Thank You for Making a Difference

November 18, 2022

Dear Team,

The care you provide truly makes a difference to all of us here at VNS Health, and most importantly, to the lives of the clients you serve each day! But you are also making a difference in other important ways.

Pandemic Preparedness Study

The Center for Home Care Policy & Research at VNS Health recently conducted a study that explored the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on HHAs.

Key Study Findings:

• Highlight the financial stresses and safety challenges that HHAs experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic
• Confirm the importance of effective communication between aides and their supervisors

The VNS Health Research Center team also met with industry leaders and other stakeholders to develop recommendations on how to better protect and support HHAs during future public health crises. As a result of these efforts, action briefs have been developed that are now being shared with home care and government leaders across the United States.

You can find learn more about the study findings and the Action Briefs here: https://www.vnshealth.org/for-professionals/research-center/policy-and-issue-briefs/.

I would like to personally thank the more than 1,300 HHAs who answered the Center’s survey questions, and the dozens more who participated in interviews and focus groups – without you, these findings and recommendations would not have been possible!

Heart Failure Pilot Study

I also want to let you know about a pilot study being done here at VNS Health that involves patients currently living with heart failure.

Personal Care and the VNS Health Research Center have teamed up with researchers from Weill Cornell Medicine to help improve the management of heart failure patients by educating and training the HHAs who take care of these patients. Until now, there has never been a research study done on how HHAs can help improve the outcomes of heart failure patients. You can see why a study like this is so important.

If you are currently serving a patient who has heart failure and is in one of our long-term care programs, you may receive a call to participate in the study. If you do, I ask that you please consider participating!

This important research puts a spotlight on just how much your work and dedication are valued by all of us here at VNS Health!

Thank you for your dedication to your work, your commitment to your patients, and for being such a valuable member of the Personal Care team.

James P. Rolla
Senior Vice President, Personal Care