Hospice Care
Latest Hospice Care News
Last Year, Over 200 Volunteers Helped Us Deliver VNS Health’s Mission. Meet Six of Them.
April 22, 2025–This week is National Volunteer Week, when we honor the committed individuals who donate their time, energy and compassion to VNS Health and our mission. In 2024, 221 volunteers in Home Care and Hospice dedicated 21,948 hours to supporting our patients, families, and team members. In dollars, this comes out to about $735,000 in estimated savings to the organization. Our volunteers play a vital role across many different parts of VNS Health, including our Chinatown NNORC and Community Centers, Hospice Patient Care teams, Intake, Finance and Business Operations, Bereavement, and our Hospice Physician Fellowship Program. Our volunteers provide companionship to patients, make check-in calls to caregivers, support bereavement groups, send uplifting greeting cards, assist with office tasks, participate in veteran outreach, and much more. This week, we invite you to join us in thanking our volunteers for their generous gifts of time and commitment to the people we serve. Now,
Our VNS Health Experts Testify in Support of Behavioral Health and Veterans Programs
March 31, 2025–As New York City (NYC) prepares its budget for 2026, Deirdre DeLeo, Director of Behavioral Health, testified on March 24th to the NYC Council Committee on Mental Health, Disabilities and Addiction in support of VNS Health’s Geriatric Mental Health Initiative (GMHI) and Promise Zone Initiatives. And on March 25th, Contessa Officer, Director of Veterans Programs, testified to the Council’s Committee on Veterans, advocating for funding to sustain and extend the programs’ outreach and connect more veterans to care in 2026.
VNS Health Celebrates Social Work Month! See the Photos!
March 31, 2025–March is National Social Work Month. On March 27th, to mark the occasion, nearly 100 Social Services Professionals gathered at 220 East 42nd Street for a breakfast celebration. The morning’s proceedings included presentations by CEO Dan Savitt and SVP Jessica Fear, a salute to Lizzie Cogan as the winner of our first-ever Social Services Professional of the Year Award, and a raffle. A continuing education unit (CEU) followed, led by LMSW Asha Lyons. To see photos of the event, click on the slideshow below.
Age-Friendly “M” Words Make a Difference
March 4, 2025–INSIDE PROVIDER SERVICES by David Rosales Welcome to the latest installment of my Frontline column, “Inside Provider Services,” where I talk about what’s going on with our Home Care, Hospice, Behavioral Health, Personal Care and Care Management Organization teams. Patients, old and young, who feel listened to and involved in their care—whether that care is provided in a hospital or a facility, a doctor’s office, or within the home—are more likely to have better health outcomes than those who don’t feel engaged in their care. Empathetic, friendly care that involves patients can make a real difference. Here’s something else that can happen when patients feel listened to and involved in their care—it can help improve the consumer experience. We’re seeing just that, first-hand, in our Home Care patient satisfaction ratings. Last month, the Home Care team received 3 Stars in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) rating that measures patient
When It Comes to Action Plans, One Size Does Not Fit All
November 8, 2024–INSIDE PROVIDER SERVICES with David Rosales Welcome to the latest installment of my Frontline column, “Inside Provider Services,” where I talk about what’s going on with our Home Care, Hospice, Behavioral Health, Personal Care and Care Management Organization teams. It’s hard to believe it’s already November. Before you know it, it’ll be Thanksgiving. Here’s something else that falls into the “before you know it” category: our 2024 Employee Engagement Survey, which was just sent out. This is the survey where we ask you to tell us about your work and how you feel about working for this organization. Since this year’s Employee Engagement Survey just went out, both my column and John’s “Inside Health Plans” column this month are focused on the Action Plans that have been happening across the organization this past year to address feedback that you and your colleagues shared in last year’s Employee Engagement Survey. So here are
This Video of VNS Health’s First Annual Awards Ceremony Is Sure to Put a Smile on Your Face!
November 6, 2024–On a very special October evening, team members from across the organization were honored in VNS Health’s version of the Academy Awards. VNS Health In-Action reporter Carlos Pereyra (Community Liaison from Health Plans) was on the scene to interview team members. To watch his inspiring and emotion-filled report, click here! To read the profiles of all the VNS Health Awards Ceremony honorees, please click here. To see the photos and a full recording of the event, click here.
The VNS Health Awards Ceremony Photos Are Here! Plus a Recording of the Celebration!
November 1, 2024–The first ever VNS Health Annual Awards Ceremony took place on Monday, October 28. On one special evening, 25 team members were honored. Congratulations again to all our amazing award winners! Next year, the awards ceremony will celebrate even more team members! In addition to the awards that were presented earlier this week, the new awards will include: Until next year, here are the photos of the 2024 VNS Health Awards Ceremony ceremony! And here is a recording of the event! To see profiles of the 2024 VNS Health Award Ceremony honorees, click here.
Announcing Our 2024 VNS Health Award Winners!
October 29, 2024–Read Their Stories and See the Full List of Nominees! Last night, on Monday, October 28, team members from across the organization were recognized and celebrated as the very best of the best in exemplifying VNS Health’s Mission and Core Values of Empathy, Integrity and Agility! The event included those who had received awards earlier in the year, as well as new awards for presentation to the winners of the Phyllis Mills Living Legend Award and the ESPRIT Awards. To see all the team members who were nominated for these awards, click here. Congratulations to all 16 of this year’s award winners! Click on their names here below to read more about them and their award. Rose Madden–Baer 2024 Phyllis Mills Living Legend Award (Click here for the finalists.) Arna Brammer 2024 ESPRIT Award Mossogbe Camara 2024 ESPRIT Award Ilona Furman 2024 ESPRIT Award Habeebah Haqq 2024 ESPRIT Award Jasmin
Meet Our 2204 ESPRIT Award Winner: Anna Jenkins
October 29, 2024–As Lead Spiritual Care Counselor for VNS Health Hospice Care, Anna Jenkins is highly attuned to what spiritual care means to each patient and how she can help them realize it. Often, it’s not about religion. One patient she counseled was an architect, she explains, and he wanted to be the architect for his dying process through spiritual care. “He was able to make all the decisions and transition the way he wanted to, and it was beautiful,” she recalls. Anna’s spiritual care work entails creating rituals to honor and begin the memorial process right at the patient’s bedside. For one young woman, Anna helped the family use rosewater to honor different parts of her body, thanking the young woman’s feet for all the hikes they took together, her hands for the carrot cakes she made and shared. Research shows most people would prefer to spend their final days at