VNS Health in 2024 — Year in Review

From our MAP plan getting a 5-Star rating to Behavioral Health opening our CCBHC in the South Bronx, it’s been a year of tremendous accomplishments at VNS Health. Here is a brief month-by-month summary of some of our most notable achievements and happenings in 2024.

Before you scroll down the list, though, be sure to check out our VNS Health 2024 Holiday Card immediately below!

To navigate quickly to a particular month, click on one of the links below:

January

Our 3-Year Strategic Plan and 4 Top Company Objectives

Our 3-year Strategic Plan is rolled out to team members. The Strategic Plan includes our four Top Company Objectives:

• Lead New York State in integrated long-term care (MAP)
• Make our field-based roles the obvious choice for top talent
• Expand the reach and impact of care management and behavioral health solutions serving high-need populations
• Bring our operating margins and cost structure in line with the rest of the industry

2023 Strength from Within Campaign Reports Record Results

Our 2023 Strength from Within Employee Giving Campaign, which ended on December 31st, saw its highest participation rate to date, with 345 VNS Health team members contributing a total of $132,000 to support our charitable care and community impact programs. To read a full summary of the campaign on Frontline, click here.

Raising Hospice Awareness in New York’s Chinese Community

VNS Health continues its series of educational workshops to raise awareness and dispel common myths about hospice care among New York City’s Chinese residents. Following last fall’s series launch, over 20 educational workshops will be held in 2024 at VNS Health’s community centers in Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn as well as senior centers around the city, with more than 1,200 people attending in all. Conducted in Mandarin and/or Cantonese, the workshops are part of a broader campaign that includes print articles in major Chinese-language media outlets.

VNS Health Holds Cultural Event to Thank Donors and Friends

“A Welcome to Winter,” a post-holiday event for VNS Health donors and friends, is held at the Bohemian National Hall. The evening is attended by many Board members and supporters of VNS Health, and features a performance by singer/songwriter and activist Emily Cavanagh.

Dan Savitt is named to City and State’s 2024 Health Care Power 100 List   

For the fourth straight year, VNS Health President and CEO Dan Savitt is named to City & State’s Health Care Power 100, which recognizes hospital and health care executives, nonprofit service providers, labor leaders, academics and other advocates and activists who are shaping health care policy and practice in New York. Read more here.

Nurse Residency and Veterans Programs Receive Mother Cabrini Health Foundation Grants

The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation (MCHF) awards VNS Health two significant grants to support our Community Impact programs. A $1.5 million, multi-year grant to VNS Health Home Care’s Nurse Residency Program will enable the program to add a new nurse cohort, provide educational support, and pursue accreditation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Additionally, a $300,000 grant is awarded to enhance our Veterans Outreach Program, which delivers specialized support to military veterans in Home Care or Hospice Care, including assistance with VA benefits.

February

John Burke Joins VNS Health

On February 1, John Burke joins VNS Health as Executive Vice President and Chief of Health Plans. John brings 25 years of executive health care experience to his position, with much of his career focused on serving low-income, elderly, and immigrant populations, helping them to lead better, healthier lives through improved health care access and outcomes.

“Lunch with Dan” Is Introduced

CEO Dan Savitt launches his monthly “Lunch with Dan”series—an opportunity for approximately 15 team members from around the organization to have an informal conversation with Dan over a relaxed lunch. These freewheeling lunches are an informal, fun way for team members to get to know Dan better, and for Dan to hear what’s on team members’ minds.

HHA Question of the Month Raffle Debuts

The Personal Care team introduces a monthly raffle series for VNS Health Home Health Aide team members. Each month, HHA team members are asked a different care-related question. From among those who answer the question that month, three HHAs are then picked at random to receive a $200 prize. Over 400 HHAs responded to the first question: “What’s a little thing you do to brighten your client’s day?”  Click here to see what they said!

2024’s First Episode of “20 Minutes with Dan” Focuses on Care We Provide to Children

Lillian Wald, the founder of VNS Health, once said, “We cherish belief in the children, and hope, through them, for the future.” In 2024’s first episode of “20 Minutes with Dan,” CEO Dan Savitt highlights the extensive range of programs that VNS Health offers to support children today. Watch the video here.

