VNS Health Is Off and Running in 2026: Check Out Our Latest News Briefs!

We’re only a few months into 2026, and lots of great things are happening across VNS Health. How do you keep up with everything? One easy way is to read the latest batch of News Briefs, below.

And remember, if you have any news or happenings that you’d like to share in an upcoming News Briefs, please click here.

VNS Health Earns Heart Failure Certification from the American Heart Association

VNS Health Home Care has earned the American Heart Association (AHA) Heart Failure Certification, a recognition that reflects excellence in delivering standardized, evidence-based treatment. With relatively few home care organizations in our service area holding this accreditation, this achievement further differentiates us as a provider of both home-based 4Ms Age-Friendly Care and expert heart failure care for patients living with heart failure.

Among the steps taken to achieving the certification­—and as part of VNS Health’s unwavering commitment to high-quality care—our Home Care team has developed a standardized, evidence-based heart failure program aligned with clinical guidelines established by the American Heart Association. In addition, team members have completed AHA heart failure training, with more than 75% of our Home Care clinicians receiving this specialized education.

“Up Close with Dan” Takes a Close Look at Our SelectHealth Health Plan Member Experience

In this latest video, CEO Dan Savitt looks at how our SelectHealth team provides the best possible member experience to vulnerable special needs health plan members. Also: our Mobile Crisis Team rises to the occasion in the latest frigid Code Blue Emergency.  Plus, Jessica Fear has something she “just wants to say” and Home Care’s Hiten Kothari shares a joyful Bollywood musical inspiration. Click here to watch the video! Watch the full show or go directly to one of the individual On-the-Go segments below:

• See the full episode of “Up Close with Dan” here.
• Part One: Dan Pays Tribute to Our Teams During This Bitterly Cold, Snowy Winter
• Part Two: Dan chats with SelectHealth’s Dahyana Astudillo about Community Outreach. Bonus: A SelectHealth member talks about her experience.
• Part Three: Mission in Action featuring SelectHealth’s Thalia Santos andPeter Soter, along with Monique Childs, a SelectHealth member.
• Part Four: Jessica Fear, SVP, Behavioral Health has something she “Just Wants to Say” about supporting ourselves and each other.
• Part Five: Home Care Physical Therapist Hiten Kothari shares a joyful Bollywood musical inspiration.

Check Out Our Latest 1,160 ABCD and Initiative Award Winners, Including HHAs!

Here they are, all in one place—a roundup of VNS Health team members who have been recognized from June 2025 through January 2026 for their outstanding contributions to the organization. To see the full list of ABCD and Initiative Award winners, click here.

We Asked Our HHAs: What Achievement Made You Most Proud? Read the Responses!

Each month, our Home Health Aide team members have a chance to answer a different question related to their work, hobbies, and other topics. The HHAs who respond get entered into a monthly raffle where they have a chance to win a gift card, and a selection of that month’s responses is also shared with the rest of their HHA colleagues. In January, we asked: “What achievement made you most proud in 2025?” Nearly 300 HHAs replied, and their responses were incredibly heartfelt. See their responses here.

New Fellowship Program Creates Stronger Pipeline for Behavioral Health Social Workers

To help address the nationwide shortage of licensed social workers, VNS Health is launching a Social Work Graduate Internship and Early Career Social Work Fellowship (ECSWF) Program. The program, which was the recent recipient of a three-year, $300,000 grant from the van Ameringen Foundation, includes three tracks: 1) a graduate internship program aligned with degree requirements, 2) a nine-month post-graduate fellowship that provides structured supervision, mentorship, and 3) licensure support for Behavioral Health social workers.

Through expanded school partnerships and standardized supervision protocols, the program aims to help more than 20 graduate interns per year transition to become licensed professionals while also enrolling 15–20 post-graduate fellows each year. Currently the Social Work Fellowship is available to VNS Health Behavioral Health team members only, and the first cohort is planned to start this September and go through May of next year. To learn more, please reach out to Lauren Hartman, Clinical Education Manager, Behavioral Health.

