Hospice Care
Latest Hospice Care News
Catch This Entertaining Video, Featuring Our Amazing Summer Interns!
August 5, 2026–In this upbeat video created by Communications team interns Demi Ajibola and Sophia Fleischer, you’ll hear from many of our 50 summer interns on their experience at VNS Health and what it means to them! Click here below to watch this engaging video! Thank you to all our amazing interns!
Caring for New York’s Veterans, One Stitch at a Time
July 20, 2026–The Prayerful Mantle volunteers on Staten Island have hand-crocheted nearly 1,000 flag-themed blankets for veterans in our Veterans Program. To view this short, very moving video, click here below.
Street-Smart Tips for Staying Cool When the Temp Hits 90+!
July 13, 2026–Here we go again: The forecast for today and the next couple of days is for temps in the 90s! How do you stay cool when it gets so hot, especially when you’re out in the street? We put this question to our field team members who provide care in all kinds of weather, day in and day out, to our patients, members and clients in across New York City, Westchester and Long Island. Here are a few street-smart tips for staying cool from our team members out in the community… Freeze water in a water bottle “I freeze water in a water bottle overnight. I also like to add lemon or cucumber in the water to give it a little taste. I’ll also wear a light-colored t-shirt when I’m outside and then put on my VNS Health-branded top when I arrive at the client’s home.” Lenis McGarrell-ChangleeHome Health Aide,
VNS Health Marches in Pride Celebrations in the Bronx and Manhattan
June 30, 2026–Team members from across the organization were joined by family and friends as they marched to commemorate the 57th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and celebrate Pride in the Bronx on Saturday, June 20th and in Manhattan on Sunday, June 28. See the photos here below! Bronx Borough President & LGBTQIA+ Task Force Pride March Saturday, June 20 Manhattan Heritage of Pride March Sunday, June 28
“Leadership Unlocked” Graduates Third Cohort of Leaders
June 24, 2026–The third cohort of Leadership Unlocked held its graduation on Tuesday, June 16th. The day marked the successful completion of the 15-week leadership development program. Throughout the program, 15 Vice Presidents and Directors from across the organization deepened their leadership capabilities through interactive learning experiences, coaching, assessments, VNS Health site visits, and internal networking opportunities. The cohort’s final capstone presentations focused on how their understanding of one VNS Health has changed as a result of being in this program, and how they, as leaders, can help move our organization forward. See the photos below! Congratulations to our third cohort graduates: Olga Akturk, Risikat Amolegbe, Ted Barszewski, Brady Brelinski, Lauren Caralyus, Tom Cocozza, Elizer Cooper-Audain, Kyle Crawford, Lissette Felix, Scott Gale, Jody Lee, Chantal Louisma, Grace McGhee, Tazia Myers, and Lynna Paulino-Reyes!
Catch Up Quick: Latest News Briefs Are Here!
June 22, 2026–Across VNS Health, a lot is happening! To help keep you informed and updated, here is our latest batch of News Briefs… Celebrating the Knicks and the World Cup! Photos! On Thursday, June 11, to celebrate the Knicks making history as well as the official start of the World Cup, many team members from all parts of our organization wore either Knicks blue and orange colors or their favorite World Cup team country colors. See the colorful photos here below! “Leadership Unlocked” Graduates Another Cohort of Leaders The third cohort of Leadership Unlocked held its graduation on Tuesday, June 16th. The day marked the successful completion of the 15-week leadership development program. Throughout the program, 15 Vice Presidents and Directors from across the organization deepened their leadership capabilities through interactive learning experiences, coaching, assessments, VNS Health site visits, and internal networking opportunities. The cohort’s final capstone presentations focused on how
“Amazing Care!” “My Experience Was Outstanding!” See Our Latest Patient Letters and Commendations!
June 8, 2026–Over the last few months, dozens of 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 “I’m very grateful.” A Bronx Home Care patient called to commend his care team, stating that the nurses have been taking “great care” of him and that “I’m very grateful.” He wanted to especially express his gratitude to Nurses Kamika Grant-Barnett and Donna Marku for being “very wonderful” with him. “Amazing care.” A patient’s daughter posted this compliment for Nurse Donna Marku and Physical Therapist Jose Hernandez on social media: “Love VNS Health. My dad had an amazing nurse from June 2023 until he passed on Easter Sunday. Donna Marku was so much more than a VNS Health nurse, she
Hospice Care Team Reaches Census Milestone
June 5, 2026–The Hospice Care team reached an important milestone in May, surpassing a daily census of 1,350 patients—an important achievement made possible through strong collaboration between our Hospice clinical teams and Intake. By responding quickly when referrals are received and working closely with families to address potential barriers to admission, the team has expanded access to hospice services while maintaining a focus on personalized, interdisciplinary care and support.
CCSS Launches AI Assistant to Support Contact Center Teams in Real Time
May 29, 2026–The Contact Center Support Services (CCSS) team recently launched Balto, a new AI-powered assistant designed to help representatives deliver faster, more consistent support to members and patients. Built to work alongside agents during live calls, Balto listens to conversations in real time and provides on-screen guidance, suggested next steps, reminders, and quick access to relevant tools and resources. The technology acts like a live coach, helping team members navigate complex conversations with greater confidence while reducing the need to search across multiple systems or rely solely on memory. All CCSS agents are now using Balto. The implementation team is working with Balto to continually improve the information and responsiveness of this AI tool, so agents can spend more time focused on solving complex problems and delivering an even better experience for our patients and members.