Speaking of Videos, Our “Neighborhood Spotlight” and “20 Minutes with Dan” Videos Win Top Industry Awards!

Our internal videos are honored with many awards, including…

• A Platinum AVA Digital Award for the 2023“Neighborhood Spotlight” videos—the highest honor they give! For more on the award, click here.
• Three episodes of “Neighborhood Spotlight” receive the “Award of Excellence” from the Communicator Awards (read more by clicking here).
• Three episodes of “20 Minutes with Dan” are awarded a Bronze Telly Award in the Interview and Talk Show category.
• Five episodes of “Neighborhood Spotlight” getr a Silver Telly Award in the Online Documentary Series category.
• The VNS Health Home Care Clinician 2024 Recruitment video also receives a Silver Telly Award in the category of Non-Broadcast Recruitment Video.

March

Happy Social Work Month! 130 VNS Health Social Work Team Members Earn CEU Credits

As part of our celebration of National Social Work Month, VNS Health sponsors an virtual event where 130 social work team members attend a course taught by Kathryn Krase, Ph.D, J.D., MSW. The course, “Exploring the Ethical Obligation to Maintain Professional Boundaries,” also earns social work team members continuing education credits.

You asked. We did! What’s next?

Programs and departments across the organization launch individual Action Plans. The plans, developed in response to the Employee Engagement Survey, are tailored to individual teams and address key areas of focus identified by team members. These include enhancing career growth and professional development opportunities; empowering staff with greater input in decision-making; improving interdepartmental collaboration; strengthening trust in senior leadership; and reinforcing the belief that employee surveys drive meaningful change.

Frontline Introduces a New Interactive Look

To enhance your reading experience, Frontline launches a new, more colorful and interactive site.

NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams Visits NORC in Queens

On March 5th, New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams visits the Rochdale Village Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NORC) in Southeast Queens to observe how city funding is helping VNS Health deliver nursing services to Rochdale Village and other NORC sites across the city. Through the City Council’s NORC Nursing Initiative, VNS Health nurses visit NORCs one or two days a week, providing health care management and support to 20,000 New York City seniors. Inspired by her visit, the Council Speaker goes on to highlight the program during a City Council Budget Committee Hearing (click here at 24:45).

Congratulations to Our March Nurse Residency Graduates!  

Ashley Eustache and Sheryll Bromberg are our newest Nurse Residency Program graduates! The VNS Health Nurse Residency Program is a comprehensive, two-year program designed to help make the growing field of home-care nursing more accessible to new nurses. The curriculum includes several weeks of daily classes, after which the nurse residents shadow experienced VNS Health nurse preceptors in the field, gaining invaluable hands-on experience, skills, and confidence. For more about the Nurse Residency Program, click here.

April

April’s “20 Minutes with Dan” Focuses on Specialized Care for Complex Conditions

In the April episode of “20 Minutes with Dan,” CEO Dan Savitt highlights the care VNS Health provides to patients with complex health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and dementia. To view the video, click here. 

Behavioral Health Team Transitions to Netsmart Electronic Health Record

The Behavioral Health team adopts a new electronic health record (EHR) system from Netsmart. The system, called myEvolv, is designed to enhance outcome reporting, streamline clinicians’ documentation processes, and improve billing efficiency.

Celebrating Occupational Therapy Month!

VNS Health celebrates National Occupational Therapy Month by honoring our more than 70 Occupational Therapists and Certified Occupational Therapy Assistants for their exceptional dedication to patient care. At the virtual celebration, OT Dina Klein is named Occupational Therapist of the Year. To read more about Dina, click here.  

May

Happy National Nurses Month!

To celebrate National Nurses Month, celebrations are held honoring VNS Health’s nurses in every New York City borough as well as Westchester and Long Island. Click on the links below to see photos from each event.

• Manhattan — May 3
• Staten Island — May 7
• Queens — May 9
• Long Island — May 14
• Westchester — May 16
• Brooklyn — May 22
• Bronx — May 23 (Special Bonus Video: Dancing!)
• Manhattan for New Nurses — May 31

…And Happy National Speech-Language-Hearing Month!

VNS Health celebrates National Speech-Language-Hearing Month by saluting the stellar work of our 21 Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs). The celebrations include online recognition events, an in-person breakfast, and the naming of Whitney Thomas as Speech-Language Pathologist of the Year. To read about Whitney, click here.  

