RVNA Welcomes Board Members to New Term

RVNAhealth Board of Directors, Eileen Walker, Theresa Santoro

Above: Eileen Walker, RVNA Board of Directors Chair (left) with RVNA President and CEO Theresa Santoro.

Dedication. Vision. Compassion. These are among the many traits that members of RVNA’s Board of Directors embody.

In July, RVNA said “Welcome!” to three new Board directors for the 2019-2020 term: Jill Bornstein, Joyce Ligi and Dean Miller.

Stepping down is Vicki Mueller, a longtime director and Finance Committee member. Though Mueller’s term expired in July, she will continue to stay engaged with RVNA as a member of the Finance Committee.

“We are grateful for the service, leadership and commitment that our current and past board members bring to RVNA,” says RVNA President and CEO Theresa Santoro. “We are proud of the impact that we have had on so many lives in the communities that we serve, and we look forward to continuing to bring health, care and wellness to individuals at all life stages.”

Meet the New Board Members

Jill Bornstein is the co-founder and CFO of Inspiring Comfort, a social-good company that aims to empower, teach and equip people of all ages, through skill-based learning, how to create compassionate connections. She previously served in senior finance roles at GE, on the board at buildOn, and as an elected Town Board of finance official for the Town of Ridgefield. Currently president at Tiger Hollow Inc., Bornstein has also been in leadership roles with Ridgefield Aquatic Club, Ridgefield Academy and Junior League.

Joyce Ligi first joined the RVNA Board of Directors in May 1978, and has served nearly continuously since then. She became Board Vice President in 1995, and was then President between 1997-2001. She again served as Vice President from 2013-2015. Ligi retired from Fairfield County Bank in 2010 as a Senior Vice President, Community Relations. She has volunteered with numerous area nonprofit organizations, including United Way, Danbury Hospital and Meals on Wheels.

Dean Miller is a retired financial executive who spent most of his career at GE Capital. He is currently the Board Chair and President at Meals on Wheels of Ridgefield, Connecticut, in addition to serving in Board Member and Treasurer roles with Thrown Stone Theatre Company and New England Auto Museum. Miller earned his CPA with a public accounting firm after graduating from Syracuse University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.

To see the full list of RVNA Board of Directors members, visit the Management and Board of Directors page.

Feeling Dizzy? You’re Not Alone.

RVNAhealth wellness programs for patients feeling dizzy

More than one in three Americans will experience dizziness at some point in their lives.

If you’ve never heard the words “vestibular therapy” before, consider yourself lucky. And about to be informed.  If you’ve ever experienced vertigo, feeling dizzy, falls, or imbalance, however, the words might ring a bell.

Vestibular therapy is a form of rehabilitation, performed by specially-trained physical therapists, that specifically addresses balance and dizziness. Dizziness is the second most common complaint heard in doctors’ offices and the #1 complaint for individuals over 70. Statistics reported by The National Institute of Health indicate that dizziness will occur in 90 million of the nation’s population at some time in their lives.

Feeling Dizzy?

“People get dizzy – aka ‘the vertigo’ — for a variety of medical reasons,” says Gigi Weiss, MSPT, Director of Rehabilitation and one of three certified vestibular therapists at RVNAhealth (in addition to Crystal Madyda and Casey Sarmiere). “And it can occur gradually or come on suddenly and acutely. It can range from absolutely debilitating to simply annoying and inconvenient. In all instances, when you’re dizzy, you need to find out why.”

The role of the vestibular therapist is to do just that — identify the root cause and develop and execute a therapeutic plan to address it. “At RVNAhealth, we see vestibular patients of all ages, including children, both at our Rehab Center and in their homes. Some already understand where the dizziness is coming from, and we treat them. Others don’t know and it’s our job to help them find out and regain their equilibrium.”

If you are experiencing general dizziness; suffer from headaches or frequent falls; experience imbalance or the need to hold onto objects when walking, it’s time to explore the issue. Call the RVNAhealth Rehabiliation team at 203-438-5555.

Elizabeth DeMassa Earns Marguerite Regan Nursing Award

RVNAhealth regan scholarship, theresa santoro, elizabeth demassa, mj heller

From left, Theresa Santoro, RVNAhealth President & CEO; Scholarship recipient, Elizabeth DeMassa;  MJ Heller, RVNAhealth Director of Philanthropy

There’s a saying, “When you’re a nurse, you know that every day you will touch a life or a life will touch yours.” That’s exactly what Elizabeth DeMassa is looking for as she heads to Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA this fall.  DeMassa is entering the school’s nursing program having been awarded the Marguerite Regan Nursing Award by RVNAhealth last spring.

The award is a longtime, four-year partial scholarship, granted each year to a Ridgefield High School senior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in nursing. From RVNAhealth’s Board of Directors, a “scholarship task force” reviews anonymous submissions to select a recipient.

DeMassa, a graduate of Ridgefield High School’s class of 2019, selected nursing because she wants to work in a field where she can help others. Indeed, helping others seems to run in the DeMassa family. Her father, Douglas, is a chiropractor (and creator of Neuron-Do, which helps individuals develop motor and cognitive skills through martial arts), and her mother, Heather, is a nurse at Stamford Health.

On the extracurricular front, DeMassa was captain of the Ridgefield High School girls’ cross-country team last school year and a track and field standout. Meaning Moravian will benefit not only by her generous nature, but also her considerable athleticism.

Mind Those Curves!

RVNAhealth well-child clinics, back-to-school

Above: Students off to conquer the world!

With the 2019-20 school year in session, it’s time to pay attention to one big test that many students today face. You might be thinking about those pesky, annual standardized tests, or perhaps the SATs. But today we’re here to talk about posture.

“Kids’ postures are under constant assault these days,” says Gigi Weiss, MSPT, RVNAhealth’s Director of Rehabilitation. She points to a couple of culprits. First, the stuffed-to-the-gills backpacks that students often lug to, from and around school each day. Second, cell phones, which – when stared down at too much – can cause a painful condition known as “text neck.”

Misuse of these ubiquitous accessories places an enormous amount of stress on growing, developing bodies, and can eventually cause a slumping posture. A normal, healthy spine has an S-shaped curve,” says Weiss. “When you’re slumping, the spine has a C-shaped curve.”

Some signs that your child might need a better (or lighter) backpack or less time staring down at a cell phone include discomfort or pain in the neck, shoulder or lower back, or any combination of the above.

To help your child avoid getting text neck or a C-shaped curve, Weiss shares some recommendations:

Backpacks

  • Should ideally be 10 percent, but never more than 15 percent, of body weight (for your 50-pounder, that’s just 5-7 pounds!).
  • Straps should be on both shoulders and cinched tightly to the body.
  • Heaviest items should be placed closest to the body.

Cell phones (this can be trickier!)

  • Teach your kid to look down at the screen with their eyes, rather than bending the neck – or to hold the phone up closer to eye level.
  • When you see hunching, encourage backward shoulder rolls: Shrug shoulders, extend shoulder blades toward each other…enjoy, repeat.
  • Encourage daily physical activity (a win/win, compared to simply limiting device time)

To learn more about keeping your child’s S-curve in tiptop shape, contact the RVNAhealth team at 203-438-5555 or AskOurPT@rvnahealth.org.