Christiana Care Health System is one of the largest health care providers in the mid-Atlantic, serving all of Delaware and parts of PA, MD and NJ.

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Pam Szczerba is director of Quality & Risk Mangement at for ChristianaCare HomeHealth.  In this role, she leads the Quality & Safety and Education departments.

Quality Outcomes

Risk Management

Accreditation and Survey Prep (Home Health)

Patient Experience

Staff Engagement

Onboarding

Caregiver Safety

Downloadable Photos of Pamela Szczerba

Pamela Szczerba appointed director of VNA Quality and Risk

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‘There aren't enough words in the dictionary to say all she did for me.’

Director, HomeHealth Quality, Education & Risk Management

Elena Gomez, RN, wears the dark blue scrubs of a ChristianaCare nurse, but Nona Lerza sees her as even more.

“I call you an angel,” said Lerza, who credits Gomez with saving her life.

 Gomez, a ChristianaCare HomeHealth case manager, regularly visited Lerza, at her home in Middletown, Delaware, to check her blood pressure after a hospitalization.

One day in February, with bad weather on the horizon, Gomez phoned Lerza to see if she could stop by for a check-in.

That call – and Gomez’s persistence – turned out to be lifesaving. During her visit, Gomez found Lerza’s blood pressure was high – high enough to warrant emergency care.

 Lerza wasn’t eager to return to the hospital. But she trusted Gomez, and the strength of that connection convinced Lerza to heed Gomez’s advice and head to the emergency department.

After arriving by ambulance, Lerza underwent quadruple bypass surgery at Christiana Hospital. Her cardiology team agreed – Gomez saved her life.

Fully recovered, Lerza is now back to living independently in her home.

“There aren’t enough words in the dictionary to say all she did for me,” Lerza said.

“She closed my house up. She did everything for me that night and I can’t thank her enough. It seems very hollow to say thank you. But if she hadn’t come, I don’t know where I’d be today.”

For Gomez – a second generation nurse – working as a HomeHealth nurse gives her the chance to build lasting relationships with patients.

“We are here for the community; we are here for our patients; we are here for the families,” she said, “and we will do everything in our power to help them get better.”


Nona’s Story: HomeHealth Nurse Visit Leads to Life-Saving Care

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, the U.S. population age 65 and over grew nearly five times faster than the total population over the 100 years from 1920 to 2020. As the population ages, more people are worried about aging in place – and being safe, well and independent in their own homes. 

Since 1922, ChristianaCare HomeHealth has helped neighbors in Delaware live independently and get the care they need. 

On this episode of For the Love of Health, Ann Painter, President of ChristinaCare HomeHealth and Pam Szczerba, Director of Quality, Education and Risk Management for ChristianaCare HomeHealth offer valuable insights into this evolving field. 

For more information visit ChristianaCare.org/podcast

The Healing Power of HomeHealth with Ann Painter and Pam Szczerba

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