Estelle Masiello, Director, Regulatory Affairs and HIPAA Privacy, Compliance

“I’m a nurse and a lawyer—so working in the regulatory part of health care is a natural niche for me.”

Estelle became a nurse for practical reasons—to put herself through law school—but she loved nursing so much that she had misgivings about leaving it to pursue a career in law. Her current role at VNSNY offers a perfect combination of her two professions. “I work in compliance, which is basically about keeping the ship headed in the right direction: staying on top of the rules and regulations and making sure we’re complying with them, responding to external government audits—that type of thing,” she says. “I never know exactly what my day will bring but I also love it that way, because I’m never bored. I have that crossover—I’m a nurse and a lawyer—so working in the regulatory part of health care is a natural niche for me. I really feel I’m in a spot where I belong.” Estelle has been with VNSNY for more than a decade, and while her present job no longer involves direct patient care, she knows that it’s still ultimately all about the patients. “Everything we do supports an agency that gives care to people in need,” she notes. “We’re not just sitting in an office; we’re doing things that affect people’s lives in their homes. Remembering that is a terrific motivator!”