Home Care
Latest Home Care News
VNS Health Is Off and Running in 2026: Check Out Our Latest News Briefs!
March 3, 2026–We’re only a few months into 2026, and lots of great things are happening across VNS Health. How do you keep up with everything? One easy way is to read the latest batch of News Briefs, below. And remember, if you have any news or happenings that you’d like to share in an upcoming News Briefs, please click here. VNS Health Earns Heart Failure Certification from the American Heart Association VNS Health Home Care has earned the American Heart Association (AHA) Heart Failure Certification, a recognition that reflects excellence in delivering standardized, evidence-based treatment. With relatively few home care organizations in our service area holding this accreditation, this achievement further differentiates us as a provider of both home-based 4Ms Age-Friendly Care and expert heart failure care for patients living with heart failure. Among the steps taken to achieving the certification—and as part of VNS Health’s unwavering commitment to high-quality care—our Home
VNS Health Earns Heart Failure Certification from the American Heart Association
February 27, 2026–VNS Health Home Care has earned the American Heart Association (AHA) Heart Failure Certification, a recognition that reflects excellence in delivering standardized, evidence-based treatment. With relatively few home care organizations in our service area holding this accreditation, this achievement further differentiates us as a provider of both home-based 4Ms Age-Friendly Care and expert heart failure care for patients living with heart failure. Among the steps taken to achieving the certification—and as part of VNS Health’s unwavering commitment to high-quality care—our Home Care team has developed a standardized, evidence-based heart failure program aligned with clinical guidelines established by the American Heart Association. In addition, team members have completed AHA heart failure training, with more than 75% of our Home Care clinicians receiving this specialized education.
Gender Affirmation Program Awarded $92,000 Grant
February 25, 2026–Our Gender Affirmation Program (GAP) has been selected to receive $92,000 in funding through New York City’s TGNCNB Empowerment Fund, an initiative led by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in partnership with CitizensNYC and the NYC Unity Project. Reviewers praised the GAPprogram’s deep community trust and the thoughtfulness of its approach to serving transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary (TGNCNB) New Yorkers. The grant will help the GAP team provide gender-affirming post-surgical home care, including financial assistance for essential needs that impact healing such as food, transportation to follow up appointments, uninsured medical supplies, support surfaces, and basic living expenses like rent, utilities, phone bills, and housekeeping.
“Up Close with Dan” Takes a Close Look at Our Health Plan Member Experience
February 24, 2026–In his latest video, CEO Dan Savitt looks at how our SelectHealth team provides the best possible member experience to vulnerable special needs health plan members. Also: our Mobile Crisis Team rises to the occasion in the latest frigid Code Blue Emergency. Plus, Jessica Fear has something she “just wants to say” and Home Care’s Hiten Kothari shares a joyful Bollywood musical inspiration. To view the video, click here below. On-the-Go Segments Part One: Intro With Tribute to Our Teams During this Bitterly Cold Winter Part Two: Chat with Dahyana Astudillo on SelectHealth’s Outreach, and Hear About that Impact from a Member In Her Own Words Part Three: Mission in Action: A SelectHealth Success Story with Plan Member Monique Part Four: “I Just Want to Say” Featuring Jessica Fear, SVP, Behavioral Health Part Five: A Bollywood Musical Inspiration with Home Care Physical Therapist Hiten Kothari
Mother Cabrini Foundation Renews $400,000 Grant to Our Nurse Residency Program
February 18, 2026–Our Nurse Residency Program has received a $400,000 grant renewal from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. The Foundation, which is New York State’s largest grantmaking organization dedicated exclusively to health and well-being, recently announced nearly $142 million in awards statewide. Their continued grant support will fund our Nurse Residency’s development of new home care nurses at VNS Health, including classroom training and hands-on mentoring by nurse preceptors.
Asha Lyons Elected Vice Chair of Bronx LGBTQ+ Task Force
February 18, 2026–Asha Lyons, a social worker in VNS Health Home Care’s Gender Affirmation Program (GAP), has been elected Vice Chair of the Bronx LGBTQ+ Task Force, a local community advocacy group. This recognition reflects Asha’s deep commitment to advocacy and advancing equitable care for LGBTQ+ communities across the borough. In addition to supporting members of the LGBTQ+ community and working with other LGBTQ+ leaders in the Bronx to advance the Borough president’s LGBTQ+ initiatives, serving as Vice Chair will give Asha an opportunity to raise awareness of GAP, which provides culturally competent, affirming home care and support services for transgender and gender-diverse individuals.
Our Home Care/CHHA Earns Its First-Ever 5-Star CMS Quality Rating!
February 11, 2026–In its latest quality ratings, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded VNS Health Home Care their first-ever 5-star rating, up from 4.5 stars! This top-tier performance reflects strong results across a number of quality measures. “The key metric that moved us to 5 Stars was an improvement in our bed transfers—which shows that our Home Care team’s mantra of ‘one patient at a time,’ is paying off,” notes Brenda Riordan, SVP of Home Health Care, Care Management Solutions and Hospice, “Congratulations to all our Home Care team members, whose dedication and patient-centered approach made this huge achievement possible!” The 5-Star rating will be publicly posted when CMS updates its Home Care Compare website in April.
“You Are Heroes!” “Beyond Fabulous!” Check Out the Latest Letters and Commendations!
February 3, 2026–In the last few months, more than 100 team members and teams from across the organization provided such an outstanding consumer experience that people wrote letters, called, emailed, or posted about them. To view their grateful notes and comments, simply scroll down or click on any of the areas below: Bronx “Thanks for the amazing job she provided.” Home health aide Sarah Abban was complimented by the daughter of a Bronx client who called to say, “thanks for the amazing job she provided”—adding that her mom “felt great” with Sarah. “Very kind.” A client called to express her appreciation for home health aide Keshawn Davis, stating that Keshawn was “very kind” to her and provided “the best care.” Brooklyn “So impressed.” The daughter of one Brooklyn patient called to say how “very pleased” she was with VNS Health, and that she is “so happy with how far my mother has
Second Cohort Completes “Leadership Unlocked” Program
February 2, 2026–On January 21st, 13 leaders from across the organization successfully completed the second cohort of Leadership Unlocked. This 15-week leadership development program is designed to deepen leadership capabilities through interactive learning experiences, coaching, assessments, VNS Health site visits and internal networking opportunities. The cohort’s final projects aimed at improving our Employee Engagement Survey results by applying leadership insights directly to real organizational challenges. Congratulations to Josie Aquino, Justin Bain, Janice Leacock-Bennett, Carlin Brickner, Alissa Churchill, Ann Mary Ferrie, Kelly Harned, Roger Herr, Priya Mendon, Amy Mitchell, Tara Noto, Richard Parnell, and Nausheen Rokerya!