Happy Caregiver Appreciation Week 2021

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!

2021 Excellence in Emergency Management Response

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.

See RVNAhealth in action in the early days of the pandemic.

RVNAhealth Earns Top Workplaces Award for the 9th Time!

We did it again!

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.


RVNAhealth to Host Caregiver Job Fair

In response to the growing demand for non-medical companion care and assistance, RVNAhealth StayWELL Services will be hosting a Caregiver Job Fair on Saturday, September 25th from 10:00am-2:00pm, outside the Danbury Public Library, 170 Main St, Danbury, CT.Continue reading

RVNAhealth Employee Appreciation Day 2021

It was Employee Appreciation Day at RVNAhealth on Friday March 5, 2021 and all team members were invited to the Ridgefield and New Milford offices for lunch at a midday food truck featuring all-time favorites, pizza and grilled cheese. Continue reading

Eighth Time a Charm …

For the 8th time since 2011, RVNAhealth has earned a Top Workplaces award from Hearst Connecticut Media. This recognition is awarded based on the results of employee surveys which measure such areas as leadership, compensation and training, and diversity. Continue reading

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.

RVNAhealth Seeks Hospice Music Therapist

Throughout history, music has been used to bring people together and create a feeling of tranquility. Known to often have a calming effect on those who are agitated, reduce pain, assist in communication and recollection of memories, music is an important part of hospice care. RVNA seeks a per diem Music Therapist to plan, organize, and direct medically prescribed music therapy activities as part of the psychosocial and physical treatment of patients and their families.

Music: So much more than just pleasant background noise!

As a member of the RVNA Hospice interdisciplinary team, the Music Therapist instructs patients and families in prescribed instrumental or vocal music and music projective techniques such as guided imagery, progressive relaxation and awareness of conscious feelings. The role also involves studying and analyzing patients’ reactions to various experiences, providing pleasant interactive experiences for patients and family members, documenting visits and other activities, and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team on patients’ care plans as needed. Patient participation in music therapy is optional.

Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree in Music Therapy or Music with a concentration in Music Therapy, and be board certified by the Certification Board for Music Therapy. Experience in Hospice and Palliative Care Music Therapy is preferred and experience with terminally ill patients/families is highly desirable.

Interested in this opportunity to do meaningful work with a growing agency? To apply, visit the job posting.

Welcome to RVNA Class of 7/29/19

RVNAhealth home healthcare and wellness, fairfield county, ct

Welcome aboard to the RVNA Class of 7/29/19. Yesterday, seven new team members were treated to a full-day orientation, getting the full rundown on all RVNA services and departments. The group included employees from Hospice, Rehabilitation, HomeCare, Administration, and yours truly, Marketing.

Here they are!

From left to right:  Adriana Clesidor, Hospice RN Case Manager; Breanna Cloonan, Physical Therapy Assistant;  Kristen Koukos, RVNA’s HR Coordinator who keeps the day on track; Sandy Booth, Hospice HHA/CNA; Debi Morgan, Physical Therapy Assistant; Kaye Hale, MD, Hospice Associate Medical Director; Alissa Ruggiero, Executive Assistant; and Jo Bennett, Marketing Associate.