New York, NY – [May, 2026] – Vanessa Fernandez has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer (COO) for VillageCare and VillageCareMAX Managed Care Health Plans. In her new role, Vanessa will oversee all aspects of business operations and strategic initiatives for VillageCareMAX Managed Care Health Plans, reinforcing VillageCare's commitment to delivering exceptional care and services to its diverse community of members.
Vanessa is a seasoned operations leader with more than two decades of experience across home care and health plan environments. She has held various leadership roles at VillageCare since 2012. Ms. Fernandez has built a reputation for turning complexity into clarity—streamlining operations, strengthening performance, and delivering measurable results. During her tenure at VillageCare, she has consistently driven growth, elevated quality and member satisfaction, and improved cost efficiency—all while positioning the organization to operate smarter and serve better.
"We are thrilled to elevate Vanessa Fernandez as our new Chief Operating Officer," said Shaun Ruskin, President and CEO of VillageCare. “Vanessa has a rare ability to see around corners and bring people together to get things done. She understands what it takes to run a high-performing organization in today’s environment, and she leads with both discipline and purpose. We are all confident that her impact will be noticed not only in how we operate, but in how we show up for the people we serve each day.”
Vanessa began her career working in home care where she worked to establish the first-ever Spanish bilingual Home Health Aide training program in New York City. Ms. Fernandez is deeply committed to ensuring that every member has clear, meaningful access to their health information—regardless of language or background. She is focused on building systems and experiences that remove communication barriers and make care more understandable, equitable, and accessible for all.
“I’m truly honored to step into this role and grateful for the confidence that the VillageCare team has placed in me,” said Vanessa Fernandez. “I’m proud to keep building on the work we’ve already done together—strengthening our programs, opening more doors to high-quality care for our members, and continuing to earn the trust we’ve established in both Medicaid and Medicare.”
About VillageCare and VillageCareMAX:
VillageCareMAX, the managed care plan of VillageCare, operates in the five boroughs of New York City, as well as Westchester and Putnam counties. It serves dual eligible and Medicaid beneficiaries 21 and older through four plans for individuals with long-term care needs: VillageCareMAX MLTC, VillageCareMAX Medicare Health Advantage (HMO-DSNP) and VillageCareMAX Medicare Total Advantage (HMO-DSNP and VillageCareMAX Medicare Select Advantage Prescription Drug Plan (MAPD). VillageCareMAX’s nearly 40,000 members are quite diverse; 2 in 3 members’ first language is not English. As with most managed long-term care plans, members have multiple chronic illnesses, multiple functional deficits requiring assistance with daily living tasks, and high incidence of cognitive impairment. In addition to VillageCareMAX, the organization offers an assisted living facility. VillageCare’s network delivers the right service at the right time and place.