In addition to in-home rehabilitation therapies, RVNAhealth has a Rehabilitation & Wellness Center at our flagship at 27 Governor Street, and at RVNAhealth at GPC, both in Ridgefield, CT.
RVNAhealth is a private, nonprofit organization that has been providing exceptional home and community health care services, supports public health and safety, and has promoted the highest quality of life for over 100 years. Learn more about us ››
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Each and every day, RVNAhealth is in the homes of people in your community, caring for many diverse medical needs, thanks to you. RVNAhealth now provides lifelong care and wellness services to thousands of individuals. Learn more ››
Give to RVNAhealth on Fairfield County’s Giving Day, February 25, and become our partner in fighting COVID-19. Your support will sustain our vaccination clinics and protect our communities. Learn more at fcgives.org ››
RVNAhealth will be hosting its 21st Annual Spring Breakfast on Friday, April 29 at The Amber Room in Danbury. After a two-year hiatus, the RVNAhealth Board of Directors, Spring Breakfast Committee, and staff cannot wait to celebrate with friends and neighbors from towns across Connecticut.
Each year, the Spring Breakfast brings together 400 local business leaders, medical professionals, community groups, and RVNAhealth supporters to welcome spring and raise funds critical to patient care and program support. Funds raised allow RVNAhealth to care for patients and clients regardless of age, diagnosis, or financial circumstances and make a lasting impact on the lives of those served. It’s truly an inspiring morning and a great way to start the day!
This year’s impact speaker is Kate Denoyer Fitzpatrick, CEO & Founder of Kate Fitzpatrick Consulting. A long-time volunteer at RVNAhealth, Fitzpatrick has also experienced the love, comfort, and compassionate care of RVNAhealth, firsthand.
You’re invited to be a sponsor or table host at this year’s event, which will include a delicious breakfast, Fitzpatrick’s compelling testimonial, live auction, and raffle with dozens of prizes.
Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death in the U.S., but close behind with significant ties to cardiovascular health, stroke is the 5th highest cause of death. A stroke occurs once every 40 seconds in the U.S., however, the American Heart Association Stroke Council believes about 80% of strokes are preventable. Healthy lifestyle choices paired with knowing your heart health can greatly reduce your risk. Additionally, becoming aware of the signs and symptoms of stroke can significantly improve outcomes.
F.A.S.T. is a widely recognized acronym designed to help recognize and act if a stroke is suspected. F.A.S.T. stands for Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, and Time to call 911. Treatments that work best are typically administered within three hours of first experienced symptoms. Calling an ambulance rather than driving the person to the hospital allows medical professionals to begin treatment immediately. Thankfully stroke survival and recovery rates have improved significantly over the past decade with medical advances, but time to treatment continues to be a critical factor in success rates.
Although strokes seem sudden and random, they are often caused by underlying health issues that can be addressed with life changes and knowing your health numbers. High blood pressure, for example, is a major risk factor for stroke. RVNAhealth offers numerous ways to help you reduce stroke risk – from our regular free blood pressure clinics, to our on-staff Registered Dietitian assisting with nutrition needs, to our upcoming May 7th RVNAhealth Wellness Fair focused on helping individuals catch up on preventative screenings!
Call us or stop by one of our free upcoming events to stay on top of your own numbers! For more information, visit RVNAhealth at https://rvnahealth.org or call us at 203.438.5555 x4.
StayingWELL Office Staff [from left to right]: Paula Schlemmer, Dilcy Rosario-Torres, Racheal DeNault, Melissa Woodhouse, Jessica Spears, Danielle Taibi, Judy Ochoa. Not pictured, Nichole Brant
RVNAhealth is excited to share that our StayingWELL team has been awarded the 2022 Best of Home Care® – Provider of Choice Award and Employer of Choice Awards from Home Care Pulse. These awards recognize RVNAhealth and our StayingWELL business as one of the top performing non-medical home care agencies in the nation, based upon unfiltered client and caregiver experience feedback. Home Care Pulse is the home care industry’s leading firm in satisfaction research and quality assurance.
As an independent third-party provider, Home Care Pulse collects candid and direct phone-interview feedback monthly from StayingWELL clients and caregivers in areas such as impact on daily life, communication, caregiver ability, and client/caregiver compatibility. Committed to being the best in our field, RVNAhealth partnered with Home Care Pulse at the beginning of 2020 as part of an ongoing improvement initiative, to better understand the client and caregiver experience.
“As one of only 17 home care agencies in Connecticut to receive both awards, this recognition places us in the top 20% of participating non-medical home care agencies in the nation. We are honored to be recognized by our clients for outstanding service, as well as by our caregivers as a valued employer. I am extremely proud of our team of skilled and compassionate caregivers who provide care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – in both normal times, as well as through the challenges of COVID. I am also grateful to our incredible clients for their feedback and trust in having RVNAhealth care for them or their loved ones,” says Melissa Woodhouse, RRT, MOT, OTR/L, CDP, Director of RVNAhealth StayingWELL Services.
