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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VNS Health Medicare Advantage Plans Earn Highest CMS Rating in NYC and Long Island!
October 21, 2022–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. While the rating is given to VNS Health Medicare as a whole, it applies to all three VNS Health Medicare Advantage plans—VNS Health EasyCare, VNS Health EasyCare Plus and VNS Health Total—for 2023. “Scoring 4.5 Stars and being rated highest in New York City and Long Island is an outstanding achievement on the part of our Health Plans team and the Shared Services team who supports them, as well as everyone at VNS Health,” notes VNS Health CEO Dan Savitt. “It says to those we serve that our Medicare plans are
From Helping Out with VNS Health’s Rebranding Efforts to Caring for Clients, Meet Home Health Aides Tanai Blanco and Marta Rivera
October 17, 2022–Tanai Blanco It’s easy to make Tanai Blanco laugh. She’s also easy to talk to. Tanai, who was born in New York City but grew up in Puerto Rico, has been working as a Home Health Aide (HHA) with VNS Health for just a few months. But her good nature and positive energy caught the attention of her supervisor, who included her in the team helping to implement VNS Health’s new name and branding this summer. “I’ve been working in VNS Health’s 220 East 42nd Street office for the past few months,” she explains. “I’ve been helping to call other Home Health Aides to come in and pick up their new uniforms and I.D. badges.” Tanai has experience in office work. Before working as an HHA, she worked in Bellevue Hospital and later served in New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services. “I’ve always liked to help people,” she says.
Home Healthcare News Shares Expert Takeaways from Jim Rolla, SVP of Personal Care in Story about Recruitment and Retention of Home Health Workers
October 17, 2022–
Valora Ford is Honored With the James R. Withrow Jr. Award, Home Health Aide of the Year
October 12, 2022–The 2022 James R. Withrow Jr. Award for Home Health Aide of the Year is a tradition that began in 1988. This award is given in memory of James R. Withrow Jr., one of the original members of the Personal Care Board of Directors. The Home Health Aide of the Year best personifies the qualities of the ideal paraprofessional. The criteria for the award were developed by a team of Home Health Aides and Supervisors. This year’s Home Health Aide of the Year is Valora Ford. Valora has been a VNS Health team member since 2012. When you have Valora Ford on your side, you know you’re in very good hands. That’s because Valora makes sure you’re taken care of. For Valora, restoring a person’s dignity and confidence as they age or after they’ve had an illness and reassuring her patients that they have the right to live life on
VNS Health Personal Care Holds Its 39th Annual Honor Awards Event in Person After Two Years of Celebrating Virtually
October 11, 2022–On Monday evening, VNS Health team members gathered at the Westin Hotel, next door to our 220 East 42nd Street office, to recognize the outstanding achievements and dedication of VNS Health’s entire Personal Care team, and in particular to honor the recipients of the various 2022 Personal Care Honor Awards. Also honored at the ceremony were employees celebrating five-year milestone anniversaries within the organization. Among the evening’s highlights was an inspiring video celebrating the extraordinary care that VNS Health’s home health aides provide every day. You can watch that video here: Congratulations to all the 2022 Personal Care honorees! To read more about each of this year’s VNS Health Personal Care winners, click on their names below. Juan Feliciano, Hospice Care Program Excellence Award Hui Qing Li, Health Plans Excellence Award Rosa Sorto, Home Care Excellence Award Bibi Mohamed, Private Care Services Excellence Award Erica Charles, The Richard Flender Grace
What Does an Amazing Consumer Experience Look Like? Check Out These Patient Letters and Member Commendations!
August 22, 2022–Our VNS Health colleagues continue to prove how resilient, dedicated and, really, how just plain amazing VNS Health team members are! The following are excerpts from a few of the many recent letters, phone calls, and emails we’ve received from grateful patients, members and clients as well as family members that reflect an outstanding consumer experience. To go straight to the health plan member commendations, click here. For patient letters by geography, click on the area below: Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Nassau Queens Staten Island Bronx “I couldn’t imagine a better nurse.” A patient from the Bronx called in to compliment nurse Desiree Gibson, stating that “My VNS Health nurse treated me for five months and provided outstanding care. She was very knowledgeable, dependable, and pleasant. I couldn’t imagine having a better nurse.” “A wonderful job!” A Bronx patient called to say that occupational therapist Philip Frese, physical therapist Ruby Echevarre, and
Special Report: VNS Health Home Health Aide Teresita Carter Describes Her Visit to the White House!
August 16, 2022–When President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris hosted an event at the White House on April 5th to mark the 12th anniversary of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), VNS Health home health aide Teresita Carter was in the audience, seated just a few yards from the podium. Teresita attended the event as a representative of the local 1199SEIU union. Because she chooses to work 17 hours a week caring for a single client in Far Rockaway, Teresita doesn’t qualify for union-sponsored healthcare coverage—which means she benefited directly from the ACA’s expanded access to health insurance. “As the largest healthcare workers’ union in the country, we want to make sure folks continue to have access to affordable health care,” says Katia Guillaume, Home Care B Vice-President, 1199SEIU. “Teresita, the only union representative from New York State to attend the White House event, was chosen from a pool of caregivers
HR Is Now Organized into Four New Teams, Designed to Enhance the Employee Experience and Execute the VNS Health Strategy
August 9, 2022–Read All About Them Here! Human Resources (HR) recently rolled out its innovative People & Culture Strategy, which includes a reorganization of the HR function into four teams – or ”Centers of Expertise” (CoEs). The four CoEs are: Culture & Inclusion People Support (including HR Business Partners) Talent & Learning Total Rewards These four CoEs have launched a number of exciting initiatives to support the success and growth of VNS Health team members and the organization itself. Here’s what several VNS Health colleagues outside of HR are saying about the new programs: “I’ve had the pleasure of working with, as well as being the customer of the Total Rewards Team. I’m always impressed with the team’s dedication to our employee experience.” —Adam Lefebvre, Director, Process Improvement & Innovation “VNS Health having a Culture and Inclusion Team sends an important message to current and future team members that they matter. Listening to
“只要用心做，没有无法解决的问题。” – 认识富康醫療个人护理部的护理员伍月华
August 3, 2022–“只要带著责任心和爱心，就不需要担心。”富康醫療个人护理部的护理员伍月华详细分享了护理员上工的心得。来自广东的伍月华透过朋友介绍，从2016年开始在富康醫療个人护理部担任护理员，从一开始和病人年纪落差大而紧张不习惯，到后来病人将她视若家人，六年来凭藉著“双心”责任心和爱心，优质服务让病人对她满满放心。 40岁出头的伍月华踏入护理员行业，这年纪在当时算是年轻人，“一开始不知道要跟客人怎麽聊天”，至今她仍然记得刚上班时紧张的感觉。“护理员就只会动口聊天，不会动手作事”第一个客人一开始就给了一场震撼发言，儘管当时心裡很难受，她仍然细心的询问对方饮食口味和生活习惯，体谅客人因身体病痛折磨口不择言，经过一周尽责又细心的照料，客人也改变了原本的态度，两人相处融洽，虽然后来因为家裡时间无法配合，婆婆万般不捨也印证了她的信念“只要用心做，没有无法解决的问题。” 目前照顾的第二客人已经六年多了，今年初刚动完手术，她常常叮嘱复健运动、搀扶如厕、细心照顾客人的健康。伍月华认为到哪裡工作都要带著一份责任心，客户既然是长者就要多带著一份爱心，体谅包容客人身体不适引起心情波动，不要害怕沟通就能拉近双方的距离，相识就是一场缘份。 要阅读英文版，请单击此处。