About Us

History of Awards

HCP Award Winners Through the Years

Every year, HCP presents its Annual Awards at the HCP Annual Management Conference & Exhibition during the Annual Awards Luncheon. Over the years, many individuals and organizations have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to the home care industry and to HCP. In the interest of maintaining the high standards of the HCP Awards, not all Awards have been awarded every year. Here are past HCP Award recipients that have been recognized by HCP.

Richard Z. Steinhaus Award

The most prestigious Award presented by HCP is the Richard
Z. Steinhaus Award, which is awarded to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the home care industry. This award recognizes someone who is a leader, an expert and advocate for the home care industry who is well versed in Federal or New York State legislative or regulatory issues, and has spoken on behalf of the home care industry in public forums.

Pre 1990:
NYS Assembly Member George Winner Ruby Fisher, Family Aides
Norma Recco, Recco Home Care Service

• 1990 Richard Z. Steinhaus
• 1991 Phyllis A.Wang, New York State Association of Health Care Providers
• 1992 NYS Senator Tarky Lombardi
• 1993 NYS Assembly Member James Tallon
• 1994 Maurice Kelly, New York Nursing Care
• 1995 Edna A. Lauterbach, American Care
• 1996 Thomas O’Brien, Family Home Care Services of Brooklyn
• 1997 NYS Senator Michael J. Tully, Jr.
• 1998 James Pyles, Esq., Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville
• 1999 Nancy R. Barhydt, Dr., P.H., NYSDOH
• 2000 James Mahoney, Ulster Home Care
• 2001 Weingarten & Reid—Robert Reid, Steve Weingarten, Shauneen McNally
• 2002 Robert P. Dougherty, NYSDOH
• 2003 Todd Brason, WILLCARE
• 2004 Joel L. Hodes, Esq., Whiteman Osterman & Hanna
• 2005 Christine L. Johnston, New York State Association of Health Care Providers
• 2006 Robert L. Callaghan, New York Nursing Care
• 2007 Gerald P. Halpern, Esq., Meltzer Lippe, Goldstein, Breitstone
• 2008 Paula A. Reichel, Community Health Center of St. Mar’s and Nathan Littauer Hospitals
• 2009 Amy Leshner Thomas
• 2010 William Dombi, Esq., Director, Center for Health Care Law, National Association for Home Care (NAHC)
• 2014 Roslyn Wilkins, President, Aides at Home
• 2015 Bader P. Reynolds, Vice President, CareGivers
• 2018 Claudia Hammar, New York State Association of Health Care Providers
• 2020 Gregory Turchan, Premier Home Health Care Services
• 2023 Gary Carpenter, Gary Carpenter & Associates, Inc.

Edna A. Lauterbach Member of the Year Award

Presented to the HCP Provider or Health-Related Organization member who does the most to promote the interests and objectives of HCP. This award recognizes an HCP member in good standing who has shown dedication and demonstrated excellence in furthering the goals and objectives of HCP, either within the current membership year or over an extended period of time.

• 1997 Anne-Marie Warda, CareGivers
• 1998 Robert L. Callaghan, New York Nursing Care
• 1999 Michael Reda, Aurora Home Care
• 2000 Lisa Evans, Interim HealthCare
• 2001 Karen Dargo, All Metro Health Care
• 2002 Patricia Ferreira, Home Aides of Rockland
• 2003 Carol Greenberg, Concept: CARE
• 2004 Margaret McDowell, Bermac Home Aides
• 2005 Amy Leshner Thomas, Fedcap Home Care
• 2006 Annette R. Horvath, New York Health Care
• 2007 Mary Winters, RegionCare Nursing Agency
• 2008 Sanford H. Katz, Unlimited Care
• 2009 Taryn Birkmire, Recco Home Care Service
• 2010 Jennie Cortese, Administrator, WILLCARE
• 2011 Geri Brooks, Director of Professional Services Westchester Caring Services
• 2012 Jordan Shames, President & CEO, Neighbors Home Care
• 2013 Andrea Brown, Vice President, Progressive Home Health Services
• 2014 Sheila Rabideau, Assistant Executive Director, Home Health Services of Westchester Jewish Community Services
• 2016 Susan B. Bayerl, Vice President, People, Inc.
• 2018 Aisha Lucas, Fedcap Home Care
• 2019 Karen Clark, Home-Health Care Partners
• 2020 Sasha Guillaume, Mrs. G’s Services
• 2021 Glenn Lane, Westchester Family Care
• 2022 David Hogan, Venture Forthe, Inc.
• 2023 Julian Hagmann, Caring Professionals

Founders’ Spirit Award

The Founders’ Spirit Award, inaugurated in 2001, honors the spirit of the intrepid individuals who founded HCP in 1974. The award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated strong and successful efforts to promote awareness and appreciation of home and community-based services.

• 2001 Brian Botshon, Attentive Care of Albany
• Maurice Kelly, New York Nursing Care
• Marilyn Menichelli, M-E-A Health Care Services
• Norma Recco, Recco Home Care Services
• William Schnell, Family Aides
• Roslyn Wilkins, Aides at Home
• 2002 Sanford Katz, Priority Home Care
• 2003 Jordan Shames, Neighbors Home Care
• 2004 Margaret Coffey, South Shore Home Health Services
• 2005 Barbara Rossoff and Michele Tiger, OMEGA Home Health Services
• 2006 Bader Peters Reynolds, CareGivers
• 2007 Phyllis M. Raymond, Accent Health Care Services
• 2008 Bernhard R. Schiel, Bestcare
• 2009 Kenrick Cort, Tri-Borough Home Care
• 2010 Eileen Gerard, Regional Manager/ Director of Human Resources, South Shore Home Health Services
• 2011 Annette Horvath, Administrator, Bronxwood Licensed Home Care
• 2012 Al Gauvin, President, Companion Care of Rochester
• 2013 Fran Schafer, CEO, Wellness Home Care
• 2014 Richard Schaefer, Chief Operating Officer, Better Home Health Care Agency
• 2015 Rebecca Leahy, Executive Director, North Country Home Services
• 2017 Andrea Thomas-Randall, Sunnyside Citywide Home Care Services
• 2018 Sandra Lyons-Jackson, Companion Care of Rochester
• 2019 Judith Karmelek, CareGivers
• 2022 Direct Care Work Force
• 2023 James Rolla, VNS Health/Partners in Care

