September 2019 Patient Letters
The following are excerpts from a few of the many recent letters, phone calls, and emails that we’ve received from grateful patients and family members. Together, they reflect the outstanding work done each and every day by VNSNY’s entire frontline staff.
Bronx–A client of VNSNY’s Bronx Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) sent this note of gratitude to her NFP nurse, Johanna Goepel: “Johanna, thank you for supporting us on the first two years(!) of our parenting journey. We are two people doing it mainly on our own. Your support and advice has been more helpful than you know—especially when we feel overwhelmed. You’ve given us a great start. You are helping so many new parents find their footing.”
Brooklyn—A Brooklyn Home Care patient wrote, “My nurse, Milada Khurshudyan, is wonderful, and I’m very thankful to her. Thanks, too, to VNSNY for helping me!”
“This letter is to commend physical therapist Roger Adams for his outstanding service,” noted another Brooklyn resident. “He was very professional and dedicated, and demonstrated the willingness to go beyond his duties. His determination to help assisted with my recovery, and his knowledge, patience and persistence were very much appreciated. I am very grateful to have had him as my physical therapist.”
Manhattan—The wife of a VNSNY Hospice patient penned a letter praising the support that she and her late husband received from hospice nurses Yana Guzman and Natasha Jackson. “The hospice team was such a comfort to me during my husband’s illness,” she wrote. “I felt that I could breathe when you took him into your care. For example, you were that at 1:30 a.m. on Christmas Eve to help us with a crisis that otherwise would have necessitated a trip to the ER. And on the day my husband died, when I was too distraught to think, you were there when I arrived home. Please know that I will always be grateful.”
“My daughter was recently a patient of VNSNY,” another Manhattan resident noted. “I’m writing to tell you about the wonderful experience we had working with speech-language pathologist Tara Hantman. Tara is truly a remarkable speech therapist. She is genuinely passionate about speech therapy and dedicated to her patients. From the moment she walked into our home, I knew we had lucked out. She not only was professional, but was also warm, experienced, knowledgeable, smart and an excellent communicator. Tara related to our daughter’s condition on a personal level and jumped right in with a thoughtful approach to help her get the best therapy possible. She consistently went above and beyond to follow up on new ideas she had that could help.”
“I am writing this letter to thank VNSNY for the extraordinary care it provided my father during the time he was in hospice at home,” wrote the daughter of another VNSNY Hospice patient who recently passed away. “My dad was actually in hospice twice—at one point he was getting better. During both times, VNSNY—and in particular my dad’s assigned nurse, Dazel Gamit—was there every step of the way. Dazel always showed up on time, answered every question (and anticipated plenty I didn’t think to ask) and coordinated everything with my dad’s care providers. She was also a bright presence in his life at a time he needed it most. It takes a special patience to deal with a somewhat cantankerous (and hard of hearing) man in his 90s who insists he doesn’t need help. She had that patience in abundance. Again, thank you.”
A Manhattan Home Care patient sent this card to express his gratitude for the care he received: “After my full hip replacement I sought post-surgery therapy through VNSNY, and I just wanted to drop you a note to say thank you. Everyone I dealt with was compassionate and helpful. I especially want to let you know that physical therapist Frank LaFara went above and beyond in my care.”
I am writing this letter to acknowledge the excellent rehabilitation therapy I received at home,” noted another Manhattan resident who recently underwent knee replacement surgery. “As an occupational therapist who worked in physical rehabilitation and home health for over 25 years, I was impressed with the professionalism and quality of the physical therapy services provided. My first physical therapist, Grace Peters, was warm, knowledgeable and motivating. Under her guidance, I rapidly progressed to a straight cane, was trained on stair climbing, and made good progress in the active range of motion of my knee. After one week, I was able to return to my own apartment. My case was then assigned to PT Kenny Weick. Kenny was also excellent. While working with him, I continued to increase my ROM, strength and endurance and by the end of my therapy, I was independent in climbing my stairs and walking one block outdoors. When I saw my surgeon for my three week follow-up visit, he was very impressed with the progress I had made. I have no doubt that the excellent physical therapy I received from Grace and Kenny is the reason I have done so well following my surgery. VNSNY is lucky to have such skilled, compassionate and professional therapists on their team!”