Raquel Webb Geddes Named UFT Home Care Nurse of the Year

On May 9th, the Federation of Nurses/United Federation of Teachers (UFT) marks National Nurses Month by commending 21 nurse honorees for their outstanding work. The honorees include Raquel Webb Geddes, VNS Health Home Care nurse and leader of VNS Health’s union chapter, who is presented with the UFT Home Care Nurse of the Year Award for her dedication to patient care and union service, and Jason Bauer, VNS Health Hospice nurse, who received the UFT’s award for RN Advocate. For photos of the event, click here. 

VNS Health Acquires 2,000 Upstate MLTC Members

VNS Health’s Medicaid Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) health plan expands its upstate operations by acquiring approximately 2,000 new members from three recently closed MLTC plans in upstate New York: Elderwood Health Plan in the Buffalo/Rochester area, Prime Health Choice in the Albany/Hudson Valley area (both of which “go live” as part of VNS Health MLTC on May 1st), and Senior Network Health in the Utica area (which “goes live” on June 1st). Most providers from these plans also joined the VNS Health network. With these acquisitions, VNS Health now serves members in 37 counties statewide, including four counties we were not operating in previously. The growing reach of our MLTC plan also paves the way for the expansion of our MAP plan, VNS Health Total, to those counties where it is not currently operating.

Sue Caputo Wins HCA’s 2024 Ruth F. Wilson Award

On May 8th, former VNS Health Senior Vice President of Business Development Sue Caputo receives the Ruth F. Wilson Award at the Home Care Association (HCA) of New York’s Annual Conference in Saratoga Springs, New York. HCA’s highest honor, this prestigious award is given to a dedicated individual who has made significant contributions to the home care field over their career.

VNS Health 2024 Golf Classic Raises Over $272,000 for Veterans Outreach Program

This year’s VNS Health annual golf outing takes place on May 13th, raising more than $272,000 for the VNS Health Veterans Outreach Program.

Behavioral Health Team Hosts 13th Annual Children’s Mental Health Fair

Held at the FRIENDS East 153rd Street location on May 30th, this year’s Mental Health Fair hosts over 130 current and past clients of the FRIENDS Clinic, Children’s Mobile Crisis Team, Promise Zone, Safe Pathways and other BH programs, as well as families from the Bronx community.

New “10 Minutes with Keith”Video Series Launches

Hosted by Chief Financial Officer Keith Patterson, this new quarterly video series keeps VNS Health team members up to date on VNS Health’s financial picture. To watch the first episode, in which Keith reviews our first-quarter 2024 results, click here.

Foundational Leadership Excellence (FLX) Program Graduates First Two Cohorts

On May 8th, VNS Health’s Foundational Leadership Excellence (FLX) program celebrates the graduation of its first two cohorts. A total of 45 participants completed the six-part training, which provides tools, resources and case studies designed to help managers and supervisors enhance their teams’ experiences. The FLX program will go on to train 230 participants through additional cohorts in 2024.  To read more about the FLX graduation, click here.

June

Health Plans Opens Neighborhood Office in Far Rockaway, Queens

The Health Plans team expands its community presence with the opening of a new walk-in neighborhood office in Far Rockaway, Queens. The location serves as an enrollment center and also provides a range of services for current members, including education and linkage to other VNS Health programs. The storefront underscores our ongoing commitment to improving health care access in underserved communities.

June’s “20 Minutes with Dan”: What Makes Our Health Plans So Unique?

June’s episode of “20 Minutes with Dan” looks at what makes our health plans truly unique—both in the NYC area and in upstate New York. Click here to watch.

Behavioral Health’s Deirdre DeLeo Speaks at City Hall Rally for Community Health Programs  

On June 11th, Deirdre DeLeo, Director of Behavioral Health Programs, speaks on behalf of VNS Health at a rally at City Hall in Manhattan that was organized by VNS Health’s community partners, InUnity Alliance, UJA Federation of NY, United Neighborhood Houses, and Citizen’s Committee for Children of NY. At the event, New York City Council Member Eric Bottcher and local program leaders and clinicians discuss the crucial needs facing our communities and call on the City Council to provide full funding to community health programs that benefit vulnerable New Yorkers.