I can still hear the raw emotion and gratitude in her voice when I called to schedule her COVID-19 vaccine. “I live alone and don’t know how to use a computer,” she continued. “I don’t even have a computer. My daughter lives and works in Chicago and has been trying to help me but the registration process is terribly confusing. I’ve been so worried. I was afraid I would never get vaccinated.”
She was not alone. When RVNAhealth was approved in January 2021 to be a COVID-19 vaccine administrator for the State of CT, the population was ready — desperate even — to turn the corner on the pandemic. But to many, the process itself — which involved speed and technology — was harrowing. This individual was just one of many who RVNAhealth called, personally, to set up COVID-19 vaccine appointments.
Because of you, we were able to dedicate resources to this effort. Because of you, we were able to replace fears with freedom, and restore confidence and hope.
We worked very closely with local social services departments, senior centers, nonprofit partners, and other area municipalities to identify and vaccinate the most vulnerable in our communities, beginning with the elderly and the disabled.
Yoursupport is what sustained our continued pandemic response and allowed us to focus on our public health mission this year. RVNAhealth conducted mass-vaccination clinics from January to June. We brought the vaccine to the homebound. And, thanks to you, we educated and vaccinated area underserved communities, where obstacles such as language, transportation, misinformation, and fear over immigration status were preventing people from getting vaccinated.
And, while we are certainly trending in the right direction, pandemic-related challenges still persist. One of the most troubling is the inability of area children, whose families lack adequate medical insurance, to return to the classroom. Today, more than 20 months after the pandemic was declared, many children in underserved communities remain remote, having lapsed on the fundamental healthcare requirements — like annual physicals and immunizations — that are necessary to enroll in and attend public school.
Together, we can get these kids back to the classroom.
With your help, RVNAhealth is expanding our Well-Child Clinics to serve our communities. Our diverse team of nurses, many of them bilingual, are here to better assist children and families who need basic healthcare. But, as demand grows, so, too, does the need for additional staff, supplies and pediatric medical equipment.
Please help us sustain our Well-Child program, which is offered at no cost, thanks to the generosity of our friends and donors.
When you invest in RVNAhealth, you are choosing to build stronger and healthier communities for all. You ensure our ability to serve every patient with unmatched, compassionate healthcare, regardless of age, diagnosis, or financial circumstances.
We are here to care for you and your neighbors, but we cannot do it alone. Please make a gift to RVNAhealth today and know that every gift – no matter the size – is critical to upholding our mission and improving the lives of those around us.
With deepest gratitude,
Theresa Santoro, MSN, RN, CHCA
President & CEO
P.S. You can make your tax-deductible gift to support RVNAhealth by clicking here. Your generosity is truly appreciated.
This month RVNAhealth took time to recognize and thank our StayingWELL caregivers for their tireless efforts in helping clients remain safely and confidently at home. We celebrate our caregivers during November, which also happens to be National Family Caregivers Month.
As a caregiver, prioritizing time for yourself can be just as important as the care you provide for a loved one at home. Feeling your best and feeling adequately prepared can only happen when you invest time in yourself. Here are some helpful tips to help family caregivers remain at their best both physically and mentally.
Learn and use stress-reduction techniques, e.g., meditation, prayer, yoga, Tai Chi
Attend to your own healthcare needs
Get proper rest and nutrition
Exercise regularly, even if only for 10 minutes at a time
Take time off without feeling guilty
Participate in pleasant, nurturing activities, such as reading a good book, taking a warm bath
Seek and accept the support of others
Seek supportive counseling when you need it, or talk to a trusted counselor, friend, or pastor
Identify and acknowledge your feelings, you have a right to ALL of them
Change the negative ways you view situations
Set goals
If you or someone you know is a family caregiver in need of additional care support, RVNAhealth offers care planning and management services, as well as its own StayingWELL services offering both hourly and live-in caregiving for personal and household support. Visit RVNAhealth at https://rvnahealth.org/services/staying-well/ or call us at 203.438.5555 x 4 for more information.
This past week RVNAhealth took time to celebrate Caregiver Appreciation Week and thank our StayingWELL caregivers for their tireless efforts in helping our clients to remain safely and confidently in their homes. Caregivers were treated to a drop-in reception and a pampering-themed gift bag in both our Ridgefield and New Milford offices. The StayingWELL caregiving team — over 200 strong — is a group of award-winning individuals who bring pride and compassion to their work and clients. We appreciate and thank these individuals for their tremendous contributions each and every day!
On Friday, October 22, RVNAhealth was awarded the 2021 Excellence in Emergency Management Response Award by the Connecticut Association of Healthcare at Home (CAHCH). The official presentation took place at the annual CAHCH Conference (held virtually again this year) and recognizes an individual, team, or agency that has demonstrated great emergency preparedness and management response skills through an emergency.
