THE BRONX, N.Y. – VIP Community Services is a finalist in the Innovation category of the prestigious 3rd Annual NYC Imagine Awards. The Imagine Awards were established to recognize and celebrate the most effective and innovative nonprofit organizations in the NYC metro area.
The highly anticipated nonprofit competition will be held on Tuesday, October 17th, at Guastavino’s, located at 409 E. 59th St., NY, NY. With nearly 250 applications submitted for consideration across six categories, namely Innovation, Leadership Excellence, Rising Star, Social Impact, Arts & Culture, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and/or Accessibility (DEIA), VIP has been selected as one of four finalists in the Innovation category, highlighting their outstanding program in collaboration with Healthfirst Health Insurance, St. Barnabas Hospital, and BronxCare Health Systems.
“The purpose of this initiative is to develop supportive primary care practices to advance access, equity, quality, and clinical goals by building stronger relationships across the practices, social service organizations, and clinical systems,” says Sandra Ollivierre, Health Home Program Manager of VIP Community Services. “It is also to collaborate within the community and to ensure clients get the best quality care possible.”
The winner in each category will be revealed during the event and will receive public recognition for their work and an award of $5,000. Furthermore, thanks to generous support from Webster Bank, all finalists, including VIP, will receive a $1,000 award.
“We appreciate the opportunity to be part of the NYC Imagine Awards and are grateful for the support and recognition of our work,” says Debbian Fletcher-Blake, President and CEO of VIP Community Services. “This program is innovative because it brings together a community-based organization, hospitals, and a payor with the goal of improving health outcomes of Bronx residents. Our partnership with Healthfirst, St. Barnabas Hospital, and BronxCare Health System is indeed innovative.”
Finalists were selected through a rigorous process involving NYC business and nonprofit professionals during the preliminary judging phase. Following this, the Judging Panel will determine the winner in each of the six categories.
“The Imagine Awards honors the best of the best, so being named an Imagine Award finalist is a big deal,” said NYC Imagine Awards founder Ken Cerini of Cerini & Associates. “All of the finalists are incredible with extremely effective, innovative, and impactful operations … they are truly making a difference for all of us.”
Details about NYC Imagine Awards and the list of finalists in all categories are available at https://nycimagineawards.com/