VNSW Foundation to Honor Three at May 16 Gala

White Plains, NY (April 10, 2018) … At its May 16th Spring Benefit Gala, the VNSW Foundation will honor two outstanding individuals and a cutting-edge digital health technology and service provider that have helped Visiting Nurse Services in Westchester (VNSW) maintain its high standard of home healthcare and community services while propelling it forward during a time of transformational change in the industry, the not-for-profit agency announced today.

In honoring Nancy J. Rudolph of White Plains, Carolyn Rogers of Peekskill and Vital Care Services of White Plains, organizers noted that each honoree has played a significant role in helping VNSW provide enhanced, high-quality services at a time when changes in the regulatory climate and new technologies are providing both challenges and opportunities in delivering care for homebound patients.

Rudolph, a member of the agency’s Board and past Treasurer, is widely regarded as a top attorney in the area of trusts and estates, and was recognized as one of the 2018 Best Lawyers in America. Rogers, who was a registered nurse at VNSW for close to 30 years, continues to use her experience and skills to improve the health of seniors and other vulnerable individuals as a community volunteer. Vital Care Services provides innovative digital health technology and services that monitor patients’ vital signs and other health indicators to improve patient outcomes and reduce costly hospital readmissions.

“We could not fulfill our vital mission of preserving the health and well-being of patients at home and in our communities without the hard work, know-how and generosity of our partners and volunteers, especially at a time when people are living longer, the cost of health care is increasing and critical resources are drying up,” said Timothy P. Leddy, president and CEO, Westchester Visiting Nurse Services Group, Inc. (WVNS Group), the parent organization of VNS Westchester, the VNSW Foundation and Westchester Care at Home. “This year’s honorees exemplify the leadership, innovation, and dedication that is needed to improve the health and quality of life of our patients, their families, and the communities we serve. We’re so pleased to be able to thank them in this way.”

VNS Westchester provides high-quality home healthcare services to a growing number of people, especially the burgeoning population of people 65 or older with increasingly complex healthcare needs in Westchester, the Bronx, Dutchess, Putnam and Rockland counties. To help meet this challenge head-on, the organization in 2017 launched the VNSW Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization created to help ensure the future of the home care agency’s programs and services through charitable outreach to the community. Proceeds from its Spring Benefit Gala will help fund new programs, provide home care services for uninsured and underinsured individuals and support free health screenings and health education programs for the broader community.

Tickets are now available for the Gala, which will take place at 5:30 p.m. on May 16, 2018 at Willow Ridge Country Club in Harrison, N.Y.

The awards and honorees are as follows:

Distinguished Service Award

Nancy J. Rudolph, Esq., of White Plains is retiring from the Westchester Visiting Nurse Services Group, Inc. Board after six years of exemplary service, including several years as Board Treasurer. Recently named as one of the 2018 Best Lawyers in America, Rudolph is a partner with Bleakley, Platt & Schmidt in White Plains, where she specializes in trusts and estate law. Throughout her tenure at VNSW, Rudolph has provided expert counsel that has helped the agency maintain its reputation for fiscal responsibility and stability within a volatile industry. She is being honored for her expertise, stewardship and outstanding service to the Board during a time of dramatic changes in regulatory and reimbursement policies in the healthcare field.

Community Leadership Award

Vital Care Services (VCS) is an innovative digital health technology and service provider, based in White Plains, serving healthcare providers and the community. VCS has partnered with VNSW’s affiliate, Westchester Care at Home (WCAH), on a NYS Department of Health grant-funded program that provides advanced training to WCAH’s paraprofessional and professional staff. More than 70 staff members have learned how to utilize digital health technologies to track the vital signs of WCAH’s predominantly elderly client population to help them manage chronic illness at home, with additional training under way. VCS is also the digital health technology provider for Westchester County’s “TIPS” program (Telehealth Intervention Program for Seniors). The company is being honored for elevating the skills of WCAH’s vital home care workforce, fostering better outcomes for its home-based clients, and for providing innovative connected care services for senior citizens in the community. Christopher Gaur, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, will accept the award on behalf of VCS.

Outstanding Achievement in Nursing Award

Carolyn Rogers, RN, of Peekskill was a registered nurse at VNSW for nearly 30 years, known for going the extra mile and for serving as a tireless advocate for the patients in her care. Upon retiring in 2000, Rogers remained active with the agency’s free community service program, “Ask the Visiting Nurse,” where she continues to administer blood pressure screenings and offer guidance on disease prevention and healthy living for senior citizens and other at-risk individuals. After decades of service at VNSW, Rogers commutes to White Plains weekly to volunteer at houses of worship, senior buildings, and community service agencies. She is being honored for her dedicated and compassionate service to thousands of VNSW patients and community members.

Anne Sweazey of Mount Vernon and Katharine W. Conroy of New Rochelle, both VNSW Foundation, Inc. Board Members, are the event committee co-chairs. Ken Buffa, NBC 4 New York’s Westchester and Lower Hudson Valley Reporter, will serve as the Gala’s emcee. Wells Fargo Private Bank and Commercial Bank is the Presenting Sponsor for the event. In addition to the awards ceremony, the Gala will feature a silent auction, including gift certificates for dining out, luxury items, international wines and more. The evening also features a cocktail networking reception, gourmet dinner specialties and delectable desserts.

Tickets for the Gala may be purchased for $350 each at www.vns.org. For information on Sponsorship Opportunities, Journal Ads or contributions to the Silent Auction, contact Joyce Infante, Director of Development and Communications, at JInfante@vns.org or (914) 682-1480, ext. 649.

About VNSW Foundation and VNS Westchester

The VNSW Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit organization, was recently established to support the programs and services of VNS Westchester through charitable outreach activities in the communities served by the agency. Founded in 1901, VNSW is the largest and only independent not-for-profit, Medicare-certified home healthcare agency in Westchester, also serving residents of the Bronx, Dutchess, Putnam and Rockland counties. The agency provides skilled nursing with case management, rehabilitative therapies, medical social work and home health aide services to people of all ages, and offers a wide range of specialty care programs, and free community health education for the public and healthcare professionals. VNS Westchester’s services consistently meet the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP) National Standards of Excellence for Homecare, and it is recognized for having one of the lowest preventable hospital readmission rates in the region. The agency works closely with other healthcare providers, with its RN Home Health Care Liaisons on-site at over 100 healthcare facilities to aid with discharge planning and safe patient transitions to the home care setting. The agency is based in White Plains, with a branch office in Brewster in Putnam County. For more information, call 914-682-1480 or visit www.vns.org. Find VNSW on Facebook at www.facebook.com/VNSWestchester.