Our MLTC Health Plan Just Expanded in a Big Way Across New York State

In late January, our Medicaid MLTC health plan joined forces with iCircle, an MLTC plan that spans 30 upstate counties. The iCircle MLTC plan has approximately 4,700 members, who, on April 1st, will become members of our MLTC unless they choose another plan. With this transition, our MLTC plan will be offered in 55 out of New York State’s 62 counties. As a result, we’ll now have MLTC members in 17 new counties, plus more saturation across our existing MLTC presence in Western New York! 

To read how this benefits our Top Company Objectives, click here.

Monster Snowstorms and Blizzards Didn’t Faze Our Teams! 

It’s been quite a long and tough winter! Below are some inspiring photos of our team members braving the elements to care for our patients, members and clients.

Here are team member photos from the January 2026 Monster Storm:

Here are team member photos from the February 2026 Blizzard:

Mobile Crisis Team Provides Critical Street Outreach During Frigid Code Blue Emergency

In late January and early February, during two of this winter’s most frigid weeks, our Behavioral Health Mobile Crisis Team (MCT) worked closely with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to conduct overnight street outreach to unhoused individuals in Manhattan. The MCT was asked to do only one night of street outreach to homeless people in Manhattan. However, they were so effective that after the first night the Department of Health extended their deployment for an additional two weeks. Not only that but the Department of Health wrote a note of gratitude to the team, thanking them for pivoting and for their interventions, which included everything from providing warm clothing to calling an ambulance. See some photos here below.

Our Home Care/CHHA Earns Its First-Ever 5-Star CMS Quality Rating!

In its latest quality ratings, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) awarded VNS Health Home Care their first-ever 5-star rating, up from 4.5 stars! This top-tier performance reflects strong results across a number of quality measures. “The key metric that moved us to 5 Stars was an improvement in our bed transfers—which shows that our Home Care team’s mantra of ‘one patient at a time,’ is paying off,” notes Brenda Riordan, SVP of Home Health Care, Care Management Solutions and Hospice, “Congratulations to all our Home Care team members, whose dedication and patient-centered approach made this huge achievement possible!” The 5-Star rating will be publicly posted when CMS updates its Home Care Compare website in April.

VNS Health Sponsors Women’s Empowerment Brunch in Albany

VNS Health co-sponsored the Women’s Empowerment Brunch at the 55th Annual Legislative Conference of the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislators (NYSABPRHAL). At the brunch, held in the New York State Capitol Building’s Assembly Chambers on February 14, NAACP National Board of Directors Vice Chair and VNS Health Board Member Karen Boykin-Towns delivered the keynote address, sharing personal reflections on leadership and highlighting what VNS Health’s home- and community-based care truly means to New York families. See the video of her remarks below.

Personal Care Wins “2025 Best of Home Care Provider of Choice Award” 

VNS Health Personal Care has been recognized as one of the nation’s top home care providers, earning the prestigious 2025 Best of Home Care® Provider of Choice Award from Activated Insights, a research firm serving the post-acute care industry. This honor is awarded to organizations that demonstrate exceptional client satisfaction, as measured through independent research and direct client feedback.

Four Team Members Named to WTWH Healthcare’s “Frontline Honors Class of 2025” 

Congratulations to…

• Natalie Kovacs, LCSW, Parachute Program Coordinator, Behavioral Health
• Teresa Lin, Vice President, Cultural Market Development
• Sabine Noel, RN, Clinical Evaluation Manager, Care Management, Health Plans
• Jean Verlus, Registered Nurse, Home Care

Our four colleagues were recently named to WTWH Healthcare’s “Frontline Honors Class of 2025.” This annual recognition celebrates healthcare professionals who work on the frontlines and who demonstrate exceptional leadership, compassion and impact. WTWH Healthcare (WTWH stands for “Willing to Work Harder”) is a media company whose publications include Home Health Care News, Hospice News, Behavioral Health Business, and other industry outlets.

