News Briefs from Around VNSNY…Find Out What’s Happening!
Welcome to “News Briefs from Around VNSNY”—a new Frontline feature that provides brief updates on news and events across the organization.
Bronx NFP grad Lysette Reynoso (left) and son Isaiah Contreras with Bronx Assembly Member Nathalia Fernandez at the Bronx NFP’s October graduation.
Bronx Nurse-Family Partnership Highlighted. VNSNY’s Bronx Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) was featured in the January 2019 issue of the NYC Nurse-Family Partnership E-News, an electronic newsletter published by New York City’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. The article, which included recent Bronx graduation photos, noted that the Bronx NFP is the program’s largest site in the city, with four teams of nurses serving up to 800 families throughout the borough.
VNSNY Hospice staff at the NIJH accreditation ceremony (left to right): Sadi Benzaquen, Director, Hospice Outreach; Rabbi Amy Bolton, Spiritual Care Counselor; Rosemary Baughn, SVP, VNSNY Hospice; Donna Nelis, VP, Operations; Rabbi Sam Kastel, Spiritual Care Counselor; and Joe Bleiberg, hospice social worker.
VNSNY Hospice Is Accredited by NIJH. VNSNY Hospice and Palliative Care has received official accreditation from the National Institute of Jewish Hospice (NIJH). This accreditation includes training to deepen the VNSNY Hospice staff’s understanding of how to provide the highest quality hospice care for Jewish patients and their families in a manner that reflects and respects their faith, tradition and values.
Hospice Liaison Janice Goldhaar (second from left) accepting the “Palliative Care Star Award” from the Mount Sinai Hospital Queens Palliative Care Team.
Janice Goldhaar Receives Mount Sinai Palliative Care Award. In early February, Janice Goldhaar, Hospice Liaison for VNSNY’s Queens region, was presented with the “Palliative Care Star Award” from the Mount Sinai Hospital Queens Palliative Care Team. Janice, who has been with VNSNY Hospice and Palliative Care for 14 years, is known for providing excellent service to VNSNY’s hospital and nursing home partners. She is also an experienced lobbyist for hospice initiatives in Albany and Washington DC.
Hospice volunteer and certified SoundPrayer practitioner Natalia Perlaza, performing at the February 8th recognition event for VNSNY Hospice Vigil Volunteers.
VNSNY Hospice Care Vigil Volunteers Are Recognized. On February 8th, an appreciation event for VNSNY Hospice’s Vigil Volunteers, titled “An Evening of Love & Gratitude,” was held at VNSNY’s 70th Street headquarters. The evening included performances by vigil volunteer and certified SoundPrayer practitioner Natalia Perlaza, who regularly plays for VNSNY Hospice patients in Manhattan, and the Threshold Choir, which sings for hospice patients at nursing homes and patient homes around the city. The VNSNY Vigil program is sponsored by a generous grant from the Ho/Chiang Foundation.
ABCD Award Update. Congratulations to our latest ABCD Award Winners: Princess Jubilo, Hospice Liaison for NYU Langone’s Tisch Hospital, and Guerda Louis, Hospice Liaison for Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, have been awarded for ABCD awards for their outstanding performance as liaisons and for providing excellent patient centered care at their sites.
