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March 29, 2024

“Part of the Family”: Spotlight on Staff Member-Turned-Volunteer Carmen Ortiz

April 19, 2018

Carmen Ortiz has been with VNSNY for 40 years—36 years as an employee, and the last four as a VNSNY volunteer.

For almost 40 years, Carmen Ortiz has been faithfully reporting for duty at VNSNY—the first 36 of those years as a full-time employee, and the most recent four as a volunteer. She wouldn’t have it any other way. When Carmen retired in May, 2014 from her job as a Support Processor in VNSNY’s Bronx regional office, she told colleagues that she might look for volunteer work near her home in the Parkchester section of the Bronx. “Why not volunteer for VNSNY?” her supervisor asked. ‘You can take a few weeks to think about it.”

“I’ll start on Monday,” Carmen replied.

Born in East Harlem, Carmen moved as a young adult to the Bronx, where she raised three children while holding a series of factory jobs. In 1978, she applied to VNSNY and was hired as a home attendant, working out of the organization’s offices in the Sears Building on Fordham Road in the Bronx. She accompanied VNSNY’s nurses on home visits and assisted them in various ways, including serving as a translator with Spanish-speaking patients. Eventually she took on office responsibilities, inputting nurses’ notes into patient files. She subsequently was promoted to the position of Support Processor, where she assisted with the payroll function by entering per-diem nurses’ time and expenses into the system. It was Carmen’s introduction to computer work. “I was trained to use computers on the job by my supervisors at the time, Lillian Ramos and Theresa Dion,” Carmen remembers. “I was nervous, but I picked it up pretty quickly.”

Throughout her years at VNSNY, Carmen has taken great pride in how the organization helps people in the community. She’s always felt like she was “not part of a business, but part of a family,” she says, as she worked to support VNSNY’s field staff in their shared goals of improving people’s lives. Carmen was formally recognized numerous times for her teamwork and contributions: She was named Employee of the Month in November 1990; received the VNSNY Centennial Hero Award, given to standout employees in 1993 to mark the company’s 100th year; and was awarded the VNSNY ESPRIT Award in 2009. “I was happy to get the awards, but I did the work because VNSNY has always been my passion,” says Carmen. “Everyone who knows me knows how much I care about this place.”

Carmen with Rosa Lopez, Supervisor of CORE Business Operations.

Today, as a volunteer in VNSNY’s offices at 1200 Waters Place in the Bronx, Carmen is a dependable, upbeat presence. From 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., three days a week, she prepares all of the admission packets that the Bronx nurses use in the field for initial “starter” visits. She reports to Rosa Lopez, Supervisor of CORE Business Operations, who can’t say enough about her contributions. “Carmen is a wonderful person with a cheery, positive way that’s very contagious with the staff,” notes Rosa. “She is also important to what we do. In our crunch times, she even comes to the office on her off days to help out. It would take two people to replace her.”

Carmen helping Occupational Therapist Brendan Linehan with supplies.

“Carmen saves our nurses valuable time that they can devote to caring for patients,” adds Mary Leddy, an interdisciplinary care team manager for the Bronx region. To have someone like Carmen who, even in retirement, maintains her connection with and dedication to VNSNY—as well as her love of people—“means a lot,” says Mary. “She knows everyone in the office and lifts up the people who work with her. It’s a pleasure to have the staff see her and the example she sets.”

“I feel like I have a bond with everyone at VNSNY,” agrees Carmen. “The office is like a home for me.” In retirement, Carmen enjoys going to both the English- and Spanish-language theatre, and also has the time to fuss over her six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Still, she remains committed to reserving a big part of each week for her volunteer work. When Carmen’s daughter Debra called her on her cell phone one day recently and Carmen mentioned that she was at the VNSNY offices, Debra’s response said it all: “Where else?” she smiled.