Cornerstone VNA, a local nonprofit home health and hospice care organization, is proud to celebrate numerous accomplishments over the past month among their Hospice team.
Kelly Doherty, RN-C, MSN, ARNP-BC, ACHPN, Hospice and Palliative Care Director successfully achieved Certification in Hospice and Palliative Care for the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse. Kelly Doherty joins the ranks of only twenty nurse practitioners in the State of New Hampshire who have achieved this specialized hospice certification.
Tina Narciso, RN, has been a Hospice Triage Nurse at Cornerstone VNA since 2013. Due to significant growth in the Hospice Care program over the past year, Tina was recently promoted to Assistant Hospice Director. In her new role, she will collaborate with the Hospice Director for coordination of services, scheduling and supervision of the hospice interdisciplinary team.
For the past 7 years, Sara Phelan, RN, BS, CHPN has been a Hospice Nurse at Cornerstone VNA, working as a Case Manager and then transitioning to a new role as a Hospice Quality and Staff Education Coordinator. To further expand her knowledge and expertise in her specialty area, Sara recently achieved her certification as a Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Nurse.
Renee Ames, LNA, has worked at Cornerstone VNA for nearly 3 years and has had a significant impact on the lives of her patients and their families. Last month, Cornerstone VNA recognized Ames as their LNA of the Year for bringing wisdom, patience, humor and caring to the daily lives of her patients.
And finally, Cornerstone VNA Hospice celebrates one of its newest team members, Tessa Lee, RN, who successfully passed her state nursing board exam. Prior to joining Cornerstone VNA, and as part of a partnership with Great Bay Community College, Tessa completed her community health rotation with Jeff Mitchell, RN, Case Manager and Hospice Liaison for Cornerstone VNA.
These clinicians embody the highly skilled Hospice Care team at Cornerstone VNA. Their dedication, compassion and commitment to providing the best end-of-life care for each patient is evident in their daily work, as well as from the countless letters of gratitude they receive from patient families. They continue to advance their body of knowledge and work diligently to ensure the program is in compliance with state and federal regulations by meeting or exceeding standards of care. In recent months, both the Home Care and Hospice Care programs at Cornerstone VNA were reviewed by Medicare Surveyors and achieved a deficiency free survey, which is a significant achievement. The surveyors visit home health and hospice agencies every three years to ensure they are in compliance with rules and regulations as well as providing great care to patients. June Gallup RN, MS, HCS-D, COS-C, BCHH-C, COQS, Quality Improvement Director states, “We are very proud of our programs for achieving this important distinction and of the trusted care provided by our dedicated team of clinicians and leadership who made this possible.”
Cornerstone VNA is proud to share these significant achievements and celebrates their team of clinicians and staff who go above and beyond for each patient. Patients also benefit from a caring group of volunteers who are specially trained to provide support to patients and respite care to caregivers through regular home visits. Cornerstone VNA also has Pet Peace of Mind volunteers who are trained to care for the pets of hospice patients. Additionally, a special “We Honor Veterans” program helps to ensure that Veterans receive the care they deserve at end of life. According to Julie Reynolds, RN, MS, Chief Executive Officer, “Our clinicians, support staff and volunteers make this Hospice program one of a kind.” Reynolds adds, “They are exceptional people who provide exceptional care, and I am honored to work alongside such a fine team.”