Meet VNSNY’s 2021 Rehabilitation Therapists of the Year!
National Rehabilitation Awareness Week may have ended, but our celebration of our amazing rehabilitation therapists continues! VNSNY is excited to introduce our eight 2021 Rehabilitation Therapists of the Year. Nominated by their colleagues and departments, and representing regions and roles across the organization, these therapists exemplify the outstanding work done by all of VNSNY’s physical, occupational, and speech-language therapists and therapy assistants—all year long.
In this special Frontline feature, you’ll hear from each of this year’s award winners as they describe, in their own words, how they approach their work. Meet this year’s Rehabilitation Therapist of the Year awardees!
“It’s about the patient, and respecting (and accepting) their needs and choices.
Lori Buonaguro, Physical Therapist — VNSNY Home Care, Bronx Branch 2
“Things have changed pretty dramatically since I started with VNSNY in 1985! One thing that’s never changed is my love for my work, and how important each and every one of my patients is to me. My approach with patients is very open and nonthreatening. It’s important to be able to adapt, make the most of one’s time, and make quick decisions. I come in with a good attitude, even if the patient initially is not receptive at all on the phone. Some have had negative experiences with therapists in the past. I tell them that regardless of their past experience, I’m not that therapist. I ask them to give me a chance, to let me come once, and that they have the right to ask me not to come back. Almost all of the time, they not only want me to come back, but they don’t want me to leave!
Another thing I’ve learned over the course of my career is to respect my patients’ decisions. I’ll come in with a plan, goals, and recommendations, but I don’t impose them. Sometimes even the patients themselves might not even really have the goals they think they have. As a young therapist, I had a bedbound patient whose wish was to get into her wheelchair so she could get to the window and look outside. So we worked together and accomplished that. I later learned from a nurse that she’d gone right back into that bed and stayed there, because she loved having her husband take care of her. The result might not always be the one I would have hoped for, but it’s not about me – it’s about the patient, and respecting (and accepting) their needs and choices.”
“‘Look, Mike! See? I’m using my cane correctly!’”
Michael Dolton, Physical Therapist — VNSNY Home Care, Manhattan Branch 6
“One of the best things about home healthcare is the variety and the excitement. This is not a job in which you’re going to have the same day again and again, and that energy really keeps me motivated. I’ve worked with pediatric patients, geriatric patients, sports injuries, strokes, Parkinson’s. And the patients are the best—they’re just so appreciative. Sometimes I run into my past clients in the street, and when they recognize me they’ll call out things like ‘Look, Mike! See? I’m using my cane correctly!’ I kind of feel like the hall monitor, but they’re awesome.
Because I have limited time with each patient, I’m very goal-oriented. Every minute has to count. One thing I’ve learned is how great an ally the home health aides are. Roughly half of my clients have home attendants, and they really make things easier. I incorporate them as soon as I start on a case, because they know the patients so much better than I do. They know their habits, their personality, and what motivates them. The more I bring them into the plan of care, the better the compliance—and, ultimately, the outcome. What makes my day is when my clients accomplish their goals, whatever those might be. When they’re no longer trapped in their apartment; when they can climb stairs again; when they can go to the grocery store or to the senior center so they can see their friends again. That is fantastic.”
“I enjoy helping people, seeing them make progress, and helping them improve their mindset.”
Khaled Eleesily, Physical Therapist — VNSNY Home Care, Brooklyn Branch 3
“I’ve been a physical therapist for 30 years, 21 of them with VNSNY, and it’s a truly rewarding career. I enjoy helping people, seeing them make progress, and helping them improve their mindset. Some of them are very depressed because of their limitations, so I always engage with them and encourage them. I’m also very realistic with them and give them a time frame and an idea as to what they can accomplish—but I make it clear that it will take work and patience. I compare my clients to athletes. Even strong, healthy athletes get illnesses and have accidents, and they might not be able to do what they used to do, but they take an active part in their rehabilitation. People who run marathons were not born as marathon runners; they have to train and to put in the time. I tell my patients that practice makes perfect—even if ‘perfect’ might be a bit different from what they were used to.
Because I love what I do and care so much about my patients, it never feels like a hardship. I’ve never called out. I worked during all the storms, and I’m always happy to step in when another physical therapist is absent and help is needed. If I can help out, why not?”
“I always try to understand my patients.”
Golda Ibale, Coordinator of Physical Therapy — VNSNY Home Care, Queens Branch 3
“As a physical therapist coordinator, part of my responsibility is supervising the PT assistants who will be working with clients. I make the first visit to evaluate new clients (since PT assistants cannot evaluate), then I make a second visit to the client together with the PT assistant who’ll be treating them. After that, they go by themselves. At the end, I’m the one who’ll discharge the patient.
I always try to understand my patients. I make a point of listening to what their specific concerns and problems are. I don’t just walk into a home and give them orders. Oftentimes when patients are resistant to therapy, it’s because they don’t understand why they’re being told to do something. When I explain to them why they’re in pain, and what the exercises or medications are for, then they understand. And once they’re informed, they take an active part in their treatment.
Every patient is different. Even the same patient can react very differently to a right-knee replacement versus a left-knee replacement. When I do have challenges, it’s usually with family members who think they know better and argue about the plan of care. It’s frustrating, because my role is to help people regain independence and restore function. I almost never have problems with my clients themselves—they are usually very receptive and eager to progress!”
“My role as that of a problem-solver whose mission is to improve their quality of life.”
