Cornerstone VNA announces a new board chair, Paul Drager, JD, principal of MedEthics Consulting. Drager has been a member of the Cornerstone VNA Board of Directors since 2013 and for the past three years has served as its Treasurer. As a medical ethicist, he has been involved with palliative and end-of-life care serving on hospital and hospice ethics committees. Drager is the co-chair of the Public Policy Committee of the National POLST Paradigm Program, and is active with the NH Healthcare Coalition where he has contributed to the Advance Directive booklet revisions now found in most NH hospitals. In addition, Paul was a member of the 2013 NH Legislative Study Commission on Palliative Care and Quality End-of-Life Initiatives.
Drager received a BBA from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and his JD from the University of Miami School of Law. He also earned a Certificate in Bioethics and the Medical Humanities from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University and Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein School of Medicine. He was also selected as one of the original cohorts trained as a trainer for the AMA’s Education for Physicians in End-of-Life Care where he has taught in over 20 programs around the country.
As he takes the helm of this thriving nonprofit organization, Paul Drager, JD remarks, “Cornerstone VNA helps ease the burden that patients and their families face when dealing with challenging health issues. Cornerstone VNA allows patients receiving care to remain at home in familiar surrounding with family and friends, it is that commitment that makes me proud to be a part of Cornerstone VNA.”
In addition to Paul’s appointment as Board President, a new slate of officers and members were affirmed during their annual meeting as follows: Ruth Henderson RN, Vice President, Sharla Rollins, Treasurer, Jackie Fitzpatrick, Secretary and Dr. Archana Bhargava, Member-at Large. Additional board members include Susan Gaudiello, Immediate Past President, Anne Brown, Tracey Collins, Cathy DiPentima, Brian Gasbarro and Greg Hopkins.
According to Julie Reynolds, RN, MS, CEO, “The individual and collective efforts of the Board of Directors at Cornerstone VNA who contribute their time, talent and treasure provide the leadership, motivation and vision that propels us into action.” Reynolds adds, “Their visionary stewardship and strategic planning has contributed to the success of the organization in recent years despite the changes in the health care sector.”