Jean Marie La Padula to Head United Hebrew of New Rochelle’s 5-Star Home Health Division

Shorter hospital stays. An aging population with more medical needs. Desire by many Baby Boomers to remain independent in their own homes. These are a just three of the trends driving a demand for home health care services in Westchester County, says Rita Mabli, President and CEO of United Hebrew of New Rochelle. “Now, specialized training for the home health workforce is a must,” she says.

To help meet that demand, United Hebrew appointed Jean La Padula, RN, as its new Home Health Care Administrator to oversee United Hebrew’s Certified Home Health Agency, recently recognized by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid as the highest-rated home health agency in Westchester and among the top six percent in New York State. She will also manage AZOR Licensed Home Care, which serves elderly clients who need help with care planning, medication management, and support for daily living.

La Padula brings 37 years of healthcare experience, including a wealth of expertise in staff development and training to her new position.

Extending the Continuum of Care

To meet the increased need for specialized healthcare services at home, La Padula says she has big plans for additional specialized staff training. “United Hebrew is well-known for providing expert Alzheimer’s and dementia care at its skilled nursing facility and assisted living facilities in New Rochelle,” La Padula notes. “Now, we want to extend our expertise from our campus into the community. With enhanced staff training, we’ll provide education to our nurses and paraprofessionals on the latest trends, and practical training on innovative ways to manage situations specific to the disease. It’s about giving every staff member an expanded toolbox.”

In addition to memory care at home, La Padula plans to further develop a cardiac specialty in the home health division, with a new, patient-centered program to educate those who have had a cardiac event on how to manage their care with diet, medication management, and exercise.

“Whether we are providing personalized nursing services and rehabilitation after illness or injury, or providing support for caregivers and the elderly, our goal is to find ways to keep our patients healthy and happy at home,” says La Padula. “Along the way, we reduce reliance on emergency care, keep hospital readmissions low, and help the community thrive.”

Home health care is part of United Hebrew of New Rochelle’s broad array of supportive care services, which also include skilled nursing, rehabilitation, assisted living, memory care for those with Alzheimer’s and related dementia, and independent senior housing.

“As United Hebrew’s community-based services continue to grow, we are so pleased to have Jean on our team,” said Ms. Mabli. “She has tremendous clinical expertise, in-depth knowledge of today’s regulatory environment, excellent teaching and training abilities, and she is skilled in management and quality initiatives. Her leadership will be critical as we plan to expand our support to adults and seniors in all of the communities we serve.”

Lifelong passion for home care

A resident of New Rochelle for the past 30 years, La Padula says she fell in love with home care when she was in college, and never looked back. She served in positions of increasing responsibility in a variety of home health care settings. Most recently, she served as vice president of home care for Cabrini of Westchester. Prior to that, she was the executive director of the Amber Court at Home Certified Home Health Agency, and the program director at HHH Home Care in the Bronx. She has also served as a nurse educator, and director of patient services at several agencies throughout the region. She started her career at Jacobi Hospital as a staff nurse in obstetrics. La Padula received her BSN from City College of New York, and a MS in Community Health from Long Island University.

“I’m so fortunate to join United Hebrew of New Rochelle. It has a fantastic reputation, and I will work hard to keep our five-star rating,” says La Padula. “It is a privliege to work with a staff of this caliber, and to bring the quality of care and resources to even more patients in the Westchester community.”