Teresa Martus, Occupational Therapist — VNSNY Home Care, Staten Island Branch 1
“I’ve been an occupational therapist since 2000, and I’ve been at VNSNY for three years. Most of the patients in my area are dealing with geriatric, cardiovascular, or orthopedic issues. I see my role as that of a problem solver whose mission is to improve their quality of life. I ask them about their life before the hospitalization, incident, or illness that they’re recovering from, what it is that they’d like to work on, and what I can do to make things easier on them and their family and/or caregivers. It’s really about easing the burden.
The greatest challenge I face is the wide territory I cover—six zip codes, lots of patients, and lots of driving! Most of them want to be seen between 11 am and 1 pm—usually because they sleep late, then have visitors or other plans in the afternoons. Of course, I can’t squeeze all my visits into that time frame, but I never show them my frustration when they demand that window of time. I do a lot of sweet-talking and make some compromises and do a little schedule reshuffling—it all works out fine. It’s just another way of showing them that they’re being heard and that I empathize with them. My greatest rewards are the simple pleasures—helping someone reach the point where they can get in and out of the shower on their own, or seeing how something as simple as a tub chair or moving a refrigerator just a few inches to clear a pathway for them can make a significant difference in someone’s life. Even regaining that little bit of independence is a gift.”
“A great day for me is when I’m able to work together with my teammates on an effective treatment plan that is medically appropriate, evidence-based, and, at the end of the day, results in a happy patient.”
Catherine Ngai, Physical Therapist and Clinical Care Manager — VNSNY Care360° Solutions
“I am a physical therapist for more than 23 years, and have worked in utilization management since 2006. Until the start of the pandemic, I was also treating patients in the field on a part-time basis to maintain my hands-on skills. I joined VNSNY two years ago as a Clinical Care Manager for Care360° Solutions, which involves care management and reviewing for authorizations for care. I collaborate closely with the CHHA field clinicians, the clinical field and branch managers, and colleagues in my department to coordinate care and achieve the best possible outcome for our patients. My experience as a PT has been invaluable in this role, and I do a lot of the consults for our rehab requests.
People sometimes have negative associations when it comes to utilization review managers—like, ‘Oh, you’re the one who limits care and won’t authorize visits!’ I hope people understand that our objective is always to create a care plan grounded on best practices, basing our approach on medical appropriateness and evidence-based practices. That can translate to evaluations with other clinicians and specialists, and more clinician visits than initially expected. We review the entire case, making sure that members also have the social or community support that they need. Maybe they need help with food delivery, transportation, or getting their medication. A great day for me is when I’m able to work together with my teammates on an effective treatment plan that is medically appropriate, evidence-based, and, at the end of the day, results in a happy patient.”
“I treat my patients like they’re family.”
Erica Riedel, Physical Therapist — VNSNY Home Care, Nassau County Branch 1
“From a very early age, I always felt the need to stick up for people and be an advocate. I never knew how I was going to apply that in my life until I started in home care. Becoming a lawyer could have led me down another path, but I became a physical therapist because I was interested in the field. I started out working primarily in outpatient orthopedic facilities, but as soon as I joined VNSNY 11 years ago and started treating patients in their homes, I realized that this was another grass-roots way of being an advocate for people.
I take my job very personally—I treat my patients like they’re family. I feel a lot of empathy for them, particularly those who don’t have anybody helping them, and I feel compelled to step in, even if it goes a little beyond my job description. If somebody doesn’t have the cognitive ability to call their doctor to make sure their prescriptions are in, or make an appointment for their next step in therapy, and they have nobody there to help them, then our clinicians will do it. It’s not my job to make sure a patient has had lunch—but if I need to, I’ll make sure they’ve eaten before we start our exercises. I know my scope of practice and I’m not going to cross the border with that, but on a humanity level I’ll definitely go that extra mile to be there for that person.”
“Whenever I greet a new patient, I always make sure they understand that I’m here to help them become as safe and independent as possible.”
Clifford Scott, Physical Therapist — VNSNY Home Care, Westchester Branch 1
“I’ve been a physical therapist with VNSNY for 23 years, starting out in Manhattan, then moving to the South Bronx and now Westchester, so I’ve had a lot of experience and covered a lot of territory. Whenever I greet a new patient, I always make sure they understand that I’m here to help them become as safe and independent as possible, and encourage their progress and return to the community. This facilitates a good connection and supports comfort and confidence, which in turn makes a patient more likely to take an active part in their rehabilitation.
It’s important to be understanding. Many of my patients have orthopedic issues, often with additional comorbidities, whether that involves hips or knees or back surgery. Some may be resistant to accepting the fact that their situation has changed. Occasionally, a patient may be somewhat anxious or reluctant—not agreeing with recommendations for durable medical equipment, or not complying with their regimens. I help them understand that it’s about little skills and small goals that add up to a big difference. Their personal goals and priorities also inform a lot of what I do. Last Sunday I was working with a new patient, and the first thing he told me was that he had a doctor’s appointment the following day and he was worried that he wouldn’t be able to get in the car. So I told him, ‘Well, we’re going to practice that.’ Sure enough, we spent the session, with his wife, getting in and out of the car until he could do it comfortably. It might seem like a small thing, but it was a big achievement. Of course, the biggest rewards for me are when a patient gains safety and greater independence, and perhaps is even discharged to outpatient therapy—another step in the grand rehabilitation process!”