RVNAhealth received this award for extraordinary efforts and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The onset and early months of the pandemic were a time of great unknowns and uncertainty, and the RVNAhealth Emergency Management team, led by President & CEO, Theresa Santoro and Chief Clinical Officer, Keri Linardi, employed vision, collaboration, and ingenuity to enable RVNAhealth to step forward from the moment the pandemic arrived in Connecticut. The RVNAhealth Emergency Management team, composed of directors across RVNAhealth departments — including clinical, rehabilitation, and personal caregiving, philanthropy, IT, human resources, intake, finance, and marketing — set the stage for an agency-wide commitment to serving our patients, while ensuring the health and safety of our team and their families.
Since mid-March 2020, RVNAhealth has not turned away a single COVID-19 patient. We have served over 300 COVID-19 patients, partnered with over 20 skilled nursing and assisted living facilities, and maintained an exceptionally low infection rate throughout. During this time, we have also served thousands of non-COVID patients, enabling them to get the care they needed, at home or at the RVNAhealth headquarters, without risk of infection. Beginning in January 2021, RVNAhealth — committed to the containment of the global pandemic — began administering COVID-19 vaccines as an official State of CT provider.
RVNAhealth is deeply grateful to CAHCH for their recognition of RVNAhealth’s work and response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
On September 25th RVNAhealth hosted its annual Autumn Dinner at the Amber Room Colonnade in Danbury. Friends and supporters of our organization came together to celebrate our recent merger with Bethel Visiting Nurse Association and New Milford Visiting Nurse & Hospice. Together, the three agencies have become one dynamic healthcare organization, better positioned to address the growing needs of our patients and communities and respond to future healthcare challenges.
The event also honored our exceptional staff for their steadfast commitment to their neighbors throughout the past year and a half. Those in attendance were moved by RVNAhealth’s mission to deliver unmatched, compassionate healthcare when and where it is needed. The event sponsors, advertisers, and all in attendance helped us raise nearly $250,000 to support our continued work within the community.
The evening featured a bourbon tasting sponsored by Ancona’s Wines & Liquors, live music by Nick DePuy sponsored by Casey Energy, and beautiful, autumnal centerpieces graciously designed and donated by Mary Jones at Rodier Flowers. The flowers were so stunning they were gifted to hospice and homebound patients, so they could be enjoyed well past the event itself.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and RVNAhealth staff, we extend our heartfelt appreciation to Adam Broderick for serving as the evening’s impact speaker and sharing his decades-long relationship with our organization. Thank you to our event chairs, Suzanne and Shane Casey, and every member of the Autumn Dinner committee for their time, enthusiasm, hard work and dedication in planning and organizing this memorable event.
For the 9th time since 2011, RVNAhealth has earned a Top Workplaces award from Hearst Connecticut Media. The award is given to local companies that lead the way in workplace culture based on employee surveys. At RVNAhealth, the employees surveyed include clinical staff — nurses, rehabilitation therapists, and certified nursing assistants — as well as non-medical caregivers and administrative staff. RVNAhealth places in the mid-sized company category which includes companies with between 100 and 500 employees.
“2021 marks RVNAhealth’s first year as a ‘tri-agency’ — following our November 2020 merger with Bethel Visiting Nurse Association and New Milford Visiting Nurse & Hospice,” says Theresa Santoro, MSN, RN, CHCA, President and CEO of RVNAhealth. “Earning this award together validates the strength of the union and the depth of our commitment to the work we do and the patients and communities we serve. Each year, RVNAhealth faces new healthcare challenges and experiences new triumphs, and earning the Top Workplaces Award is always immensely gratifying. It is a pleasure to work alongside such a talented and compassionate team.”
The Top Workplaces designation was awarded to 51 Connecticut companies this year. To be considered, a company must be located in Fairfield, Litchfield, or New Haven County, have at least 35 employees, and be nominated for the award by a current employee. Company employees then complete a survey on their organization after which results are tabulated and prizes awarded.
RVNAhealth was also named a Hearst Connecticut Media Top Workplace in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2020. In addition to enjoying a mission-driven, rewarding workplace, RVNAhealth employees receive a full range of benefits including medical and dental insurance, company-paid life insurance, a retirement plan with generous matching contributions, flexible work arrangements, training and professional development, agency laptops and cell phones. To learn more about joining the RVNAhealth family, visit rvnahealth.org/careers/.
About RVNAhealth
RVNAhealth is a private, nonprofit, Medicare-certified organization that provides exceptional home and community health care services, supports public health and safety, and has promoted the highest quality of life for over 100 years.
RVNAhealth’s services are categorized into four WELLs —including BeWELL: Services to Keep You Healthy; GetWELL: Services to Recover Your Best Health; StayWELL: Services to Remain Safely in Your Home; and ComfortWELL; Hospice Care to Provide Comfort and Peace. The WELLs represent our continuum of care that serves individuals across a lifetime. Services include wellness and prevention, home health, hospice, rehabilitation, community health, and skilled nursing, among others.
During RVNAhealth’s century of care, our name, services, and reach have evolved to meet the care and wellness needs of all those we serve, yet our focus on excellent care, quality and safety, and our guiding philosophy have remained steadfast – the individuals and patients we care for come first.
