Here Is the Latest News From Around VNS Health

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 consistently outstanding care you are providing to our patients, and the excellent outcomes they are achieving as a result of that care. I am grateful to every team member for your commitment, day in and day out, to those we care for. In addition to benefiting our patients, your dedicated efforts continue to enhance our organization’s reputation as a national leader in providing high-quality home health services to those in need.”

VNS Health Signs Mental Health Pledge

Earlier this month, VNS Health joined hundreds of other leading U.S. companies and non-profits in endorsing the Mental Health Pledge, which affirms its support for the mental and emotional health of VNS Health team members. “We are honored to commit to the Mental Health Pledge,” says Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer Tracy Dodd, who signed the pledge on behalf of VNS Health. “We believe this is yet another way to communicate that we care about the well-being of our current and future employees, and we are strongly committed to supporting all aspects of their health, including mental/behavioral health.”

To read more about the pledge, click here.

Tara Hantman Named VNS Health’s Speech-Language Pathologist of The Year

Congratulations to Tara Hantman, VNS Health’s Speech-Language Pathologist of the Year!  Tara received the award on May 17th at our Speech-Language Pathology celebration event. Nominations for the award, which could be submitted by anyone in the organization, were reviewed by leaders from the Speech-Language Pathology and Rehabilitation teams, who then selected an awardee who best exemplified VNS Health’s values, including the organization’s core values of Empathy, Integrity and Agility, as well as exceptional service. “Tara goes above and beyond to ensure patients have access to any and all rehabilitative and health-maintaining resources despite race, background, and socioeconomic status,” states one nomination. “She is a team player ready to assist and educate colleagues and the organization as a whole with the big picture in mind: professional, thoughtful, progressive, patient-oriented care.”

VNS Health Golf Classic: Back in the Swing of Things!

On Monday, May 23rd, after two pandemic-induced years on the sidelines, VNS Health’s annual Golf Classic was back as a full-scale, in-person event! The sold-out fundraiser brought together 120 golfers in the glorious spring air of the Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle—one of the country’s premier classic courses. Co-chaired by VNS Health Board Member Steven Bussey and Kerry Parker, EVP and Chief Legal & Risk Officer, the event raised over $290,000 for VNS Health’s Veterans Program—a record-breaking amount. A post-game reception included a silent auction, raffle drawings, contest prizes, and playing awards.

Click here for more information on the VNS Health Golf Classic and the  VNS Health Veterans Program.

Behavioral Health Teams Receive New York State Funding

We’re thrilled to report that our Bronx and Brooklyn Home-Based Crisis Intervention (HBCI) teams and our Article 31 Clinic have been awarded $30,000 each from the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) to support their mission of expanding community-based services for children and adolescents. Congratulations to everyone involved in securing these grants!

Check Out the Latest ABCD and Initiative Award Winners—all 974 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. Specifically, the list covers from September 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022 and features both ABCD Award winners and Initiative Award winners.  All told, that’s 974 VNSNY team members! Congratulations to all!  Click here to view their names.

Dr. Ritchell Dignam Honored with UHF Excellence in Health Care Award

We’re proud to announce that Dr. Ritchell Dignam, Chief Medical Officer, Provider Services, is being honored by the United Hospital Fund (UHF) with a 2022 Excellence in Health Care Award for Quality Improvement Champions. The award recognizes extraordinary personal leadership in improving quality of care, patient safety, and/or patient experience. This year, the UHF focused on spotlighting leadership that had a direct impact on improving the effectiveness and/or equity of patient care. Dr. Dignam received her award on May 9th at the UHF Tribute to Excellence in Health Care reception, held at Cipriani 42nd Street in Manhattan.

Dulande Louis Wins Prestigious Award for Outstanding Doctoral Student

Congratulations to Dulande Louis, VNS Health Education Manager and Adjunct Professor at Adelphi University and Touro College, who received the 2022 Social Work Award from the New York State branch of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW-NYS). Dulande recently earned a Doctoral Degree from Adelphi University in Social Work with a concentration in Afro-Caribbean studies. In her role at VNS Health, Dulande creates curricula and educates VNS Health personnel on the implications for behavioral and social determinants of health for the functioning of enrollees, as well as the positive impact of timely and appropriate interventions when rendering services to marginalized individuals. 

