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Celebrating Excellence: Patricia Vieira Is VNS Health’s 2024 Physical Therapist of the Year!
October 17, 2024–Physical therapist Patricia “Patty” Vieira has been a dedicated member of the VNS Health PT team for an impressive 21 years, providing exceptional care to patients across Long Island. And now, in recognition of her outstanding work, Patty has been named our organization’s 2024 Physical Therapist of the Year! Patty’s enthusiasm and energy are evident to anyone who meets her. “She is simply the best physical therapist. I would want her to be mine if I ever needed one!” wrote VNS Health occupational therapist Jennifer McCaffrey in her letter nominating Patty for the award. “She always goes above and beyond, which makes her patients smile. Most of all, she is a team player, and always coordinates care with all team members, patients, and caregivers.” Patty got her first glimpse of her future career path in high school, when she volunteered at a PT clinic. After graduating from SUNY Buffalo in
Whitney Thomas Receives Speech-Language Pathologist of the Year Award!
May 17, 2024–Whitney Thomas, a speech-language pathologist with our Home Care team in Queens, has been named VNS Health’s 2024 Speech-Language Pathologist of the Year! Whitney was presented with her award today at our SLP celebration event. For Whitney, who joined VNS Health in March 2021, helping people is her favorite part of the job. In particular, she finds great fulfillment in working with patients with swallowing disorders and helping them transition from receiving nutrition through a feeding tube to being able to enjoy their favorite meals again. “It’s isolating for the patient to not be able to join their family for a meal, especially during holidays, so it’s wonderful to help them along that journey back to the table,” says Whitney. Whitney credits her success to the support she receives from her Home Care team members. “I work across different teams, and everyone has been very supportive, from nurses to other
Meet VNS Health’s 2024 Occupational Therapist of the Year!
April 18, 2024–April is Occupational Therapy Month—when we honor our more than 70 occupational therapists (OTs) and certified occupational therapy assistants (COTAs). During this past Wednesday’s Occupational Therapy Month celebration, the 2024 Occupational Therapist of the Year was announced. And the winner is… Manhattan OT Dina Klein! Dina, who has been an OT with VNS Health Home Care for 12 years, serves a diverse community of patients on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Here are some other interesting facts about this year’s honoree: Dina on why she loves doing occupational therapy: “I enjoy providing motivation to my patients and letting them know they can do more than they think they can,” says Dina. “If we make our patients’ lives a little better, help relieve the caregiver burden, or prevent one fall, then we make an important difference in their lives.” She knows that little things can make a big difference. Dina
Congrats to Katie Gildea, VNS Health’s 2023 SLP of the Year!
May 25, 2023–As we approach the end of Better Speech and Hearing Month, we’re proud to announce that speech-language pathologist (SLP) Katie Gildea has been named VNS Health’s Speech-Language Pathologist of the Year! Leaders from VNS Health Provider Services reviewed this year’s nominations and selected Katie as someone who exemplifies how our SLPs go above and beyond to achieve the best possible outcomes for their patients—delivering outstanding service while also embodying VNS Health’s Core Values of Integrity, Empathy and Agility. Katie started out in speech-language pathology almost 20 years ago, working with children and adults recovering from brain injuries. After several years, she moved to New York and joined VNS Health. Now approaching 15 years with the organization, she has spent much of her career working with patients on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. “I feel very lucky to be in home health care right now,” said Katie. “I find that all my
Meet VNS Health’s 2023 OT of the Year: Gladys Bayles-Panes!
April 27, 2023–As Occupational Therapy Month draws to a close, we’re proud to announce that Senior Occupational Therapist Gladys Bayles-Panes has been named VNS Health’s Occupational Therapist of the Year! Leaders from the Occupational Therapy (OT) and Rehabilitation teams reviewed nominations from across VNS Health to select an awardee who not only exemplifies our Core Values, but goes above and beyond to achieve the best possible outcomes and deliver outstanding service. With nearly three decades in the health care field, including the past 15 years with VNS Health, Gladys currently serves as a field clinician in Queens and Nassau County, and often travels to assist other OTs and Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants (COTAs) with home visits and consultations. “I’m truly proud to be an occupational therapist and to work with a lot of wonderful and hardworking OTs,” says Gladys. “Every day we try our best to make a difference in our patients’
Myrna Agosto Wins 2022 ESPRIT Award!
November 22, 2022–“I always try to empower the poor and marginalized.” “In my role on the Brooklyn and Queens Mobile Crisis teams, I find it rewarding when I’m able to prevent someone from hurting themself or hurting someone else. It’s so satisfying when my colleagues and I can help get our clients into the hospital to ensure they get the care they need,” says Myrna. “I have been a witness to people’s lives being transformed from suffering with mental health and physical illnesses to living a more fulfilling life.” Myrna’s exceptional diagnostic skills and empathetic, caring nature extend beyond the vulnerable clients she serves. On one home visit, she saw that her patient’s spouse was suffering in her own right, struggling with her husband’s mental-health issues and her sadness at being unable to help him overcome them. With her signature straightforward style, Myrna took the time to educate her about her husband’s
Reena Vadlakunta Wins 2022 ESPRIT Award!
November 22, 2022–“I am a problem solver. My motto is keep it simple—and provide a clear solution.” Though Reena only officially joined the team that supports the Workday application in April, she was already handling much of the same hefty workload prior to her promotion. “Her agility is constantly expanding,” enthuses one nomination letter. “She previously worked on file transfers between outside vendors and internal customers, along with resolving Workday support issues. Now, she is expanding and contributing to our increasing work on development, security, and supporting integrations in Workday. Often, her work is around the clock, supporting interfaces communicating between VNS Health and multiple vendors and customers. She is a strong critical resource for the future of VNS Health.” A distinctive part of Reena’s IT role is making complicated projects seem simple. “When VNSNY rebranded to VNS Health, there was a lot of collaboration with my team members in order to
Denise Walpole Wins 2022 ESPRIT Award!
November 22, 2022–“Having a positive impact on Health Plan members’ lives is one of the greatest rewards of my work.” Denise was the manager for the VNS Health MLTC plan’s Utilization Management department for several years, where she elevated team performance and improved compliance through a holistic leadership strategy, using data, communication and collaboration to create a high-performance culture. Now, as Director of Clinical Assessments and Utilization Management, she uses these strategies and leadership skills to help steer the team towards meeting not only departmental goals but also organization-wide objectives. “Ever since I started with VNS Health back in 2006, I knew that I wanted to stay with this organization,” says Denise, who is now a two-time ESPRIT Award winner. “What VNS Health provides to needy New Yorkers is so unique and powerful.” Being able to have a positive impact on Health Plan members’ lives is one of the greatest rewards of
Margarita Roldán Wins 2022 ESPRIT Award!
November 22, 2022–“A navigator of systems for her clients and colleagues.” As a full-time field social worker, Margarita visits the homes of some 20 clients per week, then provides all related followup to address their psychosocial needs. Her service area, the Bronx, is marked by high social determinant of health-related needs, driven by significant health care disparities. At times, during severe staffing shortages, she’s covered the entire region on her own, never hesitating to take on the extra workload. Margarita excels at managing complex cases, coordinating with the rest of the interdisciplinary team, and connecting clients to the internal and external resources they need in order to optimize their quality of life as they cope with illness and recovery. “I have worked very closely with various departments within VNS Health, including Volunteer Services, Behavioral Health, the Long-Term Care Navigation Team, the Gender Affirmation Program, and Pediatric Palliative Care,” says Margarita. “Many of our clients