July

Health Plans Call Center Earns Perfect Score in CMS Survey

The Health Plans unit of the Contact Center Shared Services (CCSS) team achieves a perfect 100% accessibility score in the annual CMS audit of calls from prospective Medicare members about Part C and Part D benefits. The unit also achieves over 99% accuracy in the information provided, far exceeding CMS’s 75% goal.

Brenda Riordan Joins VNS Health

Brenda Riordan joins VNS Health as Senior Vice President of Home Care and Care Management Solutions. She takes on immediate oversight of the Home Care team and will expand her role to include the CMO, Hospice and Clinical Education teams in January 2025. Read more about Brenda here.

David Rosales and John Burke Columns Debut on Frontline

Two new columns are launched on Frontline: Inside Provider Services with David Rosales and Inside Health Plans with John Burke. The two columns provide regular insights from David Rosales, EVP and Chief of Provider Services, and John Burke, EVP and Chief of Health Plans, on the areas they oversee.

Brooklyn Office Moves to a New Location

In mid-July, VNS Health’s Brooklyn office moves two blocks to a new 21,000-square-foot space at 1715 East 13th Street. The office is home to our Behavioral Health, Home Care, Hospice, Business Development and Legal teams, and offers touchdown stations for visiting team members. The move is part of the organization’s ongoing push to reduce its real estate footprint and related costs.

Human Resources Team Debuts HR Hub and Employee Handbook

On July 24th our HR team launches the new HR Hub on the VNS Health Intranet—a one-stop online shop where team members and people managers can access resources and support, from HR-related information on benefits to on-demand learning tools. In addition, the HR team rolls out a new Employee Handbook, a comprehensive, easy-to-navigate online resource that provides team members with key information on policies and procedures related to their employment at VNS Health.

VNS Health Hosts Community Campaign on Lung Cancer and Mental Health Awareness  

VNS Health hosts two press conferences and educational workshops focusing on lung cancer and mental health awareness. At the lung cancer event, held at the Chinatown Community Center in partnership with CAIPA, CAMS, ACAP, NYU Langone Health, and Maimonides, Teresa Lin, Vice President of Cultural Market Development, emphasizes the importance of early detection, particularly for non-smoking Asian women, who face increasing lung cancer rates. The mental health awareness campaign, implemented in collaboration with Rendr, includes a press conference at the Flushing Community Center, addressing the stigma around mental health issues in the Chinese community and encouraging individuals to seek support.

VNS Health Team Members Attend a Yankees-Mets Game and Raise Money for Nurse Residency Program 

On July 23rd, 98 VNS Health team members enjoy an evening at Yankee Stadium watching the Yankees take on the Mets, with a portion of their ticket sales going to support VNS Health’s Nurse Residency Program.

August

Health Plans Expands Its Provider Network

VNS Health signs an agreement with NYC Health + Hospitals to expand our Health Plans provider network across all five boroughs with the addition of 11 NYC hospitals and their affiliated facilities. The agreement adds hundreds of providers across our Health Plans product portfolio. This is the first time NYC Health + Hospitals has participated in our Health Plans provider network, marking a significant milestone for the organization.

“10 Minutes with Keith” Gives Financial Update for the First Half of 2024

In the year’s second “10 Minutes with Keith” video, Keith Patterson walks viewers through important financial factors that shaped the first two quarters of 2024 and takes a look at what’s ahead for the rest of the year. Keith also sits down with Jim Rolla, SVP, Personal Care and Teresa Lin, VP, Cultural Market Development to chat about growth opportunities across the organization. To watch the video, click here.

VNS Health Creates Home Care Nursing Scholarship with Touro University  

VNS Health launches a partnership with Touro University’s New York School of Career and Applied Studies to provide scholarships that cover all educational expenses for Touro’s five-semester Associate Nursing Degree program. In exchange, scholarship recipients pledge to join VNS Health Home Care as full-time nurses for at least two years following graduation and will also work at VNS Health as paid interns in between semesters. The program’s curriculum includes home-care specific courses not typically offered in nursing school, which will be taught by VNS Health nurses. Click here for detailed information about the program.

A Banner Year for Interns at VNS Health This Summer!  

