News Briefs
Winter News Briefs: Catch Up on What’s Happening Around VNS Health!
March 5, 2024–Although the weather may not always seem like it, it’s still officially winter. (In case you don’t believe us, here are a couple of photos that were sent into Frontline after our last snowstorm.) Here are the Winter News Briefs—your quick and easy way to catch up on news, updates, and happenings from across the organization over the past few months. If you have any news or announcements that you’d like to submit for consideration in an upcoming edition, please click here. EasyCare and EasyCare Plus Enrollment Exceeds Goals VNS Health’s Medicare Advantage plan, EasyCare, and its Medicare dual special-needs plan, EasyCare Plus, surpassed their enrollment goals for 2024. Together, the two plans enrolled over 2,500 members during last fall’s open enrollment, almost 1,000 members above their target! (And when you include VNS Health Total, our MAP plan, we completed 2,800 enrollments in total.) Credit for the plans’ strong performance goes
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Here They Are: Our Autumn News Briefs!
October 17, 2023–Here is the latest edition of News Briefs—a quick and easy way to catch up on news, updates, and happenings across the organization over the past few months. If you have any news or announcements that you’d like to submit for consideration in an upcoming edition, please click here. The Mystery of the 72-Year-Old Egg Many years ago, John Amalfitano, a BSC in VNS Health’s MD Orders Department, helped an elderly neighbor who needed assistance in locating something he’d packed away. The neighbor—artist, stage designer and modern-dance choreographer Miller Richardson—had about 13 rooms filled with elaborately organized boxes full of memorabilia. “As I was searching, I came across an ink-bottle box from the 1950s, and in it, neatly wrapped in tissue, was an egg with writing on it,” remembers John, who’s worked at VNS Health for 33 years. Scribbled on the egg in pencil were the words “Whoever gets this egg,
Summer News Briefs: Catch Up on What’s Happening Around VNS Health
July 25, 2023–Summer is here! And so is the latest edition of News Briefs—a quick and easy way to catch up on news, updates, and happenings across the organization over the past few months. If you have any news or announcements that you’d like to submit for consideration in an upcoming edition, please click here. Health Plans Launch New Provider Portal On July 13th, VNS Health implemented a “soft launch” of its new Health Plans Provider Portal. During this first phase, a select group of 12 providers will take the portal for a test drive and offer feedback. After making any needed adjustments based on their input, use of the portal will be extended to the Health Plans’ entire provider network in August. The online portal offers providers a wide range of features, including 24/7 access to authorizations, claims, eligibility, and more—all without picking up the phone. Additional features and functions will be
Spring News Briefs: Catch Up on What’s Happening Around VNS Health!
May 10, 2023–Spring is here! And so is the latest edition of News Briefs—a quick and easy way to catch up on news, updates, and happenings across the organization over the past few months. If you have any news or announcements that you’d like to submit for consideration in an upcoming edition, please click here. SelectHealth Reports No Disruptions in Care Due to NYS Medicaid Pharmacy Carve-Out As of April 1, New York State’s Medicaid pharmacy benefit is now being administered by NYRx, the state’s Medicaid fee-for-service entity, and is no longer a part of Medicaid’s managed care benefits. For VNS Health, the biggest concern around this shift was its potential impact on members of our SelectHealth Medicaid HIV Special Needs Plan, who typically take multiple medications to keep their HIV viral loads low. Thanks to extensive preparations, however, the transition has gone smoothly. “Our team members have worked hard to ensure
Catch Up on What’s Happening Around VNS Health: Fall News Briefs
December 8, 2022–As we say goodbye to fall 2022, here’s the latest edition of News Briefs—a quick and easy way to catch up on news, updates, and happenings across the organization over the past few months. If you have any news or announcements that you’d like to submit for consideration in an upcoming edition, please click here. Check Out the Latest ABCD and Initiative Award Winners—all 560 of them! Here they are, all in one place—a list of team members who, over the past few months, have been recognized for going above and beyond in their work. The list covers awards from July 31st to October 31st, 2022, and features both ABCD Award and Initiative Award winners. Click here to view their names. Behavioral Health Receives $775,000 Grant to Help Reduce Suicide Attempts in Youth/Young Adults of Color and LGBTQI+ VNS Health’s Behavioral Health team recently received a $775,406, 12-month grant from
Find Out What’s Happening Around VNS Health! Read This Summer’s News Briefs
August 16, 2022–Welcome to the latest edition of News Briefs—a quick and easy way to catch up on recent news, updates, 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. Where Will VNS Health Be in 5 Years? Watch This 10-Minute Video to Find Out! From our organization’s recent rebrand to the launch of new services and programs, a lot of exciting things are happening at VNS Health! It’s all part of our Strategic Plan for the future. In this 10-minute video, David Rosales, EVP and Chief Strategy Officer, clearly explains where we’re headed, what we’re planning, and why! Introducing VNS Health Cares—An Exciting New Volunteer Program! We’re excited to announce the launch of VNS Health Cares – a new volunteering opportunity that allows VNS Health team members to give back to the communities we
Here Is the Latest News From Around VNS Health
June 15, 2022–There’s been so much happening lately at VNS Health, it might not be easy to be up-to-date with all the news. Well, here’s a quick and easy way to catch up: Read this latest edition of News Briefs! VNS Health Home Care Receives a 4.5-Star Quality Rating from CMS! The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), in their April 2022 quarterly home-health-agency quality ratings update, awarded VNS Health Home Care a whopping 4.5 out of 5 Stars, our highest rating ever! The rating improves on Home Care’s strong previous quarter’s showing, when the team received its first-ever 4-Star rating from CMS. “This notable accomplishment is one that we can all take pride in,” says Jennifer Brullo, Senior Vice President, Patient Care Services. “These ratings are based on patient outcomes over a range of quality measures. The fact that we attained a best-ever 4.5 Star score is evidence of the
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
Find Out What’s Happening… Here Are the Latest News Briefs from Around VNSNY!
November 30, 2021–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. VNSNY’s (Virtual) Gala Raises More Than $1.4 Million! Despite fervent hopes that the 2021 Benefit Gala would be an in-person event, VNSNY made the difficult decision not to host a large, indoor celebration quite yet this year. “Even though we had to pivot to a virtual event, we released a pre-recorded program video on November 11th that people can watch at their convenience,” says John Billeci, VNSNY’s Vice President of Special Events. “It contains many of the same elements that our in-person event usually has, including a video about VNSNY and the presentation of our Lillian D. Wald Award to this year’s honorees.” Emceed by Emmy-Award-winning PIX11 anchor
Find Out What’s Happening… News Briefs from Around VNSNY!
August 12, 2021–Welcome to the latest edition of “News Briefs from Around VNSNY”— featuring quick updates on recent news and virtual events across the organization. If you have a news brief you’d like to be considered for an upcoming edition, please click here to submit your idea. VNSNY Launches Oncology Hospice Program As part of its ongoing effort to provide our hospice patients with the best possible quality of life, VNSNY Hospice has launched a specialized support program for complex cancer patients and their loved ones. The program, which was piloted with a major New York City academic medical center, builds on VNSNY Hospice’s experience implementing similar programs for patients with congestive heart failure and COPD. Because people with terminal cancer and their families deal with high levels of fear, stress and complex needs, the program’s aim is to provide these patients and families with an extra layer of support. To help in the