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Equity-Focused Vaccination Event at Cathedral of Grace/St. John AME Church, Aurora

Posted on by VNA Health Care Communications

Equity-Focused Vaccination Event at Cathedral of Grace/St. John AME Church, Aurora

In a collaborative effort to promote vaccine equity, on March 2nd and March 24th VNA Health Care held first dose mass vaccination clinics at Cathedral of Grace/St. John AME Church, a historic Black church founded in 1862 in Aurora. VNA administered over 1400 first dose vaccinations over the course of the two events with subsequent second dose events planned.

Governor J.B Pritzker, Mayor Richard C. Irvin, DuPage and Kane County Health Departments Cathedral of Grace Pastor Hawkins and Theodia Gillespie, President and CEO of Quad County Urban League joined Linnea Windel, VNA President and CEO in speaking with the press and assembled guests, emphasizing getting the vaccine out to the Black community through events such as BlackVax. BlackVax was named by the coalition of Black churches, organizations, community advocates and elected officials in Aurora that united in February 2021 with the goal of making sure that the Black community has equitable access and awareness of the COVID-19 vaccine in Kane, DuPage, Kendall, and Will Counties.

“One thing will make our community comfortable, is seeing others that look like us, speak with facts about the vaccine and take it ourselves,” said Mayor C. Irvin.

According to Governor J.B. Prizker, “Even if everyone who wants the vaccine were to receive it, that wouldn’t be enough for us to reach herd immunity, so it’s important that we get the message out to those who are vaccine hesitant that vaccines are safe and they offer effective protection against serious COVID illness and death.”

A special thank you goes out to the Cathedral of Grace staff and the volunteers who helped make this event a success.

VNA Health Care Now Offering Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder.

Posted on by VNA Health Care Communications

In a press conference attended by community leaders and program partners held on October 4th 2019, VNA Health Care announced the launch of Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder.

VNA Health Care President and CEO, Linnea Windel, remarked that over the past 100 years, much has changed in the world and in health care. “One thing has NOT changed during VNA Health Care’s 100 years of service and this is the organization’s willingness to address the most pressing healthcare needs of the time. Today, undoubtedly, the need for mental/behavioral health services and substance use disorder treatment is great. Opioid use is a public health crisis; in Illinois, we lost 2,778 individuals to opioid overdoses. Sadly, Kane County is not immune to this problem.”

Also in attendance to lend their support and share some highlights of their work providing solutions to this health crisis were Deputy Mayor Chuck Nelson, City of Aurora; Congressman Bill Foster – 11th District of Illinois; Mr. Douglas O’Brien, Regional Director – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Associate Judge Elizabeth Flood – Sixteenth Judicial Circuit, Kane County; Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain, and Ms. Barbara Jeffers, Executive Director – Kane County Health Department.

“The Kane County Health Department partners and coordinates with VNA to provide holistic approaches that support solutions to the opioid crisis in Kane County. VNA now offering a MAT program to our community will make a huge impact in reducing the deaths and long term addictions related to opioid misuse” said Ms. Barbara Jeffers, Executive Director of the Kane County Health Department.

Opioid-related deaths have nearly tripled in Kane County in recent years. Opioids, used medically for pain relief, have analgesic and central nervous system depressant effects as well as the potential to cause euphoria. Opioid use disorder (OUD) can involve misuse of prescribed opioid medications, use of diverted opioid medications, or use of illicitly obtained drugs such as heroin and fentanyl. OUD is typically a chronic, relapsing illness, associated with significantly increased rates of morbidity and mortality.

In support of the national and local effort to tackle the opioid use epidemic, VNA Health Care has launched the delivery of a Medication Assisted Treatment option for individuals with OUD. This treatment is offered in conjunction with VNA’s mental and behavioral health services with a goal of patients achieving abstinence through medically supervised withdrawal with maintenance treatment as indicated to prevent relapse.

Senior Meet & Greet with State Representative Barbara Hernandez

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Wednesday, September 25, 2019 from 10am-12pm
VNA Health Care – 1400 Indian Avenue, Aurora, IL

Meet State Rep. Barbara Hernandez and learn how she is working for Seniors in Aurora and Springfield.

Enjoy a Cooking Demo and Tasting: Healthy Snack and Receive a Free Blood Pressure Screening!

