Hospice Care
Latest Hospice Care News
Social Work Team Members Share How They Make A Difference!
March 6, 2023–March is Social Work Month. At VNS Health, our social work team consists of social workers, counselors, care managers and social service team members. In honor of the month and the excellent care they provide, we asked a few of them… “How do you make a difference in your patients, members, and clients’ lives?” To VNS Health’s more than 350 social work team members, Happy Social Work Month and thank you!
“Now That’s Teamwork!”: Listening to Patients, Plants and Each Member of the Team
February 28, 2023–When the Brooklyn West Hospice team first came to care for Kathy*, they could see her life stories evident in every inch of her walk-up apartment. Plants abounded, including a bougainvillea lacing the walls of her bedroom. Driftwood was perched everywhere. Soon-to-hatch pigeon eggs nested inside the window. As the team would soon learn, their care of Kathy would be guided by lessons inherent in the nature that was very much on view. “Listen to the plants,” said Anna Jenkins, a Hospice Spiritual Care Counselor, quoting Kathy. “They will tell you what they need. Trust their communication.” And the VNS Health Hospice Care team listened – each taking guidance from their patient on how she wanted to receive care as she lived her final chapter with her illness and its debilitating physical and behavioral symptoms. “Through her telling us how to be a gardener, she taught me how to help
Melissa Cambio Explains Why Hospice Volunteers Change Lives in Americorps Newsletter
February 16, 2023–
Amsterdam News Features Expertise on EOL Planning from RN Berkis Oken and Hospice Social Worker Leona Abrams
January 20, 2023–
Hospice RN Berkis Oken and Social Worker Leona Abrams Share EOL Planning Advice in Patch
December 23, 2022–
News12 Spotlights Compassionate VNS Health Hospice Care Team Celebrating the Holiday Season with 100-Year-Old Patient
November 25, 2022–
Rizza Dumalag Wins 2022 ESPRIT Award!
November 22, 2022–“A force to be reckoned with.” In one of her ESPRIT nomination letters, Rizza was described as a force to be reckoned with. “As a former IPU (In Patient Unit) nurse, Rizza is able to see beyond what is obvious, and does things proactively without even being told to,” praised the writer. “She is very understanding with nursing team members, making sure they feel heard and trying to accommodate their schedules so that there is a good work-life balance. She is also extremely good at defusing difficult family situations through active listening. And there are days when I know that she’s working after hours, when no one is looking, to make sure that the team workflow is ready by next day.” Organized, supportive, and dedicated to keeping her team informed and up-to-date, Rizza is well-versed in Medicare requirements and makes it a priority to educate her team, keeping them abreast
For Hispanic Heritage Month, Bronxnet interviews Hospice Liaison and RN Clarissa Santos on Hospice Care in the Latino Community
October 13, 2022–
WPIX11 Featured a Therapy Dog Named Chicken Who’s Touching the Lives of Hospice Patients
July 22, 2022–The WPIX11 television station recently aired the inspiring story of VNS Health Hospice Care volunteer Ellen Landress-Bowkett, and her partner, Chicken the therapy dog. To watch this inspiring video, click on the screen here below!