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New Rochelle Resident, Rita Mabli, Among Honorees at VNSW Gala May 15

VNS WESTCHESTER TO CELEBRATE OVER A CENTURY OF SERVICE AT SPRING BENEFIT GALA ON MAY 15

Rita Mabli, President & CEO, United Hebrew, and Anne Sweazey, Executive Director, Arc of Westchester to Receive Prestigious Honors at Fundraising Event Benefiting Healthcare Services and Programs

Westchester County Association’s Healthcare Consortium to Receive Community Leadership Award

Visiting Nurse Services in Westchester (VNSW) is set to host a festive and elegant evening dinner and spectacular silent auction that will usher in a glorious spring, recognize the generous spirit of three community leaders, and inspire giving to support the not-for-profit agency’s high-quality home health and community healthcare services to people of all ages. The 16th Annual Spring Benefit Gala, to be held on May 15 at the Sunningdale Country Club in Scarsdale, honors a champion of senior citizens, Rita Mabli, President & CEO of United Hebrew, New Rochelle; Anne Sweazey, Executive Director, Arc of Westchester Foundation and a tremendous advocate of improving the lives of individuals with disabilities; and the Westchester County Association  (WCA) Healthcare Consortium, for its important work in all areas of healthcare in Westchester. Bill Harrington, Chairman of the WCA, will accept the award on behalf of the Consortium, which is comprised of all segments of the $15+ billion healthcare industry.

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“The past year has been one of expansion and growth for our agency,” said Lou Nemnom, President & CEO, VNS Westchester. “There is much to celebrate—but we also have our work cut out for us: with increasing demand for our services, there is also a need for more resources. We encourage the Westchester community to join us as we express our heartfelt thanks to our distinguished honorees, who are accelerating our success in serving a growing population of those in need of our care.”

The Annual Spring Gala raises funds for VNS Westchester that will support the development of new treatment programs, as well as free health screenings, health education programs, and other complementary care, including services for uninsured and under-insured patients. Community funding for these services is critical, says Nemnom, as they are not reimbursed by government or other funding sources.   Ranked as the Number One Home Healthcare Agency in Westchester and Putnam, according to the latest data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, VNSW expanded its services and staff over the past year to meet the needs of residents in the Bronx, Dutchess, and Rockland counties, in addition to Westchester and Putnam.

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“We are seeing a growing need for home healthcare in all of our communities. In Westchester alone, hospital discharge referrals to home care and skilled nursing facilities doubled over the past 15 years,” said Nemnom, citing a 2013 WCA Healthcare Consortium survey of healthcare executives. “This trend underscores our vital mission of providing high-quality, compassionate care to patients, their families, and caregivers in the comfort of their own homes.”

Michael Gargiulo, news anchor at NBC4 New York, will serve as emcee for the Gala, which is co-chaired by White Plains resident Karen Hererro, co-owner, NY Hospitality Group, and Debra Swee, communications consultant and resident of Mahopac. Tickets for the event, which takes place on May 15 from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Sunningdale Country Club in Scarsdale, may be purchased for $250 each at www.vns.org. For information on Sponsorship Opportunities or contributions to the Silent Auction, please contact Joyce Infante, Director of Development, at JInfante@vns.org or (914) 682-1480, ext. 649.

About the Honorees

Rita Mabli began her storied career at United Hebrew. She became the chief executive officer in 1994, and in 2007, assumed the position of president and CEO. She leads the service of more than 800 clients daily at United Hebrew’s multi-service senior campus: Willow Towers Assisted Living Facility, United Hebrew Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Soundview Independent Living Apartments, and AZOR Licensed Home Care Agency. Through her vision and tireless efforts, United Hebrew has grown from its modest beginnings to a comprehensive campus of residences and programs that serves as a model for care throughout the metropolitan area. Ms. Mabli is the immediate past chair of the Westchester Public Private Partnership for Aging Services; a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Administrators; past president of the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce, and of the Association of Westchester & Long Term Care Administrators. She is active in the community and has received numerous leadership awards and recognitions by many other organizations. She holds an MBA from Iona College and resides in New Rochelle with her husband, Patrick Hardiman. Their daughter, Lucy, is a nurse practitioner and graduate of Georgetown University.

Anne Sweazey is the current executive director of the Arc of Westchester Foundation, where she directs and coordinates fundraising and development to support programs at Arc, the largest agency in Westchester County serving children, teens, and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism. Over the course of her 30-year career, Ms. Sweazey’s skills as a fundraiser have built up the capacity of an array of nonprofits and important causes, including the foundation of noted paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey; the Natural Resources Defense Council; the Florida International Museum; the Pinellas Assocation for Retarded Children, where she received the Suncoast Signature Award from the National Society of Fundraising Executives; and The Lighthouse, where she was responsible for raising annual contributions totaling $10 million. Ms. Sweazey was also named Professional Fundraiser of the Year by The Association of Development Officers. Prior to her fundraising career, she was Vice President at Chase Manhattan Bank, serving the needs of the bank’s nonprofit clients. She is also active in the community and is a former board member at VNS Westchester; a former Village of Pelham trustee and founder of the Pelham Forum for Education; and a long-time volunteer at the Bedford Presbyterian Church, where she has raised funds to expand its renowned youth programs and community outreach. Ms. Sweazey is a 55-year resident of Westchester County.

Westchester County Association’s Health Care Consortium

An outgrowth of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on Healthcare Reform, the Westchester County Association created the WCA Healthcare Consortium to engage the healthcare community and the business community in preparing for a wave of change in the wake of health care reform. More than 50 WCA members – leaders representing the healthcare, business, academic, and insurance sectors – actively participate in the consortium, and its ranks are growing. The group’s initial goal was to establish a planning process to create the best model of delivering high-quality, cost-effective healthcare to all residents of Westchester and the region. Through active collaboration, the Consortium issues periodic data reports prepared by a vibrant academic subcommittee that includes leading healthcare experts from area colleges. The Consortium is a unique opportunity to understand the dynamics facing each key stakeholder, and create solutions that can benefit all. Current members include hospitals, large physician groups, home care agencies, insurers, trade associations, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, academic institutions and business. Experts view the work of the Consortium potentially as a national model for how a community can join forces to plan for the future.

About VNS Westchester

Founded in 1901, VNSW is the largest independent not-for-profit, Medicare-certified home healthcare agency serving residents of Westchester, the Bronx, Dutchess, Putnam and Rockland counties.  The agency provides skilled nursing with case management, rehabilitation, medical social work and home health aide services to people of all ages, and offers a wide range of specialty care programs, and free community health education for the public and healthcare professionals.   VNS Westchester’s services consistently meet the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP) National Standards of Excellence for Homecare, and it is recognized for having one of the lowest preventable hospital readmission rates in the region. The agency works closely with other healthcare providers, with its Home Health Care Liaisons on-site at over 85 healthcare facilities to aid with discharge planning and safe patient transitions to the home care setting.  The agency is based in White Plains, with a branch office in Brewster in Putnam County. For more information, call 914-682-1480 or visit www.vns.org.

 

 

 

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