HHA Resources
National Nurses Month Special: Saluting Years of Dedicated Service
May 11, 2022–This year, in celebration of National Nurses Month, VNSNY honors—and thanks— all of the nurses whose hard work and dedication make such a vital and colossal contribution, and difference, to the lives of our patients, clients and members across the organization. As a special highlight, Frontline spoke to the longest-serving nurses in each part of the organization. Click on their names to go directly to their stories or just scroll here to read them all! Myrna Agosto Susan Banner Myra Cohen Eloise Goldberg Lisa Miller Elisabeth Regis Karen Terry Betty Velez Nancy Washburn Deborah Wilson Myrna Agosto, Adult Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Queens/Brooklyn Mobile Crisis Unit, Behavioral Health — 33 years at VNSNY “I see the possibilities.” As a psychiatric nurse practitioner in the Queens/Brooklyn Mobile Crisis Unit, Myrna Agosto spends her days working with vulnerable patients at very difficult times in their lives. “Typically, we’ll get a referral
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Hitting Home: A Ukrainian Colleague Shares Her Story
March 10, 2022–New York City is home to the largest Ukrainian American population in the U.S. Over 150,000 Ukrainians live within the city’s five boroughs, many of them residing in the Ukrainian communities of Manhattan’s Lower East Side and Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. The war in Ukraine has had a particularly devastating impact on these New Yorkers, including our Ukrainian American colleagues, patients, clients, plan members, and their families who are part of our VNSNY community. Our hearts, thoughts, and support go out to all of them at this extremely difficult time. Please meet Kateryna Vinarskiya, a Ukrainian-born home health aide who’s been with Partners in Care for a little more than two years. We thank her for taking the time to speak with us about how the situation has affected her and her family members back home. We spoke with Kateryna a little over a week into the war. I came to
Harlem Event Brings Together VNSNY Leadership and Local Faith and Community Leaders
March 9, 2022–On February 18, VNSNY’s HOPE (Hospice Outreach Patient and Provider Education) and Connect2Well programs hosted an event with faith and community leaders from across the city as well as several elected officials at the historic Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. The event, titled HOPE HEALS: FAITH EMPOWERS, was designed to educate faith leaders about the HOPE and Connect2Well programs and their mission to address the underutilization of hospice, home care and other healthcare services among chronically ill and at-risk Black and Latinx adults. HOPE’s faith-based lead consultants, Reverend Jacques DeGraff and Pastor Corey Kennard, served as co-chairs and helped plan the event, which attracted more than 45 stakeholders from New York City’s five boroughs. By working with key community-based organizations and faith leaders, the HOPE and the Connect2Well programs aim to bridge the information gap and increase access to healthcare resources within the Harlem and the Bronx communities.
Find Out What’s Happening… News Briefs from Around VNSNY!
February 22, 2022–Welcome to the latest edition of “News Briefs from Around VNSNY”— featuring quick updates on recent news and happenings across the organization. If you have any news or announcements that you’d like to submit for consideration in an upcoming edition, please click here. CHHA Gets Four Stars from CMS! VNSNY’s certified home healthcare agency (CHHA) received its first-ever 4-Star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Based on patient-care ratings in nine different quality categories, the 4-Star rating means that the CHAA is performing above average, as compared to the many thousands of certified home healthcare agencies across the U.S. This score is especially impressive because it reflects the CHHA’s performance in early 2021, at the height of the COVID pandemic with all its inherent challenges. “I want to thank everyone in the CHHA for everything you’ve done to help us achieve this best-ever rating,” says Andria
Inside CFO Keith Patterson’s Head – A Brand New Animated Video Series You Have to See!
February 17, 2022–Have you ever wondered how VNSNY’s finances actually work and why? Meet our Chief Financial Officer, Keith Patterson. Keith loves jazz and Philadelphia sports teams. But what really gets him going is finance. In this first of a series of entertaining videos, Keith demystifies what all those numbers mean and explains how we’re planning for the future. Click below to watch! To watch more in this series, click here.