This past summer, VNS Health welcomed 71 interns to our 10-week internship program—our highest number of participants ever. The interns worked with teams across the organization, from Government Affairs, IT and Finance to Home Care, Legal and Behavioral Health. Some of our summer interns shared their thoughts on what they found most meaningful about their experience at VNS Health. To see their comments and some photos, watch the slideshow below—and for a complete list of this year’s interns, click here.   

Home Care Launches Falls Prevention Program

Home Care rolls out a Falls Prevention Program designed to help older New Yorkers reduce their risk of falls—the leading cause of injuries among older adults, with most occurring in the home. The program begins with a comprehensive in-home assessment by a physical therapist, who then develops a customized treatment plan tailored to each patient’s needs.

September

Congressman Ritchie Torres Accompanies VNS Health Clinicians on Bronx Home Visit 

On September 3rd, Congressman Ritchie Torres accompanies VNS Health nurse Jean Verlus and social worker Margarita Roldan on a home visit in the Bronx to a VNS Health Home Care patient (and Torres constituent). The visit, which is covered on social media, provides an opportunity for VNS Health and Representative Torres to publicize the need for improved access to home care in the South Bronx and other “home care deserts.” To see the related post on LinkedIn, click here.

Health Plans Makes Crain’s 2024 “Best Places to Work in NYC” List

Our Health Plans team is named to the 2024 Crain’s New York Business list of Best Places to Work in New York City. The team’s selection for this list is based largely on feedback from our own Health Plans team members via an independent Crain’s survey. For more information about the Crain’s list, click here. 

Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) Launches in the South Bronx

VNS Health launches an integrated mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) treatment clinic at its South Bronx location under the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic model, supported by a $4 million grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The clinic, uniquely open evenings and weekends, expands long-standing mental health services for children and families to include comprehensive SUD treatment for all individuals, regardless of insurance or ability to pay. For more on the CCBHC, click here.

VNS Health Total Rated #1 for Quality by New York State

VNS Health Total is the only Medicaid Advantage Plus (MAP) plan in New York to earn a 5-Star rating from the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH). Later this fall, it will also receive the highest Quality Incentive rating from DOH among 44 MAP and Medicaid managed long-term care (MLTC) plans statewide. Combining Medicare Advantage and MLTC coverage, the Total plan supports dual-eligible individuals who need assistance to live safely and independently at home.

Breaking Down Siloes to Address Health Care Gaps in the Rockaways and Staten Island

Team members from across the organization roll out two strategic initiatives centered on the geographically isolated Rockaways in Southern Queens and at-risk communities in Staten Island. The goal of these initiatives is to address health care gaps in these communities, which have higher rates of chronic illness and less access to health care than other parts of the city. At the same time, the initiatives aim to increase local market share of our Provider lines of business and our Health Plans and enhance our visibility in these underserved neighborhoods.

Health Plans Opens a Neighborhood Office in Flatbush, Brooklyn

The Health Plans team further extends its reach by opening a new walk-in neighborhood office in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Staffed by bilingual community liaisons fluent in English and Haitian Creole, the location is tailored to support the area’s Haitian community as well as other local residents. Click here to view News 12 Brooklyn’s coverage of the ribbon cutting.

Congratulations to Our Fall Cohort of Nurse Residency Graduates!

Furdicia Morancie, Aaliyah Butler, and Petro Romanko become the newest graduates of VNS Health’s Nurse Residency Program—a comprehensive, two-year program designed to help make the growing field of home-care nursing more accessible to new nurses. For more about the Nurse Residency Program, click here.

R.A.I.N. Organization Presents Legacy Award to Dan Savitt

The New York City-based organization R.A.I.N. presents VNS Health CEO Dan Savitt with one of its Legacy Awards at the organization’s annual Gala. The event celebrates the 60th anniversary of R.A.I.N., which provides personal care, housing support and other services to Bronx seniors and also runs a number of older adult centers in the Bronx and upper Manhattan.

