VNS Health's Home Care Policy Research Center has been instrumental in developing the company's advanced and evolving care delivery model.
The research center's latest example of innovation is a virtual coaching program called ViCCY. This program is designed to help families caring for people with heart failure or cognitive impairment manage stress and improve their health. This program is already improving patient outcomes.
The prevalence of health diseases in older adults is well documented
“Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States and around the world,” Dr. Barbara Riegel, senior fellow at the Home Health Policy Research Center, told Home Health Care News. “A lot of my concern is that there are so many cases, so many problems, and it's having such a strong impact on our health care system.”
Based in New York, VNS Health is a full-service, nonprofit home care organization. At any given time, the company cares for more than 73,000 patients, members and customers.
VNS Health launched the Home Health Policy Research Center 33 years ago. During that time, the research center has raised more than $60 million in external funding and published more than 500 papers in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Riegel received the American Heart Association's 2025 Clinical Research Award for his work on cardiovascular disease self-management and caregiving.
For Riegel, one aspect of heart disease that doesn't get enough attention is the burden on family caregivers, which can lead to depression, decreased quality of life, and increased risk for cardiovascular events and chronic diseases, according to the American Heart Association.
Riegel and the research team at VNS Health recently received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to test a virtual coaching program and are already seeing positive results.
“We're actually seeing a huge impact on caregivers, reducing stress, improving self-care, and improving mental health,” Riegel said. “We also found that improving caregiver self-care can actually improve patient outcomes.”
Margaret McDonald, Deputy Director of the Home Care Policy Research Center, added that it is VNS Health's responsibility as a home care provider to involve caregivers in the care process to improve outcomes.
“(Home care providers) need to constantly consider what the evidence base is to enhance the interventions they are offering and where they are putting their investments,” she said.
Ultimately, McDonald believes that interventions to support family caregivers are essential.
“We’re really leveraging the resources that are available everywhere,” she said. “I think it broadens the horizon of what can be done.”
VNS Health isn't the only home health provider that recognizes the importance of family caregiver involvement.
Companies like Senior Helpers, Aveanna Healthcare Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: AVAH), and Family & Nursing Care all interact with family caregivers in some way. This includes professional training programs and participation in state Medicaid programs.
Other home care companies are also focusing on at-home cardiac care. For example, in 2023, home care startup MedArrive partnered with Heartbeat Health to bring on-demand cardiovascular services to the home.
