Celebration and Commemoration
Celebration and Commemoration
Celebrating Our Home Care and Hospice Business Support Teams! Photos Are Here!
April 13, 2026–On Wednesday morning, April 8th, over 80 VNS Health team members from across our Home Care and Hospice teams — including Scheduling, Physician Orders, Document Control, Coding, Contract Administration and Operations Administration — gathered for an appreciation breakfast honoring the important work they do every day in providing the best possible care for our patients, members and clients. The event included brief remarks from Chief of Provider Services David Rosales, celebrating the team members’ work and their years of service. In his remarks, David likened their many contributions to the recent Artemis II moon mission, pointing out that while the four astronauts in space circled the moon, there were thousands of people behind the scenes at NASA supporting them along the way to ensure their safe return. As David noted, the same holds true for the many dedicated team members who support the delivery of care at VNS Health. See the event photos here!
Happy Occupational Therapy Month!
April 1, 2026–Dear Colleagues, Today marks the beginning of National Occupational Therapy Month. It’s a moment to recognize something truly special. At VNS Health, we don’t just provide care—we walk alongside people through some of the most challenging moments of their lives. After a life-altering health event, even the smallest, everyday tasks—like buttoning a shirt—can suddenly feel overwhelming. That’s where our Occupational Therapists (OTs) and Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTAs) make such a profound difference. You step into patients’ homes and into their lives with compassion, patience, and skill. You help people rebuild not just their abilities but their independence. You bring hope into difficult moments, restore confidence where it’s been shaken, and help people reclaim a sense of normalcy and dignity. What you do goes far beyond therapy: You change lives—and you do this not just with your expertise, but with your warmth and encouragement. To our incredible OTs and COTAs: thank you. I’m deeply grateful
The 2026 VNS Health Social Work Month Celebration Photos and Video Are Here!
March 31, 2026–March is National Social Work Month. On March 24th, to honor this special occasion, over 120 Social Services Professionals gathered at our 220 East 42nd Street location for a fun breakfast celebration. The morning’s proceedings included presentations by CEO Dan Savitt and SVP for Behavioral Health Jessica Fear, a salute to Gender Affirmation Program’s Asha Lyons as the 2026 winner of the VNS Health Social Services Professional of the Year Award, and a raffle. A continuing education unit (CEU) followed. For those Social Services Professionals who were unable to make the event, a similar virtual celebration occured two days later that included a presentation by Chief of Provider Services David Rosales. And don’t miss the video of Asha accepting her award below! To see photos of the in-person event, click on the slideshow below. Asha Lyons, the 2026 Social Services Professional of the Year, accepting her award.
Celebrating International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month!
March 6, 2026–Dear Colleagues, This Sunday, March 8, is International Women’s Day and March is Women’s History Month — a time to celebrate the extraordinary impact women, including our own team members, have had on our world. At VNS Health, this month carries special meaning. Our organization was founded on the vision and determination of a woman — Lillian Wald — whose belief in compassionate, accessible community-based care more than 130 years ago transformed health care. The legacy that she and her colleagues created continues to guide us to this very day. Women have always been a driving force at VNS Health. We are proud of this legacy and grateful for the thousands of remarkable women who continue to move VNS Health forward every day. Your dedication, expertise, and heart are the foundation of our success — and a major reason why we continue to make a meaningful difference in the lives of New Yorkers. Thank
Happy National Social Work Month!
March 2, 2026–Dear Colleagues, March is National Social Work Month, when we recognize and celebrate our nearly 600 dedicated social services team members across VNS Health. Every day, you’re there for people in their healthcare journeys, often during some of their most challenging moments. You help them navigate a complex health care system, coordinate care, and connect them to vital community resources. Your work doesn’t just support our patients, members, and clients — it empowers them. What makes our social services team members even more remarkable is how deeply woven you are into nearly every part of VNS Health. From psychiatric social workers at our integrated Behavioral Health (BH) clinic in the South Bronx and other BH programs, to our Hospice and Home Care social services professionals, to Health Plan care managers, and so many others — your impact is felt everywhere. To all of our social services team members — thank you! Thank you
Happy Lunar New Year!
February 16, 2026–Dear Colleagues, Today, February 17th, marks the start of the Lunar New Year — a joyful time celebrated by many of our team members as well as many of our patients, members, and clients. Over the next couple of weeks, families and communities across New York and the world will be gathering to celebrate, reconnect, and usher in a new year together. One of the most cherished traditions of Lunar New Year is to share warm wishes for the year ahead. With that in mind, I’d like to wish you and your loved ones a year filled with happiness, good health, love, and plenty of moments that make you smile. Happy Lunar New Year! Dan Dan Savitt President and Chief Executive Officer All VNS Health Team Members are Invited to the Lunar New Year Celebration on Wednesday, February 25 at 12:00 Noon The AAPI Employee Resource Group is hosting a Lunar New Year
Happy Black History Month!
February 2, 2026–Dear Colleagues, February is Black History Month, when we celebrate the many important contributions and accomplishments of Black Americans throughout our country’s history—including those here at VNS Health. From VNS Health’s earliest days, Black Americans have played a key role in our organization, helping to improve the lives of millions of vulnerable New Yorkers. To give you just one example, VNS Health increased our number of Black nurses four-fold in the 1920s to help address healthcare disparities and expand our presence in the Black community. The above photo is of a nurse taken at around this time. While unfortunately this nurse’s name is lost to history, her empathy and compassion shines through in this image as she cares for a mother and her newborn. Over the following decades and through today, Black team members have driven meaningful impact for New Yorkers of all backgrounds, helping shape and uphold VNS Health’s long-standing
Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day
January 27, 2026–Dear Colleagues, Today, January 27, we observe International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It was on this date 81 years ago that Allied forces liberated the survivors of the Auschwitz concentration camp. This official day of remembrance memorializes the six million Jews—nearly two-thirds of Europe’s Jewish population—who were murdered during the Holocaust, along with millions of others targeted by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. I hope you’ll take a moment to pause and reflect on the meaning of this solemn anniversary and the lives lost in the Holocaust as we work to create a better, more humane world for all. Dan Dan Savitt President and Chief Executive Officer
Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.
January 16, 2026–Dear Colleagues, This Monday, January 19th, we honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Day—a time to remember Dr. King’s life, his courage, and his unwavering commitment to advancing civil rights and human dignity. He believed deeply that our lives find their greatest meaning when we dedicate ourselves to something bigger than our own individual needs. As we reflect on Dr. King’s legacy, I also want to take a moment to recognize you. Each day, through your compassion, dedication, and hard work, you make a real difference in the lives of our patients, members, and clients. That commitment—to serve, to care, and to uplift others—is at the very heart of our mission. Your efforts strengthen our communities and bring hope where it’s needed most. In that way, you are carrying forward the spirit of service that Dr. King lived by. Thank you for all that you do, and for the difference you