 

Learn Tips for Seniors About…

 Senior Health with Dr. Himabala Medasani
 Foot Care with Dr. Jesse Plasencia
 Managing Medications
 Fall Prevention with Karina Suarez-Darden, Community Health Worker
 Healthy Eating with the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry
 Recreation with Fox Valley Park District
 Volunteering with Karina Suarez-Darden, Community Health Worker
 Medicare Enrollment Assistance

VNA Health Care Ranks in Top 10% Across the Country for Quality

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VNA Health Care Ranks in Top 10% of Health Centers in the Nation for Best Overall Clinical Performance.

Once again, VNA Health Care (VNA) has been recognized by The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as a National Quality Leader for outstanding clinical outcomes achieved in 2018.

Mr. Douglas O’Brien, Regional Director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Ms. Anne Huang, MS, RN Regional Nurse Consultant, Office of Regional Operations, Region 5, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services presented VNA Health Care with a National Quality Leader Gold Award in recognition of the outstanding clinical care delivered to over 72,000 patients throughout suburban Chicago. The Gold Award recognizes the accomplishment of VNA Health Care in ranking in the top 10% of all Health Centers nationwide for overall clinical performance.

“The dedication and excellence in service that VNA provides to their patients and the communities they serve is commendable, and exemplifies the pure essence of HRSA’s mission in providing access to quality health care services, we are honored to celebrate their success.” said Anne Huang.These awards support HRSA’s strategic goal to improve access to quality health care and services, and supports the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s goal of promoting a value-based payment system by improving the quality, breadth of services, modernization, efficiency, and overall value of primary health care delivered by health centers.

“We are thrilled to receive this prestigious gold award in recognition of VNA’s commitment to clinical excellence and we are so grateful to our funders, including HRSA, an agency of HHS and we are so thankful for their essential support. It is an honor and a privilege to work with our patients to improve and maintain their health and this would not be possible without the outstanding dedication of our providers and professional team.” said Linnea Windel, VNA’s President and CEO. “This award underscores our shared commitment to the delivery of accessible, efficient and compassionate health care services for all.”

VNA Health Care is the largest Federally Qualified Health Center in suburban Chicago and operates 14 clinics serving over 72,000 people a year. VNA is nationally ranked as a top performing health center as a result of patient outcomes such as prenatal care, adolescent weight screening and counseling, vascular disease treatment, blood pressure control, healthy birth weights, and asthma care. VNA’s combination of convenience (by appointment or walk-in), patient-centered technology and expert, cost-effective care delivered with respect and compassion have led to these results. VNA is accredited by The Joint Commission and certified as a Primary Care Medical Home for all sites.

VNA Uncorked 2019

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Thank you for joining VNA Health Care and Honorary Co-Chairs,
Dr. Kathryn Sunderbruch and Dr. Priscilla Sarmiento-Gupana, 
at VNA Uncorked 2019 benefiting the
Healthy Kids = Bright Futures campaign!

VNA Uncorked 2019 was a success! Not only were guests able to enjoy an evening of wine & craft beer along with appetizer & dessert pairings and live music by Terra Guitarra, but they helped raise money for VNA’s pediatric patients!

This campaign will benefit the delivery of pediatric care for vulnerable children at all VNA locations including primary and preventive care, mental and behavioral health, dental, vision and community health care for children with little or no insurance.

You can still support VNA’s Healthy Kids = Bright Futures Campaign by clicking the link below.

Become a Sponsor or Donate

For further information, contact us at (630) 978-2532 or via email at adminsupport@vnahealth.com. Ask to speak with a member of the Administrative Support team.

Gold Campaign Sponsor



Silver Campaign Sponsor




Gratitude to other sponsors including:

Dr. Fadel F. Azer
Brennan, Manna & Diamond, LLC
Fox Valley Park District
Impact Networking, LLC
Maul Paving, Inc.
Old Second National Bank
Patterson Dental
Waubonsee Community College

 

 

 

Summer Fiesta – Join us for Free Summer Fun

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Are you ready for some FREE summer fun? Bring the kids to VNA Health Care, 400 N. Highland Avenue in Aurora on Wednesday, June 19 from 10:00 a.m.  to 1:00 p.m. We are joining with the Fox Valley Park District and other community organizations to kick-off the summer season. Everyone is welcome to attend. The event includes games, crafts, snacks and giveaways. Farmer’s Market visits VNA every Wednesday during the summer. The public is welcome to attend the Market and purchase produce.

Keep your summer running smoothly by getting your child’s school or sports physical done at the event. Appointments are not needed and we will have a nurse practitioner dedicated to walk-ins for school and sports physicals to minimize your wait time. Please bring the child’s immunization record. VNA accepts Blue Cross Community and Meridian health plans.

