Quality Visiting Nurse Services & Hospice Care in New York

In honor of Hospice Awareness Month, we share personal experiences of how hospice helped families see how much can be shared at the end of life and with the peace of knowing that everything possible was done towards achieving a peaceful death for their loved one.

“My childhood friend Jeff was in his 40s, with a wife and two small children when he spent his final days at Hospice House surrounded by family and friends. From the full use of the House’s kitchen, living room, and patio to sharing a stereo so Jeff and Jodi could slow dance, Hospice House opened their doors and was supportive in every way. Aware that Jeff was in the final stages before passing, his primary nurse chose to sleep in her car outside Hospice House that night. When he passed away, she was there within minutes to console his family.”

Watch HERE or read HERE to learn more about how VNS & Hospice of Suffolk has helped families

VNSHS is proud and honored to once again receive a 4.5 star quality rating and 4.0 star patient satisfaction survey rating from the CMS, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This rating places VNSHS at the top of Certified Home Health Agencies in our service area.

You have a choice in home health care and hospice providers. Choose Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice of Suffolk, a trusted leader in compassionate care of the highest quality since it was founded in 1952.

A roarin’ good time was had by all at the Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice of Suffolk (VNSHS) Benefit featuring Grammy Award Winner Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks. Held at the Founder’s Room in Huntington on October 20^th,  more than 150 guests danced and enjoyed vintage 1920s and 30s music performed by Giordano and his 11 piece band while raising $45,000 for Hospice House. The event commemorated the 20^th Anniversary of VNSHS’ Hospice House, NY’s first freestanding inpatient hospice which has provided compassionate, end of life care to more than 6,500 patients and their families

On Friday September 20^th, Hospice House hosted our Annual Memorial Garden Open House, where friends and family gathered to view their newly installed bricks and pavers in memory of their loved ones.

There were tears and hugs, shared grief, mixed with laughter and happy memories.  Some reconnected with hospice staff and volunteers they recognized from their hospice journey. All guests were able to light a candle in memory of their loved one, and all left with a memento of seeds to plant in memory of their loved one.

Special thank you to Buttercooky Bakery, Copenhagen, The Flower Basket, Harvest Bakery and IGA of Northport for their generous support.

Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice of Suffolk is pleased to announce the appointment of Silvia Cota, MBA, BSN, RN, CEN as its new Chief Executive Officer. Silvia Cota brings extensive leadership experience in healthcare administration to her new role at VNSHS. She succeeds Linda Taylor, who has served as CEO since 1981.

“We are thrilled to welcome Silvia Cota as our new CEO,” said John Lynch, President of the
VNSHS Board of Directors. “Her unique blend of clinical and management skills, coupled with her dedication to compassionate patient care, make her the ideal leader for our organization.”

Cota is highly regarded by her previous colleagues, who describe her as a dedicated and
compassionate leader. She is known for her diligent efforts to promote best practices in patient care and her deep commitment to both staff and colleagues.

As CEO, Cota will oversee all operations of VNSHS, which provides essential home health and
hospice services to residents across Suffolk County. She will focus on expanding access to high-quality care, enhancing community partnerships, and ensuring VNSHS remains at the forefront of home health innovation.

“I am honored to join the dedicated team at Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice of Suffolk,” said
Cota. “This organization has a long history of providing vital services to our community. I look
forward to building on that legacy and working together to meet the evolving healthcare needs of Suffolk County residents.”

Cota’s leadership is expected to bring a fresh perspective to VNSHS while continuing and
strengthening the organization’s proud tradition of compassionate, quality home health and
hospice care.

Prior to joining VNSHS, Cota has held progressive leadership roles at Lenox Hill Hospital, and she has most recently served as Director of Patient Care Services at South Shore University Hospital, part of the Northwell Health System. She is a Registered Nurse, and she holds an MBA, BSN and is a Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN).

VNSHS is proud to present Maddie Gallagher with the Helen Strobl Memorial Scholarship. Annually VNSHS awards this scholarship to a Northport High School senior who has demonstrated academic achievement and is pursuing a career in the field of nursing. This scholarship is in honor of the first VNSHS Executive Director, who was a Baccalaureate and Masters nursing graduate and proponent of higher education for nurses.

When Maddie was in middle school, her father was diagnosed with cancer which eventually claimed his life. It was at Hospice House where she spent her final days with her father. The comfort and care that VNSHS home hospice and Hospice House nurses and staff provided inspired Maddie to pursue a career in nursing.

Her father passed away on September 8, 2020, just as Maddie was entering high school. The Hospice House staff continued to call and provide support to the Gallagher family.

To show their support of VNSHS, the Gallagher’s formed a team to support the VNSHS 5K held every May. When Maddie became a high school senior, she learned of and applied for the Helen Strobl Scholarship. Upon being awarded the scholarship, Maddie who will be attending Fairfield University shared “For VNSHS to choose me after I have been looking up to them for so long, clearly they saw something in me that I saw in them years ago.”

Visiting Nurse Service & Hospice of Suffolk is offering flu vaccines administered by a Registered Nurse every Thursday from 9 am to 1 pm at its headquarters at 505 Main Street in Northport. Make your appointment HERE or contact 631.261.7200 to schedule your appointment by phone.