It came as little surprise to many — particularly the staff at RVNAhealth — that Theresa Santoro, MSN, RN, CHCA, RVNAhealth President and CEO, was named one of ‘The Ridgefield 25’ this month by Ridgefield Magazine. Now everyone knows what we have known all along. Theresa Santoro makes a profound difference to the communities and individuals she serves.
The Ridgefield 25 project was introduced by Ridgefield Magazine this year and will become an annual event. The project recognizes members of the Ridgefield community whose dedication, creativity, and influence have inspired and enriched the lives of those around them. From the over 100 nominations received, 25 honorees were selected for the inaugural year.
Santoro is being honored for the energy, vitality, and growth she has brought to RVNA, expanding the scope, services, reach — and presence — of the agency.
Theresa Santoro at RVNA
Theresa Santoro began her RVNAhealth career in 1999 as a visiting registered nurse, providing care to patients in their homes. Santoro’s vision, intelligence, and energy propelled her to the role of President and CEO in 2007. During her early leadership years at RVNA, she returned to school for a master’s degree in Health Care Administration. Meanwhile, she recognized and saw firsthand, the demands the aging population and young baby boomers would have for RVNA’s home care services and community health programs. And she recognized that to serve these needs, RVNAhealth needed to grow.
Just prior to the Agency’s centennial in 2014 and under Santoro’s guidance, RVNAhealth — to meet the needs of the populations they served — began to expand their programs and services as well as the region they served. At the same time, it was clear that RVNAhealth needed a new home — to accommodate a growing team that had already vastly outgrown the previous space. In 2016, RVNAhealth opened the Center for Exceptional Care, a state-of-the-art facility in the center of Ridgefield that would house the RVNAhealth team, and serve as a hub for community members to seek guidance and receive services, for themselves or their loved ones.
It was an ambitious and extraordinary undertaking which came to life through the generosity and partnership of the committed RVNAhealth team, friends, and supporters. Today, the Center for Exceptional Care includes an outpatient physical therapy and rehabilitation center; a full teaching kitchen for nutritional services and education; onsite clinic rooms for the administration of vaccines and other nursing services; a caregiver support room, and meeting rooms for community health and wellness education and programs.
The RVNAhealth family of health services – Home Health; non-medical Home Care; Rehab by RVNA; Hospice by RVNA; Nutrition Services, and Community Health and Wellness — now serves 28 towns across Connecticut and provides care to our patients and community members at all stages of their life and health.
RVNA, with Theresa Santoro at the helm, continues to go strong and grow strong, while remaining true to their mission and the individuals and communities they serve.
The Ridgefield 25 will be celebrated at a ceremony held at BMW of Ridgefield, Saturday, November 10 at 6 pm.
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