A retired doctor sent this complimentary letter: “I am writing you in thanks for the wonderful care that VNSNY provided me after my surgery. Sandra Rigby, VNSNY’s onsite nurse at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital is a caring and empathetic person. I am also quite pleased with and grateful for the services provided by my caring VNSNY Home Care nurses for the past three months, Tan Lee and Leslie Cohen. This incredible service has allowed me to heal in the comfort of my home. I found your nurses to be competent, knowledgeable, efficient, and most importantly, caring. I could not have asked for anyone better when I arrived home from hospital. They must be commended for their excellent work. You guys are great!”
“On behalf of my brother and myself, we’d like to thank Partners in Care and the VNSNY team for caring for our sister with kindness, respect, dignity and love,” wrote the sister of a VNSNY Hospice patient. “The team of hospice home health aides that Josie Smith coordinated was a group of wonderful women with whom I could trust and who spoke to my sister with respect and honored her wishes. I want to thank Patsy Joseph, Jattu Conteh, Tina Walker, Iris Bemjamin and Mariama Bah. These women, each with different personalities, were all so effective in caring for my sister. In addition, Josie was always accommodating, professional and always there for me. I never had to worry about having someone with my sister. It was a long road and we appreciate the intimate respect and care from all. I also so appreciate the VNSNY hospice team of social worker Marissa Vogelhut, nurse Marcia Lawson and Dr. Danielle Friedman, who guided and supported me with great care during a very stressful emotional life/death experience.”
A grateful client had these words of praise for her Partners in Care home health aides as well as Partners in Care physical therapist instructor Sonia Rapaport and Partners in Care administrative supervisor Keysha Stephens. “I was hit by a car this summer and came home under the care of Partners in Care, Sonia is a problem solver, a roadblock buster. She made everything very clear, explaining to my adult daughter and me what we needed to do to rehab at home, including what equipment to get. Once I was home, she kept in contact with me to make sure that I was satisfied, and when I wasn’t she made accommodations.”
She went to say, “Thanks to Keysha. I have had 24-hour service since I came home. I especially want to commend three of my Partners in Care home health aides. They are supreme professionals, very compassionate, and each possesses a great personality:
Patsy Hixon taught me how to let go, not worry, and focus on healing. She’s quiet if I want to be quiet, and she’s also a great listener and storyteller. She had the place all ready before I arrived in an ambulance, working with my son to turn the apartment into a rehab. She is super intelligent, kind and always finds some way to help.
Julia Walkes is also very pleasant to be around, caring, and very solicitous of my every need. She often saw what I needed before I realized it. If I was working with my physical therapist, she would quietly go and remake the bed, or clear dishes and papers away. It’s like she wanted to make sure I never lost my dignity, and that I felt validated even if I was an invalid!
One other aide I’d like to mention is Patricia Ferguson. She is a delight. At this point I really don’t need much help, and she can’t stand not being busy, so she cleans and does laundry. I have to beg her sometimes to sit down!
I want to thank Partners in Care for bringing these people in my life.”
Staten Island—The father of a VNSNY Home Care patient penned this note praising nurse Michele Alternative and physical therapist Kristine Zieris: “Our son had a total knee replacement done and was staying with us until he could get around on his own. Michele showed up and what a pleasure she was. My son was in pain, but she was encouraging and explained everything thoroughly, telling my son that the worst was over and that his job now was to get healthy. It was very uplifting to hear. Kris ,the physical therapist, was the best of the best. She reinforced what Michele said, had a positive attitude, and was helpful in getting my son up and walking around. I want to commend these women for what they do and how they represent your organization. Job well done!”
Another Staten Island resident sent a handwritten note thanking his team of VNSNY Home Care nurses—Vicenta “Betsy” Clemente, Magdalena Kierzkowski, Irina Sadomova, Claudine Paradiso, and Carol Spano-Cavallino—for “doing a great job in fixing and taking care of my open wound.” He added, “I can’t thank you visiting nurses enough. You do God’s work.”
