Honoring Juneteenth

Dear Colleagues,

This Thursday we observe Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It was on this day in 1865 when word finally reached the enslaved people in Galveston, Texas that they were free — two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had legally freed them.

On this important anniversary, I’d like to share a quote from Coretta Scott King, the late wife of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She said: “Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won — you earn it and win it in every generation.”

In addition to marking the end of an unimaginably unjust system, the celebration of Juneteenth is also a reminder that, as Coretta Scott King noted, the struggle for better lives is ongoing. At VNS Health, we are committed to easing the health care struggles that many of those we serve face, enabling them to live their best lives in their homes and communities, where they belong.

Two recent examples are our new mental health and substance use clinic in the Bronx and our Nurse-Family Partnership, which supports young, first-time mothers in the Bronx and Nassau County. These are just two of the many ways we are addressing inequities in our health care system.

Thank you, everyone, for your continued dedication and commitment to our mission and the people we serve across New York.

Dan

Dan Savitt
President and Chief Executive Officer