The Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties is excited to announce the appointment of James Budis, RN, MSN, MPH as Vice President of Clinical Services of Vermont’s oldest and largest home health and hospice agency. Budis will succeed Patricia Donehower, MSN, RN, who steps down at the end of June.
Budis spent five years as clinical director for the Home Care division at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York in New York City before moving to Vermont with his family two years ago. He is currently the clinical director of Addison County Home Health & Hospice, a member agency of the VNAs of Vermont and a sister agency of the VNA of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties.
As the new V.P. of Clinical Services, Budis will oversee all of the VNA’s clinical services, which offer programs across the lifespan in homes and community settings – from prenatal care and services for vulnerable families to home health services for adults and end-of-life care. Budis will be charged with leading the VNA’s vision of providing the best possible care for patients, clients, families and communities.
“I’m honored to join a progressive agency that has so many different programs and such a longstanding commitment to meeting the needs of the community,” said Budis, who started out his career as a home care nurse and worked as a nurse practitioner in nursing homes and hospice before returning to the home health field as a clinical director.
Budis described home health care as “a place where healthcare workers can really shine” because they are able to go into homes and see the full context of a person’s life. “You can have one-on-one interactions with patients and families that I don’t think you can get anywhere else in the health care system and those interactions are incredible opportunities to impact people’s lives in a very positive way.”
VNA President and CEO Judy Peterson, RN, said the agency is thrilled to have Budis coming on board.
“Jim’s blend of direct service and leadership experience as well as his work in a variety of health care settings gives him wonderful insight into what we do,” Peterson said. “I look forward to Jim joining our leadership team and helping the VNA advance our vision to be the leading home and community-based provider in an integrated health care system.”
Budis received his BS and MS in nursing from Binghamton University and Hunter College of the City University of New York/ Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing, respectively. He earned his Executive Master of Public Health from Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health. Budis lives in Charlotte with his wife and two daughters, ages 3 and 6. The family enjoys hiking at Mount Philo and exploring local swimming holes.
The VNA is a 108-year-old non-profit home health and hospice agency caring for people of all ages – from critically ill children to vulnerable families to adults who need rehabilitation, care for chronic illness, adult day services or end-of-life care. The VNA provides medically-necessary home and community-based care to individuals and families regardless of their ability to pay. The VNA serves over 4,900 individuals and families in Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties each year. The VNA is proud to be a funded agency of the United Way of Chittenden County.