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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VNSNY Commemorates Memorial Day: Hear What Memorial Day Means to Our VNSNY Veterans
May 26, 2021–On Monday, May 31st, America celebrates Memorial Day and honors those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and our freedoms. In this special Memorial Day video, Frontline interviewed several VNSNY staff who are veterans and asked what Memorial Day means to them. To hear their moving tributes, click on the video below. In addition to this special Memorial Day video, we are also pleased to share the following poem by Robert Longley, which was adapted by Joe Vitti, Director of VNSNY’s Hospice Veterans Program.
Meet This Year’s Liota and Marren Award Winners!
May 25, 2021–As part of VNSNY’s ongoing Nurses Month celebration, the 2021 Liota and Marren Award winners have just been announced. Congratulations to the honorees, Collette Hendricks and Tameka McCabe, who were nominated by their VNSNY colleagues and selected by a committee of nursing leaders! Collette Hendricks, Psychiatric Nurse, Winner of the Marilyn Liota Award The Liota Award to Promote Cultural Diversity in Nursing Leadership, named after long-time VNSNY nurse and Queens Regional Vice President Marilyn Liota, is awarded each year to help an exemplary VNSNY nurse realize her or his leadership potential. The award provides a $1,500 scholarship for expenses related to nursing studies, continuing professional development, or communication/English language skills development. “I’ve always had compassion for people with mental illness.” Very early on during the COVID pandemic, when Zoom meetings were being held about pivoting to remote patient care during lockdown, Collette wouldn’t hear of it. “What’s going to happen
“30 Minutes with Dan” Celebrates National Nurses Month!
May 24, 2021–We’re pleased to bring you the May episode of “30 Minutes with Dan” — the video talk show hosted by VNSNY’s President and CEO Dan Savitt. This 30-minute monthly program is designed to be watched in one viewing or in multiple viewings — whichever works best for you. In this special Nurses Month episode that you won’t want to miss, Dan interviews VNSNY nurses Carmite Maurice, Amashika DaCosta, Erika Cingel, David Heron, Tiffany Blakney, and Fredlya Urena. From Central Park to Roberto Clemente Park in the Bronx, Dan travels the city to celebrate our nursing staff. To view, click here below! To watch more episodes of 30-minutes with Dan, click here.
Here They Are, the Most Recent Patient Letters and CHOICE Member Commendations!
May 21, 2021–Over 40 staff members are featured in the latest patient letters and CHOICE member commendations. Read them here. Click here to read the latest patient letters. Click here to read the most recent CHOICE member commendations. GREAT job, everyone! To read other Letters and Commendations from previous months, click here.
Celebrating Nurses Month: Check Out These Long-Lost Photos of Early VNSNY Nurses!
May 17, 2021–As we continue our celebration of National Nurses Month, Frontline looks at this year’s theme, “Nurses Make a Difference,” through the lens of history. The fact is, VNSNY nurses have been making a difference in the lives of New Yorkers for 128 years. So what’s changed and what has stayed the same after all these years? A recent treasure trove of photos—featuring VNSNY nurses hard at work—gives us a hint! The National Institute of Health recently featured the online exhibition Outside/Inside:Immigration, Migration, and Health Care in the United States, which chronicles Lillian Wald’s efforts to support immigrants to New York City, starting with her creation of the Henry Street Visiting Nurse Service on New York’s Lower East Side—then the world’s largest immigrant neighborhood—in 1893. Wald realized how visiting nurses could play a crucial role in reducing death rates, helping immigrants adjust to life in the United States, and advocating for the
VNSNY’s Nurse Residency Program: Intensive Training Helps Nurses ‘Go from Novice to Expert’
May 12, 2021–Recent nursing school graduate Joann Wong was looking for her next career move after a brief stint working in a nursing home. Providing nursing care to people directly in their homes appealed to her, but she felt she needed more training before making that step. “I realized I like teaching people—I like it when they go home—but I didn’t think I had enough experience to go into home care and to be on my own in that way,” she says. So when Joann saw an advertisement on a job site for VNSNY Home Care’s new nurse residency program, she applied immediately. Today, Joann is part of the initial class of seven nurse residents who have successfully completed the first year of VNSNY’s unique two-year nurse residency. The program introduces newly graduated nurses to home care through a mix of classroom and hands-on skills training, followed by an intensive in-field mentorship
VNSNY Hosts Donation Drive for Homeless and At-Risk Veterans
May 5, 2021–May is Military Appreciation Month—and in honor of the month, VNSNY’s Veterans Program, in collaboration with Backpacks For Life and Sunrise Senior Living of New Dorp, Staten Island, has launched a donation drive to support homeless and at-risk veterans. From now through May 20th, VNSNY is working with community partners to collect essential items that will be distributed to veterans in need. Requested items include hats, gloves, notebooks, pens, toiletries, feminine hygiene items, first aid products and more. Monetary donations, which will be used to buy similar items for veterans, are also welcome. All donations will be distributed through Backpacks for Life, a nonprofit organization that provides support to homeless and at-risk veterans struggling to reintegrate into civilian life. Founded in 2014 by U.S. Marine Corps veteran Brett D’Alessandro and his fiancé, Alexa Modero, Backpacks for Life has distributed thousands of backpacks filled with essential items across the country, with all supplies donated by members of
“What is one fascinating thing you’ve learned about your culture and something you’ve learned about another?”
April 28, 2021–To commemorate Celebrate Diversity Month, “Ask VNSNY” host Amery Moultry offers a short summary of the cultural diversity found in New York City, and then asks this question of employees from around the organization. To hear their responses as well as Amery’s tips on how you can celebrate cultural diversity month, click here below.
VNSNY Celebrates National Volunteer Week
April 19, 2021–Sending heartfelt thanks to our generous volunteers and volunteer interns! Mahatma Gandhi said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” As we salute National Volunteer Week, from April 18th through April 24th, it’s an apt concept. This week is also a time for VNSNY to celebrate the 258 individuals who supported our mission by donating their services to programs across the organization in 2020. “From administrative support and fundraising to patient outreach and sourcing PPE, volunteering during this pandemic year has looked quite different from years past, with volunteers and volunteer interns pivoting from in-person activities to remote work,” says Michael Ambrosini, Director of Community Corporate Relations for VNSNY’s Volunteer Services. “Providing a total of 12,970 service hours over the past year, VNSNY’s volunteers, including our fundraising volunteers, showed incredible diligence, generosity, and flexibility,” adds Naomi Bibbins, Manager of Volunteer Services. “They