Terence Richardson, Business Service Coordinator, Scheduling & Assignment, VNSNY Home Care

“I always go the extra mile to come up with a solution that will make everybody happy.”

Acting as a liaison between clinical staff and patients, Terence juggles the often-daunting task of scheduling nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and social workers in an ever-changing scheduling landscape. With his calm yet take-charge personality, he makes it look easy. “I have worked in call centers and have been in the customer service field for much of my career, so I look at the nurses and the clinicians as my clients,” he says. “I have a profound respect for them. They are the wheels of VNSNY, and without them there would be no VNSNY, so I do everything in my power to accommodate them and make their lives easier. I often advocate on their behalf. If a nurse has a full day and we don’t have enough staff to see every client on that day, I’ll rework and reprioritize the schedule, or I’ll check on whether someone else might want overtime.” On the other end of the spectrum, if he gets a clinician request that’s a little overboard, “I’ll keep them honest,” he says. “It’s a balancing act; I always go the extra mile to come up with a solution that will make everybody happy.”

For Terence, it’s personal as well. “I think I’m so empathetic to the process because my grandmother is receiving home care, and I see how much of a difference clinicians can make in someone’s life. And navigating the system—dealing with Medicare or Medicaid—can be extremely overwhelming for someone who isn’t familiar with it.” Just the other day, when an elderly client who was trying to transition to long-term care was crying over the phone to him, Terence took the time to explain the step-by-step process to her, clearly and simply. She was able to do it, then called him back in tears—this time tears of gratitude—to thank him. “One of the most rewarding part of my job is hearing from patients who are thankful for the care we provide,” he says. “It’s also rewarding when clinicians thank me for providing a balanced schedule that allows them to provide the highest level of care to their patients without being rushed, and at the same time meeting VNSNY’s productivity requirements. I am proud to be a part of an organization that truly makes a difference in our patients’ lives.”