October

CDC Adds New Code for Sepsis Aftercare Based on VNS Health Research  

On October 1st, a new ICD-10 diagnostic code, “Encounter for Sepsis Aftercare” (Z51A), is introduced. The new code will enhance care for the 1.7 million Americans who survive sepsis annually, by alerting post-acute providers that a patient was recently hospitalized for sepsis—enabling them to develop a more informed care plan to reduce these patients’ high risk of hospital readmission. The need for this code was identified in a 2020 study by a VNS Health research team led by Dr. Kathryn Bowles. The team went on to successfully advocate for the code’s adoption by the CDC. To read more about this ground-breaking achievement, click here.

VNS Health Personal Care Honor Awards Ceremony

Our home health aide team members, HHA supervisors and other Personal Care team members are honored at the 2024 Personal Care Honor Awards, which takes place on October 3rd in the Personal Care offices at 5 Penn Plaza. The event includes awards for outstanding performance on the job and also recognizes team members who are celebrating milestone anniversaries. Click here for a full list of honorees and the photos!

25 Team Members Honored at VNS Health’s First Ever Annual Awards Ceremony  

On a very special October evening, in VNS Health’s version of the Academy Awards, 25 team members from across the organization are honored as the very best of the best in exemplifying VNS Health’s Mission and Core Values of Empathy, Integrity and Agility. The event recognizes those who had received awards earlier in the year, and reveals the 2024 winners of the Phyllis Mills Living Legend Award and our ESPRIT Awards. To see all the team members who were nominated for these awards, click here. And to see the photos and a recording of the event, click here.

Home Care Has Its Highest Patient Admissions since 2022!

The Home Care team hits 5,362 patient admissions for the month, the most since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Hospice Predictive Model Developed by VNS Health Will Become Available Nationally

Netsmart Technologies, an industry-leading software company, agrees to integrate a predictive model developed by VNS Health’s technology team into Netsmart’s MyUnity electronic health record (EHR). The predictive model monitors a hospice patient’s status to assess when they are entering their last days of life—alerting the hospice team to provide added support during this difficult time. Under the agreement, this model will soon become available to any U.S. hospice provider that uses the MyUnity EHR.

Bronx Nurse-Family Partnership Is Awarded $150,000 

VNS Health’s Bronx Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) receives a grant of $150,000 from the Thompson Family Foundation. The grant is a recognition of the invaluable work our NFP nurses do to support the health, education and career paths of young, first-time mothers and their children, enabling them to break the cycle of poverty.

Chinatown Community Center Celebrates 25 Years with Dance and Community Spirit

The 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Chinatown Community Center and the 18th Anniversary of our Chinatown Neighborhood NNORC draws over 420 attendees. The event features Li Chen, a care manager with our MLTC health plan, performing a stunning traditional Chinese dance.

Celebrating National Physical Therapy Month

In recognition of National Physical Therapy Month, VNS Heath celebrates our 245 physical therapists and physical therapy assistants with breakfasts in all the regions, as well as a Zoom event during which Patricia “Patty” Vieira is honored as VNS Health’s PT of the Year. Click here to read more about Patty, and click on the slideshow below to see photos from our various PT Month events.

Team Members Showcase Their Halloween Spirit

VNS Health team members, along with their friends and family, once again show they had a blast on Halloween! Click here to see the photos of scary, creative, adorable, and funny costumes sent in by colleagues from across the organization!

November

CCSS Team Summit

The Contact Center Shared Services (CCSS) holds an CCSS Team Summit on November 8th for those team members who work remotely to come together and interact with their supervisors and peers in person. At the summit, team members hear about future plans, do some role-playing to improve their skills, and recognize the contributions of the team in a fun, interactive way. Click on the slideshow below to see photos of team members on this memorable day!

2024 Benefit Gala: “Building Healthy Communities”

On November 14th, VNS Health hosts our 2024 Benefit Dinner, “Building Healthy Communities,” at The Ziegfeld Ballroom in New York City, raising $1.15 million to support our Charitable Care and Community Impact programs. At the event, Ann Baiada, founder of BAYADAbility Rehab Solutions, and her husband Mark Baiada, founder and chairman of BAYADA Home Health Care, are honored with the prestigious Lillian D. Wald Award, recognizing their transformative contributions to home health care. Here is a gallery of photos from the evening.

