HCR Home Care

Press Release:

HCR Home Care has earned Home Health Heart Failure certification from the American Heart Association®, the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all.

The certification provides an evidence-based framework for evaluating home health agencies against the American Heart Association’s rigorous science-based standards for heart failure patients, including program management, patient and caregiver education and support, care coordination, clinical management, and quality improvement.

“Obtaining American Heart Association certification for our heart failure program is a tremendous accomplishment,” said Adrianne Mann, RN, BSN, MSHA, chief nursing officer and administrator of HCR’s Certified Home Health Agency. “Our staff provides quality care to our patients, and it is great to be recognized for all of their hard work and dedication.”

“I am proud to be part of such an amazing interdisciplinary team of home care experts,” said Chris Chimenti, senior director of clinical innovation, HCR Home Care. “We have been working with the AHA for more than a year to achieve this valued designation. This partnership will ensure the highest standards of care are offered to our patients living with heart failure.”

“This certification affirms the lifesaving mission and goal of the American Heart Association to help every person everywhere have the opportunity for a longer, healthier life,” said Kyle G. Lavergne, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, American Heart Association volunteer and founding member of the certification standards writing committee and director of clinical programs of the LHC Group. “We’re pleased to have HCR Home Care join the national network of American Heart Association Home Health Heart Failure certified agencies.”

The certification signifies confidence that:

• An agency’s heart failure program is based on standards aligned with the American Heart Association science.
• The agency is recognized by the American Heart Association, based on professional evaluation criteria designed by heart failure and home care experts.
• Care is coordinated from pre-admission through working with the home health agency to discharge.

Press release:

Families in need will received food for the Thanksgiving holiday, as a result of donations from HCR Home Care employees.

Employees generously donated items to fill 72 food baskets for families across HCR’s footprint in New York state. HCR chairwoman and CEO Louise Woerner and her husband, Don Kollmorgen, also donated funds to provide turkeys for the families.

“At HCR, we focus on taking a moment of gratitude every day,” said CEO Louise Woerner. “This Thanksgiving, we are grateful to have the opportunity to provide these holiday food baskets to families in need.”

Food baskets were donated to the following number of families:

• 48 families in the Finger Lakes region
• 17 families in the North Country
• 6 families in Central N.Y.
• 1 family in the Catskills region

For the last 13 years HCR Home Care has partnered with Genesee County Health Department as it forged new territories within the Finger Lakes region.

On Wednesday, the Batavia-based agency celebrated moving into yet another new space at Batavia City Centre. With a local foothold in Genesee County, plus Orleans, Monroe and an expanded reach into a total of 26 counties, HCR employs 35 people in this region and more than 750 employees in Upstate New York, Chief Executive Officer Louise Woerner said.

“Our employees are not only caring for patients, but helping to create jobs across New York State,” Woerner said during a ribbon-cutting celebration Wednesday at 47A City Centre. “We look forward to the growth this office brings HCR within Genesee and Orleans counties, and the continued partnerships within this area of our footprint.”

Woerner knows a thing or two about home healthcare, having been involved since 5 years old, helping out with her live-in grandmother. Later on, while living several states away from home, she later faced the challenge of assisting her father after her mom died at an early age.

That’s a dilemma that many people face when loved ones are in need of care while wishing to remain at home. Woerner founded the agency based on her knowledge of that need.

Agency employees “play an important role in treating people and keeping them safe and healthy in the comfort of their homes,” its website states. Services include a “wide range of home health care and social services” to provide support for a loved one’s needs, it states.

President Suzanne Turchetti thanked guests for attending, including City Manager Rachael Tabelski, City Council President Eugene Jankowski, Genesee County Legislator Gary Maha, state Assemblyman Stephen Hawley, who presented a certificate of merit to HCR, and agency staff.

“We are so excited to christen this new office; what an upgrade it is,” Turchetti said of the space on the City Centre’s west side. “We are so glad everyone was able to make it today, and we wanted to thank you all for being such wonderful ambassadors for HCR within the (Genesee and Orleans County) community. Your dedication to your patients as well as HCR is unmatched.” 

Regional directors recognized local staff members with awards and gifts as thanks for their dedication. HCR has cared for more than 26,000 unduplicated patients in Genesee and Orleans counties since its partnership in 2009.

Top photo: HCR Home Care President Suzanne Turchetti, left, and CEO Louise Woerner flank state Assemblyman Stephen Hawley as he presents the agency with a certificate of merit Wednesday in Batavia. Local Genesee County and City of Batavia representatives and agency staff celebrate a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday at HCR's new office at 47A Batavia City Centre; agency staff members were recognized with certificates and goodies as a thank-you for their dedication. Photos submitted by HCR Home Care.

A Rochester-based home-healthcare provider has completed its purchase of Genesee County's home nursing care program.

Home Care of Rochester, HCR, received what's known as a "certificate of need" from the State Department of Health, which is required for it to provide both long-term and short-term home nursing for Genesee County patients.

Since March of 2009, when HCR acquired the program from the county for $1.5 million, HCR has been operating in Genesee County under the county's certificate of need.

With the purchase, HCR replaces the county-owned program. HCR will now handle all acute, longer-term, therapy and home health-aide services for patients receiving insurance coverage via Medicare or Medicaid.

HCR also provides care through private insurance.