Pizza, February Favorites, and Achieving our Personal Bests: This Edition of “20 Minutes with Dan” Has It All!
February 8, 2022–This latest edition of “20 Minutes with Dan” is sure to keep you watching! You’ll join President and CEO Dan Savitt as he heads to the Bronx to grab a slice of pizza and chat with Christina Tajeda (Contact Center Shared Services Supervisor) and Grace McGee (Associate Director, Medical Management). You’ll also hear some great insights from Jessica Fear, (Senior Vice President, Community Mental Health Services) and Naseebah Kahn (Director of Business Development Operations). And because it’s February, this edition of “20 Minutes With Dan” highlights what your fellow VNSNY colleagues love about this month, in a special “I Heart February” segment! Click below to watch the latest episode! And here’s the “On the Go!” version of “20 Minutes with Dan.” We’ve broken out the episode into short segments so you can watch it on the go! Around with Dan On the Couch I Heart February A Special Message About Employee
Wow, the Latest Patient Letters and CHOICE Member Commendations Are Amazing!
February 2, 2022–The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to prove the resilience and dedication of our entire VNSNY team. The following are excerpts from a few of the many recent letters, phone calls, and emails that we’ve received from grateful patients, plan members and family members that reflect an outstanding consumer experience. To read the January 2022 patient letters, click here. To read the January 2022 CHOICE commendations, click here.
Neighborhood Spotlight Takes a Trip to Brownsville, Brooklyn!
January 27, 2022–Frontline VNSNY is excited to bring you the fourth installment of “Neighborhood Spotlight”—VNSNY’s inside look at the neighborhoods we serve and the home care heroes who provide compassion and care in them. In this latest video, Amery Moultry heads to Brownsville, an East Brooklyn community faced with high rates of chronic health issues, to meet with long-time VNSNY nurse Sherill Stennett at the home of one of her patients. You’ll also hear from Clinical Intake Manager Tameka McCabe and Clinical Field Manager Valarie Brockington, VNSNY Impact Challenge participants focusing on bringing medical nutrition therapy—and a positive lifestyle change—to the Brownsville community. To learn more about Brownsville and to hear what Sherill, Tameka, and Valarie had to say, check out the video below! To watch additional videos in our Neighborhood Spotlight series, click here.
“It Has Been a Beautiful Experience” — Meet Ivette Colón, Partners in Care Home Health Aide
January 21, 2022–When Ivette Colón moved to New York from Puerto Rico in search of more financial stability, she had no idea what the future held for her. “I moved because of my financial situation,” she recalls. “Puerto Rico has been in economic stagnation for fifteen years.” In Puerto Rico, she had worked in the hospitality industry, but once in New York, her sister told her about the job opportunities working as a home health aide at Partners in Care and Ivette decided to give it a try. She’s been a home health aide for five years now, and enjoys her work very much. “I have liked the experience,” Ivette says. “My vision of empathy towards the person who is either ill or needs to improve their daily life has broadened. Not everyone who needs this service is due to illness—it is also due to age.” Ivette lives in Ridgewood, Queens with
An Interview with David O’Malley, SVP for Product Strategy
January 18, 2022–In May of 2021, David O’Malley joined VNSNY in the newly created position of Senior Vice President for Product Strategy. He comes to VNSNY from General Electric Healthcare, where he served in various product development related roles, most recently as Senior Director of product strategy for GE Healthcare’s digital technology group. Prior to that, David managed technology development for MediFit, a company that provided businesses with health and wellness solutions for corporate employees. Welcome to VNSNY! Besides being a product development expert, we understand that you also have a background as a hands-on healthcare worker. Thank you, I’m delighted to be here! That’s right, I was a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician in Connecticut for seven years. The nursing profession has also been a constant in my life – my wife is a nurse, and both my mother and grandmother were also nurses. Coming to VNSNY has put me even closer