VNS Health Hospice Partnership Expands Access to End-of-Life Care on Roosevelt Island

A new VNS Health Hospice partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals/Coler, a long-term care facility on Roosevelt Island, was finalized in early January. The collaboration marks an important milestone in strengthening services on the island, and will significantly expand access to high-quality, compassionate end-of-life care for its residents. The agreement follows months of coordination among our Hospice, Business Development and Legal teams, as they worked closely with Coler’s leadership and staff to ensure alignment and seamless integration of hospice services into existing care plans.

Through this agreement, VNS Health will deliver community-based hospice care directly at the bedside, allowing residents to remain in a familiar setting while receiving specialized interdisciplinary care. In just its first several weeks, the partnership has already generated multiple referrals and admissions.

Welcome Dr. Sonali Wilborn, Our New Hospice Chief Medical Officer!

Dr. Sonali Wilborn joined our organization on January 5th as Vice President for Hospice Services and Chief Medical Officer of VNS Health Hospice Care. With more than two decades of experience spanning hospice, palliative care, and post-acute care, Dr. Wilborn brings a deep commitment to mission-driven, patient-centered care. She comes to New York City from Ann Arbor, Michigan, where she served as National Medical Director at Bristol Hospice, providing strategic clinical leadership across 25 states and 80 locations. Welcome to VNS Health, Dr. Wilborn!

Government Affairs Team Attends Governor Hochul’s State of the State Address

On January 13th, members of our Government Affairs team joined leaders from across New York to attend Governor Kathy Hochul’s State of the State address. The Governor’s address outlined key priorities for the year ahead, including policies focused on helping New Yorkers age with dignity, independence, and access to essential services—which is just what we at VNS Health strive to do for New Yorkers each day.

Mother Cabrini Foundation Renews $400,000 Grant to Our Nurse Residency Program

Our Nurse Residency Program has received a $400,000 grant renewal from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. The Foundation, which is New York State’s largest grantmaking organization dedicated exclusively to health and well-being, recently announced nearly $142 million in awards statewide. Their continued grant support will fund our Nurse Residency’s development of new home care nurses at VNS Health, including classroom training and hands-on mentoring by nurse preceptors.

Strength from Within Campaign Raises More Than $144,000!

A total of 343 team members from across VNS Health contributed to our 2025 Strength from Within Campaign, raising over $144,000 for our Charitable Care and Community Impact Programs! This collective effort will have a meaningful impact on the most vulnerable New Yorkers we provide care to, and serves as a powerful reflection of what’s possible when we come together around a shared purpose.

To read more about this year’s campaign and see a list of those who gave, click here.

Asha Lyons Elected Vice Chair of Bronx LGBTQ+ Task Force

Asha Lyons, a social worker in VNS Health Home Care’s Gender Affirmation Program (GAP), has been elected Vice Chair of the Bronx LGBTQ+ Task Force, a local community advocacy group. This recognition reflects Asha’s deep commitment to advocacy and advancing equitable care for LGBTQ+ communities across the borough. In addition to supporting members of the LGBTQ+ community and working with other LGBTQ+ leaders in the Bronx to advance the Borough president’s LGBTQ+ initiatives, serving as Vice Chair will give Asha an opportunity to raise awareness of GAP, which provides culturally competent, affirming home care and support services for transgender and gender-diverse individuals.

VNS Nurse Conducts COPD Lab Simulation at Touro University

As part of the ongoing VNS Health/Touro University academic partnership, VNS Health nurse and UFT Chapter Chairperson Raquel Webb-Geddes recently led a hands-on COPD lab simulation at Touro’s nursing school. The session provided nursing students with real-world clinical insight into practice-based care. VNS Health is currently offering full-tuition nursing scholarships to Touro University in exchange for commitments to work as a nurse at VNS Health for two years following graduation, and our nurses are also providing instruction on home care nursing to Touro students. See the photos here below:

Second Cohort Completes “Leadership Unlocked” Program

On January 21st, 13 leaders from across the organization successfully completed the second cohort of Leadership Unlocked. This 15-week leadership development program is designed to deepen leadership capabilities through interactive learning experiences, coaching, assessments, VNS Health site visits, and internal networking opportunities. The cohort’s final projects aimed at improving our Employee Engagement Survey results by applying leadership insights directly to real organizational challenges. Congratulations to Josie Aquino, Justin Bain, Janice Leacock-Bennett, Carlin Brickner, Alissa Churchill, Ann Mary Ferrie, Kelly Harned, Roger Herr, Priya Mendon, Amy Mitchell, Tara Noto, Richard Parnell, and Nausheen Rokerya!