Associate Member of the Year Award

This award is presented to an HCP Associate member who has shown dedication and demonstrated excellence in furthering the goals and objectives of HCP either within the current membership year or over an extended period of time.

• 1997 Gary P. Carpenter, Carpenter & Onorato
• 1998 Thomas B. Arney, Program Risk Management
• 1999 Gerald Halpern, Esq., Halpern & Pasternack
• 2000 Nicholas Gnad & Paul Essner, New England Financial Group
• 2001 Michael Fiore, Health Care Answering Services
• 2003 John M. Bagyi, Esq., Bond Schoeneck & King
• 2004 John M. Conroy, Program Risk Management
• 2005 David A. Johnson, DeChants, Fuglein & Johnson
• 2006 Paul J. Siegel, Esq., Jackson Lewis
• 2007 James Pavoldi, Program Risk Management
• 2008 Leo D’Sa, S C Health Care Consulting
• 2009 Tricia Shackel, Mobile Health Management Services
• 2010 Paul Essner, Partner, The Signature Group of Companies
• 2011 Gary Carpenter, Partner, Holtz Rubenstein Reminick
• 2013 Hodgson Russ
• 2014 John Tuttle, Hagedorn and Company
• 2015 Roni Glaser, Esq., Glaser & Weiner
• 2016 Emina Poricanin, Esq., Hodgson Russ
• 2017 Sandata, Inc.
• 2018 Barbara Citarella, RBC Limited Healthcare & Management Consultants
• 2019 Friedlander Group, Inc.
• 2020 Michael Weiner, Esq, Glaser and Weiner, PC
• 2021 James Cohen, Nevvon
• 2022 Mobile Health
• 2023 NY Best Medical

NYS Elected Official of the Year Award Congressional Delegation Award

Presented to a local, State or Federal elected official who has done the most to advance the interests of home and community-based care. This award is presented to an elected official who has represented the best interests of home care.

• 1997 Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver
• 1998 Senator Dean G. Skelos
• 1999 Assembly Member Ronald Canestrari
• 2000 Assembly Member David Gantt and Senator William Larkin
• 2001 Assembly Member Maureen O’Connell
• 2002 Assembly Member Richard Gottfried
• 2003 Assembly Member Kevin Cahill and Congressman Eliot Engel
• 2004 Assembly Member Paul Tonko and Congressman John Sweeney
• 2005 Assembly Member Joseph D. Morelle
• 2006 Senator Kemp Hannon
• 2007 Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno and Congressman Charles Rangel
• 2008 Senator George D. Maziarz, NYS Senate and Congressman Michael R. McNulty
• 2009 Congressman Brian M. Higgins
• 2010 Senator Craig Johnson
• 2011 Senator John DeFrancisco
• 2012 Assembly Member Anthony Brindisi
• 2015 Assembly Member John McDonald
• 2016 Senator Kemp Hannon
• 2017 Assembly Member Andrew Raia
• 2019 Senator Gustavo Rivera
• 2020 Senator Todd Kaminsky
• 2021 Senator Rachel May
• 2022 Assembly Member Richard Gottfried
• 2023 Assembly Member Amy Paulin

Excellence in Public Relations Award

This award recognizes the achievements of an individual or organization that has raised awareness of the home care industry; drawn attention to a significant home care issue; or generated a high level of media coverage for an agency, other home care agencies or the home care industry through public relations efforts that generate an exceptional level of media coverage.

• 2008 Community Health Center HCP Long Island Chapter North Country Home Services VNA of Central New York
• 2010 HCP Long Island Chapter
• 2010 Travis Wattie, NYS Association of Health Care Providers (HCP)
• 2011 Home Care Association of Niagara County (HANCI)
• 2013 Rebecca Leahy, Executive Director, North Country Home Services
• 2020 Christine Johnston, Premier Home Health Care
• 2022 The New York Caring Majority

Journalistic Excellence in Support of Home Care Award

This award is presented to a journalist, reporter or media outlet that has demonstrated a commitment to raising the awareness of the home care industry through its reporting or feature stories.

• 2008 Richard Richtmyer, Associated Press
• 2017 Pete Demola, Sun Community News, Denton Publications

Norma Recco Advocate of the Year Award

Established and Presented by the HCP Long Island Chapter

The Norma Recco Award was established in 2011 by the HCP Long Island Chapter in memory of the late Norma Recco, a tireless advocate for the home care industry. This award is presented to an individual who emulates Norma’s passion, dedication and energy toward building awareness for the home care industry and who has made significant legislative and/or regulatory contributions toward advancing the best interests of home and community-based care.

• 2011 Taryn Birkmire, Executive Director, Recco Home Care Services
• 2012 Kathleen Bagnall, Director, Helping Hands
• 2013 Roslyn Wilkins, President, Aides at Home
• 2014 Richard Schaefer, Chief Operating Officer, Better Home Health Care Agency
• 2015 Matthew Hetterich, Business Development, Utopia Home Care
• 2018 Nancy Geiger, Gurwin Home Care