Catch Up on What’s Happening Around VNS Health: Fall News Briefs
As we say goodbye to fall 2022, here’s the latest edition of News Briefs—a quick and easy way to catch up on news, updates, and happenings across the organization over the past few months.
If you have any news or announcements that you’d like to submit for consideration in an upcoming edition, please click here.
Check Out the Latest ABCD and Initiative Award Winners—all 560 of them!
Here they are, all in one place—a list of team members who, over the past few months, have been recognized for going above and beyond in their work. The list covers awards from July 31st to October 31st, 2022, and features both ABCD Award and Initiative Award winners. Click here to view their names.
Behavioral Health Receives $775,000 Grant to Help Reduce Suicide Attempts in Youth/Young Adults of Color and LGBTQI+
VNS Health’s Behavioral Health team recently received a $775,406, 12-month grant from the New York State Office of Mental Health for its new Safe Pathway program, which is aimed at reducing suicide attempts and deaths among New York City youth/ young adults aged 10-24 from communities of color and the LGBTQI+ community. The program’s services include providing rapid follow-up and aftercare to youth who have attempted suicide, as well as those who are assessed as being at risk of suicide.
VNS Health’s Website Receives a Healthcare Marketing Impact Silver Award
VNS Health won a a silver Healthcare Marketing Impact Award from Modern Healthcare magazine for our newly rebranded, streamlined website. Click here to read more about the award.
VNS Health Wins NYC Contract to Provide HHA Services to Over 700 Brooklyn Seniors
VNS Health has been awarded a contract from NYC Aging (formerly New York City’s Department for the Aging) to deliver home health aide (HHA) services to over 700 Brooklyn seniors in communities across the borough, starting in January 2023. These services are being offered through the Department for the Aging’s Home Care program, which provides non-medical care for capable and independent older adults who are living safely alone at home, but need some assistance with activities of daily living. VNS Health is collaborating with seven Brooklyn case management agencies who will do the initial assessments to identify appropriate clients for the Home Care program. VNS Health HHAs will then be assigned to provide several hours of care per day to the program’s clients for up to 20 hours per week, helping them with shopping, cleaning, meal preparation, personal care and other daily tasks.
CEO Dan Savitt Named a Power Player in Health Care
For the second year in a row, President and CEO Dan Savitt was recognized by PoliticsNY and amNY Metroas one of this year’s Power Players in Health Care—a recognition of “extraordinary individuals with a deep and enduring commitment to improving health outcomes for all New Yorkers.” Click here to read a brief PoliticsNY interview with Dan.
Bronx Nurse-Family Partnership Participates in Strollin’ For Life Event
On Wednesday, September 21st, team members from VNS Health’s Nurse-Family Partnership were among the maternal and child health programs represented at this year’s Strollin’ For Life event in Tremont Park in the Bronx. Sponsored by Bronx Healthy Start Partnership, the event was designed to educate the community and heighten awareness about infant mortality, which is often preventable.
Donate to Our Strength from Within Employee Giving Campaign and Help Our Neighbors in Need
In the spirit of our culture of philanthropy at VNS Health, team members from across the organization are donating to our 2022 Strength from Within employee giving campaign, which runs through December 31, 2022. Over $101,000 has been raised so far, and there’s still time to participate! 100% of your gift will help the most vulnerable patients and clients we serve in our charitable and community programs. Every gift, regardless of amount, makes a positive difference. Click here to read more about this year’s Strength from Within campaign—and how you can be part of it.
VNS Health HELPS Tool Featured in Home Health Care News
In October, Home Health Care News featured VNS Health’s new, data-driven HELPS tool, which uses an evidence-based algorithm to help health plans’ care management teams assign an appropriate amount of Personal Care Services (PCS) to their members with unmatched speed and reliability. Click here to read the article.
VNS Health Presents Research Center’s Findings on HHAs and Pandemic Preparedness
At a New York State Association of Health Care Providers luncheon on October 20th, Jim Rolla, Senior Vice President, Personal Care, and Margaret McDonald from the VNS Health Center for Home Care Policy & Research presented the findings of a Research Center study of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on home health aides—a study in which many VNS Health HHAs participated. The session was titled “LHCSA Pandemic Preparedness: Where Do We Go from Here to Better Support Home Care Agencies and Home Health Aides?” To read a summary of the study, click here.
Nurse Care Manager Ana Osorio Is Awarded Edna A. Lauterbach Scholarship
Ana Osorio, Nurse Care Manager, was awarded an Edna A. Lauterbach Scholarship. The scholarship is sponsored by the Community Health Care Services Foundation, and is open to New York nurses who have an entrepreneurial dream or who are seeking to enhance their skills through education with the goal of working in home or community-based care. Ana’s goal is to become a nurse informaticist, with the aim of improving the healthcare system and health outcomes by creating systems that support the best workflows and positive decision-making around patient care, communication, and documentation.
VNS Health Employee Veterans Honored at 70th Street Veterans Day Event
On Tuesday, November 8th, at our East 70th Street office, CEO Dan Savitt, Chief People Officer Tracy Dodd and other VNS Health leaders, including Veterans Outreach Liaison Christopher Webster, honored our employee veterans at a Veterans Day event. The moving event included veterans’ family members as well as special guest and News 12 senior meteorologist Meredith Garofalo, who sang an inspiring a capella version of the national anthem.
