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 ››
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.
RVNAhealth is hosting our annual Autumn Dinner on Saturday, September 25 at The Amber Room in Danbury. Suzanne and Shane Casey of Casey Energy are the Event Chairs for the evening and invite their neighbors to join them in honoring RVNAhealth’s exceptional staff for their dedication to the community.Continue reading
RVNAhealth's vision, A Healthy Community for All, and mission, To deliver unmatched, compassionate healthcare when and where it is needed, are not just words. Our team members live our mission and vision every day of the year. Continue reading
It's back to school and for many a parent that means back-to-school lunches with all the trials and tribulations that go along with them. Here is RVNAhealth's registered dietitian and nutrition educator, Monica Marcello, MS, RD, with some ideas for keeping those lunches fresh and fun. Continue reading
It was April 2021 and things were looking up. Spring was on the horizon, and COVID-19 vaccines were beginning to take hold, bringing hope for a return to life as we formerly knew it. But for Genevieve Fagan, known fondly as Gen, life took an unfair turn. Continue reading
It’s almost the time of year when green leaves turn fiery, and days get shorter. Soon the roads will be peppered with the surest sign of summer’s end: school buses. As students prepare to re-enter the classroom — some for the first time in a long time — and families shop for back-to-school supplies, the RVNAhealth Rehabilitation and Wellness Center has tips on how to help kids avoid discomfort and potential injury by considering an oft-overlooked culprit: the backpack.
The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that kids’ full backpack weight should fall between 10-20% of total body weight and one study revealed that the average high schooler’s backpack weighed in at nearly 19lbs. That’s a lot of weight for young people to carry around. Sarah Triano, OTR/L, RVNAhealth Occupational Therapist, shared the following tips to prevent backpack injuries:
Buy the Right Size The backpack should not exceed the length of a child’s back. If it falls more than 3” below the child’s waist with the straps secured comfortably, it is too large
Consider the Straps Straps should fit snugly around the shoulders without a large gap; Both straps should be used to balance the weight evenly across the back and chest; and thicker straps are preferable to thin which can cause circulation problems and extremity tingling/numbness
Lift With the Legs When picking up the backpack up from the floor, bend at the knees and avoid bending at the waist which stresses back, shoulder, and neck muscles
“Wearing a backpack inappropriately won’t necessarily have an impact straight away,” says Triano, “but it will lead to a build-up of postural strain that may result in injury weeks, months, or even years down the road. That’s why proper usage, plus keeping the weight to a minimum, is important.”
Should injury develop, Triano recommends early intervention as the best course of action. “Without proper treatment, a small strain can quickly become a more complicated situation.” she notes.
And now for all you history buffs — the origin of the current-day backpack:
A marriage proposal is largely responsible for the modern-day nylon, double-strap, zipped accessory seen at bus stops around the country. Murray Pletz and Skip Yowell, cofounders of a 1960’s, Seattle-based, outdoor gear company, re-developed a pack concept created by Gerry Cunningham of Gerry Outdoors, for a nylon daypack designed for skiers and hikers but neither knew how to sew. Pletz’s girlfriend, Jan Lewis, an unemployed teacher, owned a sewing machine and Pletz offered her more than a partnership in the company if she came onboard. If she accepted Pletz’s marriage proposal, the company would bear her name. In 1969, JanSport was born. Over the next two decades companies like LL Bean joined the competition and by the late 1980s nearly every kid in America sported a backpack for schoolbooks and supplies.
While we’re on the topic of school, read up on Back to School Fuel and how to keep those daily lunches healthy — and interesting.
August 4 2021: In just over three months time, Andrea McGowan will be standing on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in Staten Island, about to embark on one of life’s fascinating journeys: the 26.2-mile New York City Marathon. Between now and then, Andrea will increase her weekly running mileage; conquer distances she has never approached before; and will log hundred of miles on the roads. Andrea is doing the race not only for personal challenge and fun, but to raise funds for Girls on the Run NYC, a not-for-profit organization with a mission near and dear to her heart.
To get to the NYC Marathon starting line feeling her best, it’s Andrea’s job to stay healthy and strong, which is exactly what brought her to RVNAhealth on a recent weekday evening. Andrea came for a Running Evaluation with RVNAhealth physical therapist, Kate Campbell, DPT.
“I’m so excited to be training for and running the NYC Marathon,” says McGowan. “I feel great right now, and I want to keep it that way. I’ve had shin splints, occasional Achilles tendinitis, and some toe pain in the past, and I want to keep those at bay, so I can enjoy my increased fitness, and relish the race experience.”
“Training for a marathon — or any race for that matter, “says Campbell, “is a true investment of time, energy, and emotion. You want to stand on that starting line confident, strong, and ready to achieve your goal. It’s no fun to race injured or tentative. Our Running Evaluation is an intensive assessment that helps you understand your strengths and vulnerabilities. Andrea is smart to be doing this proactively, so nothing will sideline her training or compromise her race.”
The 90-minute evaluation includes video analysis of running mechanics; strength assessment of muscles related to proper mechanics and injury prevention; flexibility assessment; a foot and shoe analysis; and an individualized home exercise program based on the evaluation results and aligned with personal goals.
Meet Andrea McGowan
Andrea McGowan, at left, with Kate Campbell, DPT
Q: How many years have you been running? A: I have been running for about 10 years, but have competed in other sports my whole life.
Q: What did you learn in your Running Evaluation with Kate? A: I learned so much about my stride; where I should be striking the ground; where my feet should land with regard to my body, and much more! I also learned some great exercises that can help me prevent injuries.
Q: When did it first occur to you that you wanted to run a marathon? A: After I did my first half-marathon in 2017 (Fairfield Faxon), I think it ignited the idea! I like to push myself and having a goal to work toward really helps my mental health while improving my workouts! I decided to take a gap year before I start medical school in 2022, so now feels like the perfect time!
Q: Do you know what you’ll be focusing on in medical school? A: I’m interested in working in gastroenterology or women’s health! I truly haven’t decided, but I hope to do research and practice clinically. (By the way, Andrea is going to medical school at the University of Michigan. Go Andrea!)
Q: How is training going? A: Training is going well! I look forward to my workouts after I finish my work day. I have been following a training plan that was recommended to me by a few other runners. I am trying to be super intentional with my workouts and also with my recovery. I am increasing my mileage gradually each week.
Q: Do you think you’ll be a multi-marathoner, or ‘retire’ after NYC and move on to other pursuits? A: I can definitely see myself catching the marathon bug because I like working toward goals! I think it will be a matter of how this one goes and how much time I have in the future.
Q: Can you tell us a little more about Girls on the Run (GOTR)? A: Absolutely! Girls on the Run NYC is a nonprofit organization that empowers young girls through a transformative running-based curriculum. The program focuses on building skills surrounding connection, confidence, self-esteem, and goal-setting all with the overarching goal of helping girls recognize their limitless potential! I am so excited to be part of the GOTR NYC Marathon team. In today’s world, girls are constantly greeted with the idea that they are not enough and that they need to change themselves in millions of ways to meet societal ideals. I love that GOTR works to challenge those beliefs and empower girls to be their authentic selves.
It was a special night on Thursday, July 22nd as RVNAhealth team members joined at Rogers Park in Danbury to cheer on the home team, Danbury Westerners. Continue reading
