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TARRYTOWN, N.Y. Margaret Leonard of Tarrytown will be among four women honored Thursday at the Visiting Nurse Services in Westchester and Putnam's 2012 Spring Benefit Gala.
The event will be held at the Historic Tarrytown House Estate on the Hudson in Tarrytown. Michael Gargiulo, co-anchor of WNBC-TV's "Today in New York" and a resident of Larchmont, will be the Master of Ceremonies.
Also being honored are Joan DiPalma and Marjorie Kraus of Rye and Lynn Bagliebter of Scarsdale. All four, who have personal links to nursing, will receive awards at the Gala for their assistance to VNSWP.
Leonard, a registered nurse and a senior vice president of clinical services at Hudson Health Plan, will receive the Community Leadership Award. Leonard leads a team of nurse case managers who oversee the care of members with complex or chronic conditions. She frequently refers and authorizes VNSWP to provide all clinical home care services in a member's home. Stating that her nurse case managers share common values with VNSWP nurses, she notes that nurses develop a relationship with a patient and an understanding of the patient's needs that few other health care providers can match.
DiPalma, RN, a former operating room nurse at Fordham Hospital, has a special interest in the health care needs of senior citizens. While serving on the board of directors, she pushed to launch the agency's "Ask the Visiting Nurse" program, which offers health screenings and one-on-one counseling to older residents of Westchester. Over the years, the "Ask the Visiting Nurse" program grew to include visits to more than 60 senior, assisted living and community centers throughout the county. She will receive the Katharine McCloskey Wilson Award.
Kraus will receive the Donor Recognition Award for her support for 20 years. Kraus said she fondly remembers her mother, Beatrice Jacobs, and her mother's passion for the visiting nurse profession. From 1949 to 1958, Jacobs served as president of the Visiting Nurse Association of Mount Vernon, one of the seven Westchester VNS agencies to merge into what ultimately became VNSWP. Kraus said her memory of the dedicated visiting nurses at her mother's agency has inspired her to continue to support VNSWP as long as she can.
Bagliebter, the first senior vice president at Hudson Valley Bank, has used her banking expertise to help finance health care and not-for-profit organizations. She will receive the Distinguished Service Award for her contributions to the financial health of community organizations, as well as her service to VNSWP. A past member of the VNSWP board, Bagliebter has helped VNSWP navigate complex reimbursement changes.
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