New at VNA- Choose an Internal Medicine doctor as your primary care provider

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Dr. Medasani is accepting new patients at both Aurora locations:

400 N. Highland Avenue and 1400 Indian Avenue.

Dr. Medasani offers her guidance to help you stay healthy, provides treatment and monitoring when you are ill, and coordinates your care if you need the services of a specialist.

As in internist, she is specially-trained to manage patients who have multiple medical problems or uncontrolled medical problems. Internal medicine doctors provide a wide range of primary care, including the treatment of complex adult diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and high cholesterol.

In addition to the standard three-year residency for Internal Medicine, Dr. Medasani completed a Fellowship in Geriatrics at Stanford School of Medicine.

“My training in Geriatrics prepared me to provide care that helps older adults maintain dignity and independence and experience improved quality of life,” Dr. Medasani says.

For an appointment with Dr. Medasani, please call (630) 526-7912.

 

VNA and The National Alliance on Mental Illness (Kane-south, DeKalb, Kendall) announce partnership to offer support groups at VNA

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VNA Health Care (VNA) and The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Kane-south, DeKalb, and Kendall Counties  (NAMI-KDK) announce a partnership to offer two free, monthly programs for adults living with a mental health diagnosis.

“We are excited to partner with VNA Health Care and to be able to provide volunteers to lead these important programs,” said Carol Speckman, Executive Director at NAMI KDK. “People living with mental health conditions can and do succeed in their careers, make friends and have relationships. Our programs are designed to provide support to those individuals who are following a treatment plan and working to overcome the many challenges of living with a mental health condition.”

“Both programs will meet at VNA Health Care,” said Linnea Windel, President/CEO at VNA. “The programs are a great resource for the patients we serve, and we have the capacity to allow programming to expand as demand increases.”

The Connections Recovery Support Group will connect, encourage, and support adults living with a mental health condition using a structured support group model led by trained facilitators living in recovery themselves. The Connections group meets on the second Wednesday of the month from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.

The Friendship Circle provides adults 18 and older including those living with mental health conditions and their families a safe, stigma free place to make connections with others through a variety of recreational activities. Friendship Circle meets on the second Tuesday of the month from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Both programs are free of charge and meet at VNA, 400 N. Highland Avenue, Aurora. For more information, contact Colleen Balija at NAMI KDK at 630.896.6264 or programs@namikdk.org.

About VNA Health Care:  VNA Health Care operates 14 clinics in suburban Chicago and serves over 72,000 people a year. VNA is nationally ranked as a top performing health center as a result of patient outcomes such as prenatal care, adolescent weight screening and counseling, vascular disease treatment, blood pressure control, healthy birth weights, and asthma care. VNA’s combination of convenience (by appointment or walk-in), patient-centered technology and expert care delivered with respect and compassion have led to these results. VNA is accredited by The Joint Commission.

About NAMI-KDK:  The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Kane-south, DeKalb, and Kendall Counties (NAMI-KDK)  is a grass roots organization whose purpose is to improve conditions for people with serious and chronic mental illness and their families.  Membership consists of family members and dedicated individuals who endeavor to promote the welfare of individuals living with mental illness and to support and educate their families. NAMI assists people in finding appropriate help for their needs, provides education classes and support groups for the families, seeks and promotes public education to reduce and eliminate discrimination and stigma, promotes awareness of and involvement in pertinent legislation at all levels of Government, plus creates and provides reference literature on area services and different mental illnesses. For more information, please visit www.namikdk.org.

Doula Services at VNA

Posted on by VNA Health Care Communications

Daneita and Cynthia are trained as Doulas, and are available to help our OB patients have a great experience with their pregnancy. They can support you throughout your pregnancy, birth and after your baby is born.  Our Doulas provide physical and emotional support and understand the importance of both aspects during your pregnancy.

Things Doulas can offer include:

  • Helping you prepare for the birth of your baby
  • Attending a prenatal doctor visit with you
  • Giving your support team helpful ideas about what they can do to best support you during childbirth
  • Staying with you at the hospital throughout your labor and stay until the baby is born
  • Providing or suggesting techniques such as massage, breathing exercises and positioning to make the birth experience more comfortable
  • Helping families communicate with caregivers in the hospital
  • Visiting you for several weeks after the baby is born to get you off to a great start with parenting

Our Doulas are certified by DONA International. For more information about Doula services, please call (630) 892-4355, ext 8469. You can watch a short video on prenatal care available at VNA and find out why you should deliver your baby with VNA’s help.