10 Minutes with Keith: How Did VNS Health Do Financially in the First Three Quarters of 2024?

In the year’s third episode of “10 Minutes with Keith,” CFO Keith Patterson discusses important financial updates that shaped the first three quarters of 2024 and takes a look at what’s ahead for the rest of this year and into 2025. Keith also sits down with Michael Tricomi, VP, Product Management, Health Plans and Brenda Riordan, SVP, Home Care and Care Management Solutions, to chat about growth opportunities within the organization. Watch the video by clicking here.

2024 Employee Engagement Survey Concludes

On November 27th, VNS Health’s 2024 Employee Engagement Survey closes with a 77% participation rate—just shy of last year’s participation rate. The results are now being analyzed, after which we will promptly begin creating and implementing our next group of Action Plans.

December

Home Care Hiring and Retention Are Up…

The VNS Health Home Care team announces it has added a net increase of 48 field nurses to its clinical workforce in 2024. The team also reports that the turnover rate for Home Care nurses in their first year at VNS Health has gone from 14 percent to 6 percent in the past year, while the overall turnover for Home Care team members declined form 25 percent to 13 percent in 2024. This improvement is attributed to a number of factors, including enhanced support for field clinicians, especially during their critical first year, as well as platforms that allow team members to help shape the team’s policies and procedures.

…And So Is Personal Care’s Hiring and Retention of HHAs

In addition, the Personal Care team reports it hired 2,020 HHAs in 2024—compared to 1,549 in 2023. The team also maintained an impressive 85% retention rate among its newly hired HHAs in 2024, which is 20% above the national average. To read how they accomplished this by creating a better experience for team members, click here.

VNS Health Acquires Buffalo/Rochester-Based Kalos MLTC Plan

Our MLTC health plan makes its fourth acquisition of 2024 by absorbing the recently closed Kalos MLTC plan, which served over 900 members in the Buffalo/Rochester area. This acquisition is in addition to the three upstate MLTC plans acquired by VNS Health earlier this year (see May, above).

Hospice Admissions Are Up in 2024!

The Hospice Care team reports that its average daily census for 2024 is 1,140—a year-over-year increase of 4.3%.

McKnight’s Names Rosa Marcus, Margaret McDonald, and Grace McGhee as 2025 Pinnacle Awardees

On December 9th, the McKnight’s media group announces that Rosa Marcus, Director of Support Services for Personal Care, Margaret McDonald, Associate Vice President of VNS Health’s Research Center, and Grace McGhee, Director of Care Management, are among the 32 national long-term care leaders selected to receive the company’s prestigious Pinnacle Award for 2025. The winners will be celebrated on March 20th at a gala awards ceremony in Chicago. For more on this outstanding recognition, click here.

Behavioral Health Fellowship Graduation

On December 18th, the Behavioral Health Fellowship program celebrates the graduation of five fellows in this year’s cohort. The one-year fellowship program was developed by Dr. Jovita Crasta, Chief Psychiatrist and Medical Director, Behavioral Health, and Behavioral Health psychiatrist Dr. Caroline Williams with the guidance and support of Education Manager Andrea Abramoff, NP. Based on a similar fellowship developed at Columbia University by psychiatry faculty members Dr. Jules Ranz and Dr. Rachel Griffin, the program provides psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners at VNS Health with additional specialized training on various aspects of community mental health, including the dispensing of psychiatric medications. Congratulations to the 2024 Fellowship Graduates: Gaelle Dennery, Kevens Duliepre, Marie-Lourdes Jean-Francois, Krystal Ottley, and Alec Zubsov. For photos of the graduation ceremony, click on the slideshow below.

20 Minutes with Dan: Celebrating Our 2024 Achievements 

“When I look back at all we’ve accomplished together this year, I have to say, it makes me very proud,” says CEO Dan Savitt at the start of this special holiday version of 20 Minutes with Dan. To view the video, click here.

’Tis the Season for Team Holiday Parties

It wouldn’t be the end-of-the-year without an end-of-the-year team holiday party! Here are holiday party photos from the following teams: Care Management Organization (CMO), Accounting, Procurement and Facilities, Home Care, Health Plans, Marketing, Development, Personal Care, Communications, Human Resources, Quality (Provider Relations), Behavioral Health, and Contact Center Shared Services (CCSS). If you have photos from a VNS Health team holiday party you want to share, send them to Frontline by clicking here. We’ll post them here!