Recovering from multiple heart surgeries, Anthony Vassallo came to The New Jewish Home, where he found dedicated health care professionals who helped him regain his strength. “When I left, it felt like I was leaving family behind.”

Anthony Vassallo, a dynamic bankruptcy attorney and a native New Yorker who has lived in all five boroughs, spent two months in the hospital after a femoral artery blockage required multiple surgeries. “I had to put myself back together,” he said. When he arrived at The New Jewish Home’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Center in Manhattan, he was ready to work hard to regain his health and strength.

Anthony’s expectations were high, and he was impressed with what he found. “They have Mount Sinai Health System full-time doctors on staff on each floor five days a week, as well as a nurse practitioner per floor, and an evening and weekend floater doctor—which is not the case in the for-profit rehabilitation facilities, where a doctor is present only three hours a week,” he said.

He added that the nursing staff was excellent and compassionate, going out of their way to help. He was especially impressed with Natalia and Athena, his main daytime nurses, and CNAs Norma and Gordon. But his appreciation extended to all the staff he encountered. “My social worker, Peter, was very friendly and professional, always on top of our care meetings and discharge plans and interfacing with insurance companies.”

Anthony’s rehabilitation therapy team was excellent, he said. “Even on my most difficult days, when I could only walk a few steps without exhaustion, Ahmet and Farah supported and encouraged me, telling me it would get better. They never let me get discouraged. When I left, it felt like I was leaving family behind.”

He appreciated the amenities he found at Jewish Home, especially the garden, where he spent most of his free time. “I loved the outdoor patio and pond, filled with Koi fish and four friendly turtles who will literally crawl out of the pond to greet you if you have a strawberry or grape in your hand. The weather was mostly beautiful and sunny, and I spent almost every day outside.”

With the support of his wife, Anthony turned to WeCare, Jewish Home’s customer service platform, which handles requests from patients and families. Whatever issues came up, Anthony said, the WeCare team helped him resolve it, from a challenging roommate to a wound that needed special attention.

After two months in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center, he’s back home now and continuing to regain his strength. Anthony said, “When I arrived at the facility, I doubted I would ever be able to walk again. By the time I was discharged, I could walk up and down the long hallway. Now I’m walking without a cane, I’ve been weaned off my medication, and I can walk up and down stairs.”

Anthony gained a deep appreciation for The New Jewish Home’s social mission as well as the excellent therapy he received in the Cardiac Rehabilitation Center. “As a nonprofit,” he said, “their motivation for care is not based on the bottom line.”

The New Jewish Home offers a range of health care services for older adults with locations in Manhattan, Bronx, and Westchester. Our at-home care solutions empower older adults to receive superior care from the comfort of home. Learn more about The New Jewish Home and see how we’ve been innovating health care for older adults since 1848.