Caregivers, Technology Innovators and Home Health Leaders To Receive Home Care and Hospice Excellence Awards
Media invited to awards ceremony on April 30 in Saratoga Springs, NY
The Home Care Association of New York State (HCANYS) is presenting awards this week to five exceptional individuals and programs, recognizing their excellence in the home care and hospice fields across New York State.
“It is our distinct privilege to acknowledge this year’s award winners for their outstanding efforts across the home health care spectrum,” said Al Cardillo, president and CEO of HCANYS. “Their stories provide shining examples of the values we hold dear in this profession: compassionate care, innovative and skilled leadership, and, most importantly, a sense of duty to the patient. They are, indeed, very deserving awardees.”
This year’s recipients are:
Ruth F. Wilson Award: HCANYS' highest honor is given to a dedicated individual, who has significantly contributed to home care over their career.
Joanne Cunningham of Albany is the former CEO for the Partnership for Quality Home Healthcare and a past president and CEO of the Home Care Association of New York State (HCANYS).
In this capacity, she elevated HCANYS and New York’s profile on the national stage, bringing provider associations from across the country together in the pursuit of policy and reimbursement advancement for home healthcare and ensuring the home care and hospice agencies within the state always had the highest quality representation in Albany, D.C., and throughout the sector.
Caring Awards: The awards recognize those who have exhibited exemplary compassion, skills and service and/or whose actions exemplify caring in the home care setting.
Paulette Coley of New York City, a staff aide for Self Help Community Services, was the singular aide out of 30 caregivers in one year, who was able to build a warm relationship and mutual respect with a difficult patient. She was cited as an example of the importance of relationships in caregiving and finding the good in everyone.
Diana Christine, RN, supervisor of Central Intake and Admissions for The Community Hospice in Albany, has served in various staff and leadership roles of increasing responsibility and demonstrated a caring and compassionate approach to patients in the final stages of life, always treating people with the respect and dignity that they deserve.
Home Care Champion Award: The award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a strong and model commitment to home care patients and agency partners.
Throughout her 15-year career with ABI Healthcare, Administrator Kitty Xue has steadfastly championed the needs of home care patients, expanded culturally sensitive care to underserved communities, and mentored a new generation of leaders in the home care field.
Under her leadership, thousands of Chinese-American residents gained access to culturally tailored, language-accessible home care for the first time. Kitty recognized the importance of breaking language barriers, so she developed teams of caregivers proficient in a variety of Chinese dialects, ensuring that patients truly felt understood, respected and comfortable in their own homes.
Trailblazer Award for Quality and Innovation: The award recognizes a home care or hospice provider agency, Managed Long Term Care plan or team that has implemented an innovative clinical model, workforce supports, patient or staff education program, or other initiative with improved outcomes in terms of client satisfaction, population health improvement, and/or cost reduction or avoidance.
Combining her clinical experience as an RN and tech savvy, Aleksandra Pasolova, director of clinical implementation at Americare, has demonstrably improved patient experiences, positively impacted population health and contributed to cost reduction within her Certified Home Health Agency (CHHA) simply by supporting her registered nurse colleagues.
She listened closely to feedback from the nurses on redundancies and inefficiencies that led to burnout. She saw areas where they could improve and through her advocacy with Home Care Home Base, the admissions process was redesigned. In turn, nurses appreciate the improved efficiencies and above all that they were heard and valued. Because of her efforts, there is now more time available for patient care. Alexsandra also led a complete redesign and streamlining of the admissions packets when opening new cases.
Media are invited to hear from awardees and learn about their extraordinary work during our awards ceremony. If wishing to attend, please contact HCANYS Communications Director Brandon Vogel in advance. Award photos are available upon request.
HCANYS Annual Awards Ceremony
April 30, 2025
12:30 to 2:00 p.m.
Saratoga Hilton
534 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
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Contact
Brandon Vogel