VNS Health Medicare Advantage Plans Earn Highest CMS Rating in NYC and Long Island!
For the second year in a row, VNS Health Medicare has earned a rating of 4.5 out of 5 Stars from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). No other Medicare Advantage plan in New York City or Long Island received 4.5 Stars in the latest ratings, making VNS Health the top-ranked Medicare Advantage payer in these areas. Click here to read more about this exciting achievement!
Back in Person: HHA Service Awards Celebration!
After two years of virtual celebrations, VNS Health Personal Care held its 39th Annual Honor Awards event in person on Monday, October 10th at the Westin Hotel, which is right next door to our 220 East 42nd Street office. VNS Health team members gathered to recognize the outstanding achievements and dedication of VNS Health’s entire Personal Care team. Click here to read more about the honorees and watch the video celebrating the extraordinary care that VNS Health’s home health aides provide every day here below.
VNS Health Gala Raises Nearly $1.2 Million for Our Charitable Care and Community Programs
VNS Health’s 2022 Benefit, “The Future of Care. The Comfort of Home.” was held on Thursday, November 10th at the Ziegfeld Ballroom. The event, the first in-person gala since 2019 and our first as VNS Health, was a terrific success: Nearly $1.2 million was raised for our Charitable Care and Community programs, and the gala was attended by 500 guests. Emceed by PIX11 news anchor Kori Chambers, the evening was highlighted by the presentation of our Lillian D. Wald Award to Eugenie F. Doyle, MD, Board Member Emerita, and Stephen A. Warnke, Partner, Ropes & Gray LLP. To view some of the photos, please see below.
VNS Health’s Dr. Jovita Crasta and the Behavioral Health Team Receives the Caritas Medal from St. John’s University
Congratulations to Dr. Jovita Crasta and the Behavioral Health team for being awarded the Caritas Medal from St. John’s University. The team was recognized for its intensive mobile treatment programs that “bring frontline, humane health care to high-risk homeless clients” and “provide individualized care to clients no matter the setting, be it on the street or in a subway station, if necessary.” Click here to read more about the award.
VNS Health Cares Assists at God’s Love We Deliver
On Saturday, November 19th, VNS Health Cares, a team of VNS Health volunteers, brought their kitchen skills and compassion to God’s Love We Deliver. The group of 23 VNS Health team members prepared a total of 3,406 nutritious, healthy meals for delivery to New York City neighbors who were too sick to shop or cook for themselves.
VNS Health Email Addresses Rebrand!
On Saturday, October 22st, an important step in our VNS Health rebrand occurred when all team member email addresses switched from the old @vnsny.org domain to @vnshealth.org.
The transition, which was months in the planning, was a big success. Hats off to our amazing IT team that made it all happen so seamlessly!
Inclusion@VNS Health Update: New Personal Information Options Are Now Available in Workday.
Diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging are a critical part of the VNS Health culture, and are also the cornerstone of our Inclusion Strategy, a key component of our People and Culture Strategy. In order to help our organization better understand and support the unique demographics and needs of all team members, there are now new options available in Workday for updating your personal information, including your sexual orientation, gender identity, pronouns, and/or veteran status. Use of these options is entirely voluntary. Any information you choose to include will be treated confidentially, and your data will only be accessible to a small number of team members within Human Resources. In addition, your information will be used and shared only at the aggregate level to help us better understand how we can best support all of our diverse communities within VNS Health.
Click here to access a quick how-to guide on updating your personal information in Workday.
Are You Ready for an Emergency?
September was Emergency Preparedness Month, which is always a good time to take a moment and brush up on what you need to know in this area. This new flyer, developed by our Emergency Response team, offers quick and comprehensive guidance on how you can prepare for any eventuality—including everything from how to look up your evacuation zone to Go Bag and Household Emergency Kit checklists.
Crazy Hats and Socks… Check out Photos from Personal Care’s Fun-Filled Week!
During the week of October 24th, the VNS Health Personal Care team held a week-long employee engagement event at the 220 East 42nd Street office—each day with a different theme! Click on the link below to see the pictures from their fun-filled week!
Celebrating Physical Therapy Month in October—And Our PT of the Year, Simon Chan!
On Thursday, October 27th, VNS Health hosted an in-person (and online) event to honor our amazing 250-plus physical therapists and physical therapy assistants, who make such a colossal and important difference in the lives of their patients. At the event, Physical therapist Simon Chan, a 26-year VNS Health veteran, received the 2022 Physical Therapy Professional of the Year award. (For more about Simon, and a peek at a day in his busy life, click here.)
Click here to view the video that was played at the event.
Bronx FRIENDS Clinic Oktoberfest Event a Big Success
On October 27th, clients and families of all the FRIENDS programs (FRIENDS Clinic, CFST, Bronx Children’s Mobile Crisis Team, Promise Zone, and the Home Based Crisis Intervention program) were treated to an exciting Oktoberfest community event. Dedicated to raising mental health awareness, the FRIENDS Oktoberfest was a fun, warm, and welcoming opportunity for families to play together and interact, while also obtaining information and answers about mental health resources from Behavioral Health team members. This year’s theme was “Superheroes: Marvel vs DC Comics”, and those so inclined were invited to wear a superhero costume from either the Marvel or DC comic realm.
