Thrown Stone Presents Inaugural New Connections Award to RVNAhealth CEO and President, Theresa Santoro
Last night, Thrown Stone opened its 2022 theatrical season steeped in the theme “Mentoring Young Women” and presented the first of two inaugural New Connections Awards to RVNAhealth President and CEO Theresa Santoro following the sold-out production of Athena by Gracie Gardner.
Next week, Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance Executive Director Amy Piantaggini will be honored with the New Connections Award after the performance of Hysterical.
Thrown Stone visionaries and co-artistic directors, Jonathan Winn and Jason Peck explain, “The inaugural honorees have distinguished themselves over a number of years as mentors, and have each selected a mentee."
Melissa Woodhouse began her journey with RVNAhealth in 2014 and is currently Director of RVNAhealth StayingWELL. She introduced her mentor, Theresa Santoro, saying “I will forever be grateful for her [Theresa’s] feedback, support and guidance to grow and become the person I am today. A mentor is not someone who walks ahead of you to show you how to do it, a mentor walks alongside you to show you what you can do. Thank you, Theresa, for helping us all become better versions of ourselves.”
Santoro took to the mic thanking the Thrown Stone team for this esteemed honor and saying to her RVNAhealth colleague and friend, “Thank you to Mel for your kind and thoughtful words. It’s been my pleasure to work with you and watch you thrive at RVNAhealth. From the start, you’ve been defined by your curiosity and intellect and your desire to learn and grow.”
The New Connections Awards were envisioned to recognize individuals who exemplify Thrown Stone’s values and our mission to move, connect, and challenge all who join our theatrical conversation.
Learn more and purchase tickets to Hysterical! by Elenna Stauffer HERE.
Find out what last night’s audience had to say about Athena HERE.
Theresa Santoro has led RVNAHealth with vision, energy and compassion since 2007. She joined the agency in 1999 as a visiting registered nurse, and later served as director of clinical services and vice president of clinical operations. Relying on her 25-plus years of clinical and administrative nursing experience, Theresa has evolved and advanced RVNAhealth to become the dynamic, responsive provider of lifelong wellness services and preventative care that it is today.
Under Theresa’s leadership, RVNAhealth has expanded to offer a broad range of community clinics and wellness programs, and introduced RVNAhealth StayingWELL Caregiving Services, RVNAhealth ComfortWELL Hospice Services, and the RVNAhealth Rehabilitation & Wellness Center. Recognizing that RVNAhealth must continually grow to meet the challenges of an aging population, a dynamic healthcare landscape, and ever-expanding home and community health care needs, she guided the agency forward with the construction of a new $10 million, 23,000 square foot facility in 2016.
To fully reflect the agency’s breadth in both services offered and geographic coverage, in 2019 Theresa led a strategic rebranding: The agency known as RVNA (Ridgefield Visiting Nurse Association) became RVNAhealth. In 2020 RVNAhealth merged with New Milford Visiting Nurses and Bethel Visiting nurses and now RVNAhealth serves 35+ towns with over 500 employees. “Over the years, we have expanded to address the full continuum of care that individuals need throughout their lifetimes,” she says. “RVNAhealth better reflects the lifelong care and wellness services that we provide when, where, and how you need it.”
She received her BSN and MSN from Sacred Heart University and is a certified home care administrator. In 2006, she received the Nightingale Award for Excellence in Nursing, a statewide nursing recognition program. In 2009, she was awarded the Judith Hriceniak Award for Excellence in Nursing Leadership by the CT Association for Healthcare at Home. Sacred Heart University recognized her in 2015 with an outstanding alumni leadership award.