As we prepare to greet the New Year we, like most people, pause to take a brief look back at the year that is drawing to a close.  There is much that we can say about our activities at VNS Westchester in 2013 – many milestones of which we are proud.

We expanded our services – and our staff – to meet the needs of residents of the Bronx, Dutchess and Rockland counties in addition to Westchester and Putnam.  We were deemed the #1 agency in Westchester by CMS (the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services). We continued to maintain one of the lowest rates of preventable hospital re-admissions in the region – falling below state and national averages. We changed our name to VNS Westchester in a nod to our century-plus service to the County, redesigned our web site with new features and easier navigation, and launched our social media pages where more and more community members are finding and connecting with us.

There are many more initiatives and milestones of which we can speak.  But, at the end of the day, it’s not so much about what we say, but what our patients and their families have to say about the care they received from our agency.  This, by far, is the most accurate yardstick for measuring our value to the community during the year that has passed.

Therefore, with the permission of the authors, we are pleased to share a few highlights from letters we received in 2013:

“I am writing this letter to tell you about one of your visiting nurses, Velma….an excellent nurse. She is very professional, skilled, organized, punctual and pleasant at all times. I never had a visiting nurse in my home before and I had doubts…however, Velma erased all of my doubts and I would love to have her again if the need arose.”  ...Walter Hubbard, Yonkers

“I want to write to you to say that the care my mother received from Myrna, the visiting nurse; Irwin, the physical therapist; and Alba, the home health aide was phenomenal. All three were professional, so kind, so considerate, so loving. They were simply the best! My mother cared for each of them and she looked forward to their coming.” ...Josie Sapese Accarino, Scarsdale

“I just wanted to take the time to inform you how delighted I was with the services of my nurse’s aide, Beenar. She is the epitome of the perfect help you wish for in every way – knowledgeable, thorough and kind. She is a great asset to your fine organization."
…Robert Whiteman, Rye

Our heartfelt thanks to all who have supported us in myriad ways throughout the year, enabling us to provide the highest quality, compassionate home health and community healthcare for you, your family, friends and neighbors.

Wishing you all a very Happy and Healthy New Year in 2014!

With warm regards,

Lou Nemnom, President & CEO