New Research Center Study Finds Benefits from Treating Previously Unmet Behavioral Health Needs

A new white paper co-authored by researchers at VNS Health highlights early results from a pilot designed to proactively identify and treat previously unmet behavioral health needs in clinically complex Medicare Advantage members. Led by Miriam Ryvicker, PhD, Director of Research Translation and Evaluation, the study is being conducted in partnership with Vitalic Health, a senior-focused behavioral health platform that VNS Health has enlisted to carry out the actual identification and treatment process.

The early results found that participants experienced significant improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms and showed encouraging trends around reduced emergency department visits and hospitalizations. The pilot also identified a number of previously undiagnosed psychiatric conditions. These findings suggest that proactive, telehealth-enabled behavioral health care is both feasible and impactful for a Medicare Advantage population.

“Vitalic’s model demonstrates that we don’t have to wait for seniors with complex medical and behavioral health needs to fall into crisis,” notes Robert McAlonan, Director of Behavioral Health. “By proactively identifying high-risk members—especially those with multiple chronic conditions and untreated behavioral health needs—we can engage them earlier, stabilize them sooner, and prevent avoidable utilization. Scaling that capability across VNS Health could fundamentally transform how we manage risk and improve outcomes.” To read the white paper, click here.

Chinatown NNORC Volunteers Share Warmth and Comfort This Winter

This winter, the spirit of community has been on full display, as VNS Health volunteers and members of the Chinatown Neighborhood Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (NNORC) once again picked up their knitting needles to create warm, handmade items for donation to clients in our Behavioral Health team’s Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Program. They created 72 pieces in all, including 14 hats, 19 scarves and neck warmers, four pairs of gloves and socks, and 35 cell phone pouches.

“We’re so glad these items will reach those who need them, especially during this extremely cold weather,” said Helen (Hing Lin) Sit, LCSW, Manager of the Chinatown NNORC. “The cell phone pouches are new this year, and we hope they bring a little extra comfort and joy!”

Devin Woodley Highlights CMS Innovation at Home Care 100 and in Home Care News

Devin Woodley, Vice President of Managed Care Contracting, recently attended the Home Care 100 conference, where emerging payment models from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center dominated discussions. Devin participated in a conference panel on “Developing Contracts for a Risk-Based Reality,” and was also featured in a Home Care News recap of the conference, sharing his perspective on a significant shift in the future of home care innovation. Read the full article in Home Care News here.

Q&A with Our New Board Chair, Deborah M. Sale

In the fall of 2025, Deborah M. Sale was named VNS Health’s new Board Chair. A VNS Health Board member for the past six years, Deborah draws on a broad healthcare background spanning executive leadership, public health initiatives, and statewide healthcare oversight. In a recent VNS Health TODAY Q&A, she shared why she sees home-based care as the future of health care, where she believes VNS Health’s greatest growth opportunities lie, and what makes our Health Plans stand out.

To read the full interview, click here.

Gender Affirmation Program Awarded $92,000 Grant

Our Gender Affirmation Program (GAP) has been selected to receive $92,000 in funding through New York City’s TGNCNB Empowerment Fund, an initiative led by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in partnership with CitizensNYC and the NYC Unity Project. Reviewers praised the GAP program’s deep community trust and the thoughtfulness of its approach to serving transgender, gender nonconforming, and nonbinary (TGNCNB) New Yorkers.

The grant will help the GAP team provide gender-affirming post-surgical home care, including financial assistance for essential needs that impact healing such as food, transportation to follow up appointments, uninsured medical supplies, support surfaces, and basic living expenses like rent, utilities, phone bills, and housekeeping.