Personal Care
Latest Personal Care News
McKnight’s Names Rosa Marcus, Margaret McDonald, and Grace McGhee as 2025 Pinnacle Awardees
December 10, 2024–
Creating a Meaningful and Attractive Work Experience for Our HHA Team Members
December 10, 2024–Welcome to “Objectives in Action,” our continuing series that features teams from across the organization that are working to make our Top Company Objectives a reality. Top Company Objective: Make our field-based roles the obvious choice for top talent. Team: Personal Care The Situation: Just as with clinicians, demand for talented home health aides is great. To recruit and retain top HHA talent, the Personal Care team realized it needed to take additional steps to provide a meaningful and attractive work experience for our HHA team members. Top Company Objective in Action: To enhance home health aides’ work environment, the Personal Care team created a VNS Health Rewards program, which rewards HHAs who meet specific performance benchmarks with financial bonuses that are then added directly to their weekly paychecks. By fostering a culture of recognition with VNS Health Personal Care, this program has become a cornerstone of workforce retention. The
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 2024 James R. Withrow Jr. Home Health Aide of the Year Winner: Monica White
October 29, 2024–There’s nothing that brings Personal Care Home Health Aide Monica White greater reward than helping her clients achieve the goals they set for themselves that day. It could be getting out to the store, or dinner in a restaurant—something that brings them joy, but that they wouldn’t be able to accomplish without her. “I make a difference in their day because they know there is someone to rely on, someone to help get them out of the house,” says Monica, who has been with VNS Health for more than 10 years. “There is a trust that I will come, and it gives them assurance that someone will always be there for them. They look forward to seeing me and it provides a routine.” She is also there for her clients’ families. “I like being able to help the family caregivers,” she says. “Some of them are so overloaded. I’m so
Meet Our ESPRIT Award Winner: Ellen Percoco-Pilutis
October 29, 2024–Ellen Percoco-Pilutis, Clinical Case Manager for VNS Health Personal Care, is a great listener. In fact, that act of listening is responsible for her entry into a career that demands deep and active listening. She had worked as an owner of a Carvel Ice Cream franchise for 21 years when one day her daughter said to her, “You like being with older people—why don’t you try working for VNS Health Personal Care?” Ellen listened—and pivoted to work as a home health aide for the agency. Sometime later, she had her ears open once again when she had a conversation in a Target with a nursing school student—and got to thinking. She asked if there were any age limits to becoming a nurse, then registered for nursing school at age 56. “VNS Health supported me through nursing school,” Ellen says, expressing deep gratitude. Gale Storm-Bryant, Senior Nurse Instructor, Personal Care, told
2024 Personal Care Honor Awards: Here’s the Full List – and Photos!
October 11, 2024–The Personal Care Honor Awards ceremony was held on Thursday, October 3rd at 5 Penn Plaza, where Personal Care has their offices. Here below is a complete list of all the Personal Care team members who received Honor Awards. Congratulations to all the winners! Aura Castillo, HHA, was presented with the Richard Flender Grace Award for showing grace under pressure. One morning earlier this year, Aura arrived at work and found her patient hunched over on the sofa, unconscious. Aura immediately called 911 and, with their assistance, was able to resuscitate her patient. Sharon George, HHA, won the Stephen V.R. Goodhue Spirit Award for her generosity, calm attitude, and amazing reliability. Ellen Percoco-Pilutis, Clinical Care Manager, received the Clinical Professional Excellence Award. Ellen was recognized for her knowledge, hard work, team spirit, and for leading with excellence and passion. Shama Barrett, Unit Manager, was the winner of the Management