Shannon Whittington Named 2022 DAISY Post-Licensure Student Recipient

Congratulations to Shannon Whittington, Clinical Director of VNS Health’s Gender Affirmation Program, who has been named a 2022 DAISY Post-Licensure Student Recipient. DAISY Awards honor and recognize the amazing work nurses do for patients and families every day. Shannon was recognized for her “demonstrated commitment to caring and advocating for quality care for the LGBTQ+ community.” To read more about Shannon’s award, click here. For more information about the DAISY Award itself, click here.

Corporate Challenge: A Fun (Rainy!) Run

Led by team captain Steve Sze, the VNS Health running team didn’t let a couple of torrential downpours get in the way of a good time at the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge in Central Park on June 1st. “Actually, it rained forever before the race, then miraculously stopped exactly when the race started, and then started pouring again as soon as the race was over,” clarifies Steve. It was a smaller crew than usual—eight runners and two organizers—but the team made up for it with a whole lot of spirit. They were also treated to two T-shirts (one from VNS Health and one from J.P. Morgan) and a post-run feast at Shake Shack. The top three finish times for the team went to Steve Sze (24m 01s), Neiko Roman (26m 40s), and Steven Teng (26m 42s).

“My goal is to bring the team back to pre-pandemic levels of 50 or so participants again next year,” says Steve. For extra motivation, check out these race-day photos from this year’s run.

Meet the First Graduates of Our Nurse Residency Program!

On Wednesday, March 9th, against a festive Zoom confetti backdrop, Joe Gallagher, Director of Operation Support Services, emceed the graduation celebration for the five pioneering members of the first cohort to complete the VNS Health Home Care’s Nurse Residency Program. Congratulations to the Class of ’22! Click here to read about the event and see a video featuring the new graduates.

AIDS Walk 2022: Team Goal Exceeded!

After two years as a virtual event, the AIDS Walk was back in Central Park in 2022! On May 15th, participants enjoyed beautiful spring weather, fun activities, a four-mile walk, and great camaraderie—all for a terrific cause. The AIDS Walk organization estimates that close to 10,000 people took part in the event and post-walk festivities, raising over $2.2 million for GMHC and other tri-state-area organizations.

Special kudos to our 100-strong SelectHealth team, which raised a total of $3,613, surpassing the original $3K goal! SelectHealth also had a table onsite where they distributed drawstring bags, hand sanitizers and bracelets, along with brochures about the plan.

Jessica Fear and Devin Woodley Will Be Panelists at 6/28 NAHC Webinar on Care Management

On Tuesday, June 28th from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) is hosting a webinar to provide an understanding of the landscape of Care Management products—key financial, quality, and operational considerations necessary for any provider seeking to add Care Management or expand its offerings.

Moderated by Julie Hiett of the tech company Netsmart, the webinar will feature VNS Health panelists Jessica Fear, Senior Vice President, Behavioral Health, and Devin Woodley, Vice President, Managed Care Contracting. The webinar is free for NAHC members, including VNS Health team members (to access, sign up with NAHC using your own log-in information), and is open to non-members for a fee.

For more information or to register for the webinar, click here.

Collaborating to Honor a Local Hero

On June 1st, representatives from several health organizations gathered at an event hosted by the Bukharian Jewish community in Queens to praise and honor Dr. Isabella Park, a local legend and Northwell physician, with their Person of the Year Award. Dr. Park had gone above and beyond for the Bukharian people in the neighborhood for years, especially during the COVID-19 crisis, which hit that community particularly hard. We’re proud to note that this entire celebration was set in motion by our very own Natalya Mirakova, Account Manager, Business Development, Queens/Nassau, herself a member of the Bukharian community. Natalya enlisted the help of Dr. Erik Ilyayev (a physician, entrepreneur, and former VNS regional director) to nominate Dr. Park—who won unanimously.

Natalya presented a visibly moved Dr. Park with her award. “Many of our physicians and office staff attended this event at the request of Natalya, and this dedication gave her the opportunity to further build on and expand collaborative relationships with over 250 professional guests,” says Marianne Kennedy, Vice President, Business Development. “I am beaming with pride that our sales team collaborated with the community to celebrate one of our healthcare heroes.”