The 2026 Personal Care Honor Awards: Meet the Winners, See the Photos and a Recording of the Ceremony!

Leela Singh, HHA, was presented with the Richard Flender Grace Award for showing grace under pressure. Leela has been with VNS Health since 2012. For nearly 14 years, she’s been caring for Hospice patients in Queens. It takes a very special person to do this work, and Leela is that special person. Each day, she cares for four to five patients in their homes, bringing tremendous compassion, kindness and strength to each one of them.

John Demetriou, HHA, won the Stephen V.R. Goodhue Spirit Award. John joined VNS Health just last year, and he’s already made a tremendous impression. John cares for patients throughout Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan, and he’s known for his compassion, professionalism and generous spirit. John is always willing to step up — he brings genuine kindness and concern to every patient he cares for, always making their comfort, dignity and well-being a priority. That generosity of spirit and caring heart really embodies what this award represents.

Li Ling Zhao, RN, received the Clinical Professional Excellence Award. Li Ling is an exceptional clinician. As an RN supporting both our Naturally Occurring Retirement Community team and our MLTC Health Plan, she consistently goes above and beyond to ensure our Chinese-speaking members receive the care they need.  Li Ling combines her deep clinical expertise with language skills and cultural understanding that allow her to build trust and provide care with dignity and respect. Also known as a tremendous advocate and collaborator, Li Ling truly exemplifies what it means to put our patients first.

Michelle Class, Manager of Nursing Support and Intake, was the winner of the Outstanding Management Employee Award. Michelle has made a tremendous impact across Personal Care. She is an outstanding leader who takes on every challenge with optimism, energy, and a commitment to excellence. Michelle consistently steps up and delivers results — whether that means guiding her team through multiple surveys, leading the Private Pay intake team, or supporting the Alliance transition. She leads with empathy and accountability, and is always looking for ways to strengthen her team and improve processes.

Marcia Roberts-Smith, HHA Supervisor, won the Outstanding Administrative Employee Award. Marcia is a compassionate, attentive, and detail-oriented supervisor who genuinely cares about the success and well-being of the Home Health Aides she supervises. She always takes the time to listen when providing guidance, and her approachable nature fosters an environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and supported. Even in the most challenging situations, Marcia remains calm, professional, and solution-focused. Whether addressing team member concerns or operational demands, she handles every interaction with honesty, fairness, and respect.

Sandriana Ngwi, HHA Supervisor, received the VNS Health Rewards Supervisor Superstar Award. Sandriana manages Personal Care Private Pay cases on Long Island. This region can be difficult to staff, yet she consistently finds a way to get these cases filled. Sandriana brings patience, thoughtful feedback and a commitment to supporting her team. No doubt about it, she’s a superstar!

Karina Sanchez Diaz, HHA, won the VNS Health Rewards Hiring Wizard Award! Karina joined VNS Health just this past February, and in only six months, she has already shared job opportunities within her personal network 14 times — resulting in four new hires who are caring for VNS Health clients today. And she did all of this while working more than 1,500 hours herself!

Brenda Callwood, HHA, won the VNS Health Mobile App Guru Award. Brenda has been with VNS Health for more than 25 years and she has adapted to tremendous change along the way — from paper timesheets and phone clock-ins to today’s mobile technology. This year alone, Brenda completed nearly 500 visits and used the mobile app to clock in and out for 90% of them.

Joan Hamilton-Griffith, HHA, won the VNS Health Recognition Phenomenon Award. Joan received an incredible 11 recognitions this year from five different managers. One manager summed it up beautifully. She said: “Joan makes caregiving seem like the only natural thing to do.”