to express her thanks to contact center agent Lidia Medina. “Whenever I speak with her,” the member said, “I can rest assured that my concerns will be addressed, and she will find a resolution to my inquiry.”
“She exhibits compassion and is a problem solver.”
Another plan member very much appreciated contact center agent Danayde Sosa for her “superior customer service,” adding, “Danayde was genuinely kind. She exhibits compassion and is a problem solver.”
“Kind, patient, and went above and beyond.”
The daughter of a plan member was extremely pleased with the assistance that contact center agent Kianna Thompson provided to her. “Kianna was kind, patient, and went above and beyond to make sure my issues were addressed.”
“Very nice and gracious.”
A compliment came in for contact center agent Julie Chin from a member’s daughter, who wrote in to say that when she spoke to Julie, she was “very nice and gracious.” The daughter added that Julie “was so polite and professional” and provided “excellent service.”
To read past editions of Letters and Commendations, click here.
