Thank you for joining us tonight as we celebrate and commemorate our 125th anniversary of healing, caring and serving.
It is a distinct privilege to have joined the skilled clinicians, the dedicated staff and managers, the exceptional members of our board of directors and the many friends and supporters of our organization over this past year as we look back on our storied past... and ahead... to a very bright future.
As you will hear tonight, the Visiting Nurse Association of Boston story is one that is full of personal accounts of bold actions, of risk-taking and sacrifice, and of endeavoring to make lives better. You will also hear and see a common theme: that this is one place where no challenge has been too daunting and no need too difficult to tackle. It is in that spirit then that we honor three individuals who exemplify in the clearest and most direct manner possible, all that we strive to stand for and achieve. John Auerbach, Dr. Bob Witzburg, and Jackie Jenkins-Scott.... tonight we honor you and we thank you. Now I could describe in endless detail what it means exactly to be a Hero in Home Healthcare, which is the official theme of this event, but instead, I’ll just simply say: listen to the introductions of these three exceptional individuals and then you will understand well enough.
125 years ago, by the harbor in Boston, a revolution began. A revolution that blazed across this country in the name of teaching, healing and advocating for those who ‘fall through the cracks’. We’d love to celebrate this evening a world where cracks such as these no longer exist. Where a compassionate society has adequately reformed its system to allow for high quality health care services to be available to all of its most vulnerable members... and where better performing, more conscientious caregivers are rewarded for investing in programs and improving lives. But those cracks still do exist. Some... are even getting bigger. Different populations within our City of Boston show marked differences in health status... and access to sometimes even basic care is lacking still. An aging generation confronts infirmity alone and with fear. And too many of our patients depart from our hospitals sicker and more bewildered than ever about who they can trust and turn to for help.
Those cracks still do exist... and some are even getting bigger. What to do... what to do?
The Visiting Nurse Association of Boston has been here... for 125 years in fact. And.. we will be here.
With your help, we can make this better.
Enjoy the evening. And thank you for being here tonight.
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