A Message from our CEO and Board Chair

Dear Friends,

Welcome to VNS Health’s 2023 Benefit to support our Charitable Care and Community Impact Programs. We are thrilled to be celebrating with you on Thursday evening, November 9th. It’s sure to be a festive occasion!

The theme of our 2023 Benefit is “Empowering Our Neighbors in Need.” And that’s just what VNS Health has been doing for the past 130 years. At this year’s Benefit, we’ll share a poignant VNS Health mission-in-action story of a neighbor in need named Adrian who was homeless. As you’ll see, VNS Health empowered him — and helped him get his life together to where he ran in the NYC Marathon.

Thanks in part to your generosity, we’ll continue to be there for others like Adrian, today and in the future. Each day, our Charitable Care and Community Impact Programs empower our neighbors in need, young and old. In 2022, together with our supporters, grantors and donors, we provided more than $65 million in charitable care and community impact to tens of thousands of vulnerable New Yorkers.

This year, we honor three outstanding leaders — Mike Valentine, Peter Hutchings and Martha Wolfgang — with the 2023 Lillian D. Wald Award. Named after the nation’s first public health nurse and founder of our organization, the Lillian D. Wald Award is presented annually to those who have made significant contributions to the health and welfare of others.

And what outstanding contributions they’ve made and continue to make!

Mike Valentine is the CEO of Netsmart, which has been named one of Kansas City’s fastest growing companies and a Champion of Business. Previously, Mike served in a variety of roles during his 13 years with Cerner Corporation, including Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He serves on the Board of Directors of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and is a volunteer board member with the American Heart Association, American Royal, Kansas State University and the Wildscape Foundation.

Peter Hutchings has served on the Board of Directors of VNS Health since 1999. He is currently Chairman of VNS Health Health Plans. Previously, he chaired VNS Health’s Finance and Quality Committees. Peter also serves on the Board of the Medicare Rights Center, a New York City-based not-for-profit advising Medicare beneficiaries and advocating for policy improvements. He is an Emeritus Board Member of the Rubin Museum of Art, and a Chairman Emeritus of LiveOnNY, which focuses on supporting organ donation in our region. Peter has served as Chief Financial Officer for Guardian Life and for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Greater New York.

Martha Wolfgang has over 20 years of experience in hospital and health care administration in New York City. She currently serves on the boards of the New York School-Based Health Foundation and Funding Arts Network in Miami. She has also served on the boards of Musicians on Call, the Ryan Health Care Foundation, Cathedral of St John the Divine, and the Lutheran Medical Center. In addition, Martha served as Vice President at the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, whose emphasis is medical and health professional education, and as Vice President for Network Development at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center.

This year, we are excited to welcome back a dear neighbor and friend Kori Chambers, the Emmy Award-winning anchor of PIX11 News, as our evening’s Master of Ceremonies. Kori is back with us for the third consecutive year, and we are so thankful for his involvement.

Thanks again for joining us in celebrating our 2023 Benefit. And thank you, too, for supporting us throughout the year and empowering our neighbors in need!