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.
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Effective Saturday, October 5, 2019, the Ridgefield Visiting Nurse Association (RVNA) has changed our name to RVNAhealth. The name change reflects our breadth of services and regional reach, both of which have expanded significantly in the last decades.
RVNAhealth currently serves 35+towns in Connecticut, and offers care and wellness services for all ages, stages and levels of health. The name change is the culmination of a strategic Rebranding initiative that was launched in 2014.
Explains Theresa Santoro, MSN, RN, RVNAhealth President & CEO, “’Rebranding’ was identified at our 2014 strategic retreat when we recognized that there was an increasing disconnect between our direction – who we are, what we do, where we do it, and where we’re headed – and the name by which we call ourselves. It warranted examination and action.”
RVNAhealth was founded in 1914 as the ‘District Nursing Association’ with a single nurse traveling by foot to serve Ridgefield families in their homes. Over the decades, the organization added community wellness services, as well as public health services for the town of Ridgefield. Staff increased, offices moved, new towns were added to the service area, and the organization’s name was tweaked -– more than once.
The ‘District Nursing Association’ became the ‘Visiting Nurse Association of Ridgefield’ in 1994 and then the ‘Ridgefield Visiting Nursing Association’ in 2006.
The organization’s growth since 2006 has been particularly remarkable.
Non-medical caregivers, an outpatient rehabilitation and wellness center, hospice services and an increasing wealth of prevention and wellness services have been added to the organization’s ‘continuum of care.’
Additionally, the RVNAhealth Center for Exceptional Care in Ridgefield CT opened in 2016, offering rehabilitation, nursing services, nutritional counseling and educational programs all on-premises – not to mention housing the administrative staff.
“Our growth has been very organic, in that we have added services in direct response to patient needs and natural evolutions in the landscape of healthcare,” says Santoro. “We have bolstered and refined our services that aid recovery and recuperation, plus added services that focus on prevention, independence, comfort and end-of-life care.”
It was during this growth spurt that the Ridgefield Visiting Nurse Association ‘outgrew’ our name. “As we examined the name, through internal analysis, focus groups, ideation sessions and competitive analysis,” explains Santoro, “it was clear that the geographic and service limitations of the name made it very confusing to the very people we were aiming to serve. It was time for another change.”
The new RVNAhealth name and brand are less a shift in direction, and more a formalization of the direction and course the agency has already taken. The new name retains the RVNA legacy and reputation, while expressing the umbrella under which all services reside: Health.
In addition to the name change, the organization has redefined our overall brand to convey the comprehensive and integrated approach that RVNAhealth brings to care and wellness services. A new tagline, For Lifelong Care and Wellness, has been added; the look and feel have been updated; and services have been re-categorized to represent the continuum of care that is unique to RVNAhealth.
The new categories, the WELLs, include:
BEWELL: Services to Keep You Healthy
GETWELL: Services to Recover your Best Health
STAYWELL: Services to Remain Safely in Your Home
COMFORTWELL: Hospice Care to Provide Comfort and Peace
All current RVNAhealth services reside under these categories.
The name change announcement was made at the annual RVNAhealth Autumn Dinner on Saturday, October 5, 2019 to an audience of over 200 close friends and supporters. Following the announcement, the rollout of the brand new name and identify begins with a new website, social media sites, clinical apparel; building signage; printed materials, email addresses, stationery …. You name it, it needs to be updated!
Enjoy the video and let us know what you think!
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Let’s talk about that dreaded moment … when knee pain prevents you from getting into the car. Or your hips are so sore that putting on socks seems impossible.
If this sounds familiar, you’re in good company. By 2030, about 11 million Americans will have either a hip or knee replacement — making joint replacements one of our most common elective surgical procedures.
Being prepared in advance, and receiving the right care immediately following, is key to an excellent recovery, according to Crystal Madyda, PT, RVNAhealth Rehabilitation Services Team Lead.
“Patients used to spend days in the hospital, and then weeks in a short-term rehab facility,” Madyda says. “Now, most spend a maximum of two days in the hospital, followed by in-home therapy and then outpatient care. People tend to do better at home; hospitalization increases their risk of infection.”
RVNAhealth’s Motion Matters programs — designed for those getting joint replacements or other significant surgeries — include a home safety evaluation to ensure that your home is properly equipped for potential physical limitations and begin aftercare promptly after surgery (often within 24 hours of returning home).
Physicians rely on the home safety recommendations to determine if it’s safe for a patient to return home post-surgery, says Gigi Weiss, MSPT, director of RVNAhealth Rehabilitation Services.
Recommendations might include installing a shower chair, grab bar or elevated toilet seat in the bathroom. The therapist making the assessment will also note if a home has lots of stairs and the quality of handrails.
“We also look at factors including the height of your bed. Is it on the ground level. Do you have someone to help you?” she says.
“We want to keep you safe so that upon arrival home, recovery and recuperation can begin in earnest,” Weiss explains. “Within two weeks, eighty percent of our in-home therapy patients have recovered enough to begin outpatient therapy.”
To learn more, visit rvnahealth.org/services/get-well/rehabilitation-therapies.
Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day – the winter holiday season – can be especially challenging for people who are grieving the death of a loved one. From Nov. 19 through Dec. 10, RVNAhealth will hold a Holiday Support Group, meeting on Tuesdays, 1:00pm – 2:30pm.
The program is open to all members of the community and is intended to offer support through the holiday season for those who have experienced a loss. Cindy Merritt, LCSW, RVNAhealth Hospice Services social worker, will lead the sessions.
“Topics will include how to cope with the emotions and feelings of the season, how to handle holiday traditions, and what to do differently – and the same,” says Merritt.
Sessions will be held at the RVNAhealth Caregiver Support Room, 27 Governor Street, Ridgefield, CT. It is not necessary for participants to attend all four sessions; participants may attend any or all of the sessions. However, guests must register in advance by contacting Merritt at cmerritt@rvnahealth.org or (475) 529-5160.
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.”
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.
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.
“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.
Packing lunch for your child — every single day — can be a challenge. And a chore! You want to provide nutritious food to fuel your child’s brain, but at the same time, you want your child to actually eat what you pack, right?
Here are my tips for healthy school lunches:
