"Human Beings caring for other Human Beings"

The New York State Association of Health Care Providers is in its 30th year. The nonprofit trade association chartered in 1974 was organized at a grass roots level. Five of the founding members from Long Island are still active industry leaders today: Maurice Kelly, Marilyn Menichelli, William Schnell, Roslyn Wilkins, and from Massapequa, Norma E. Recco.

In 1970 when Norma E. Recco started her Massapequa business, Recco Home Care Services, Inc., she drew upon her previous experience in temporary personnel placement.

Recco moved across Long Island, recruiting home care providers and meeting with families and hospital administrators to arrange and schedule home care. "The most sensitive caring providers I found were women with many years experience as quote, ‘domestics’, recalls Recco. "They were accustomed to working in home settings and getting along with families. Homeowners trusted and valued them."

While busy raising four children, and running her businessess, Recco also served as President of the Chamber of Commerce of the Massapequas from 1978 to 1980, on Congressman Robert Mrazek Health Care Advisory Committee from 1984 to 1988, and on Councils and Health Care Committees throughout New York.

It is 30 years since NYSAHCP was founded and today, the association gives considerable time to government relations, to lobbying in Albany, to tracking changes in Medicaid, and speculating on the future health and welfare of the home care industry. Mary Winters, the current NYSAHCP Long Island Chapter president, has been an active NYSAHCP participant since 1996. She says of her mentor: "Norma understood that the needs of individuals and their families would be better advanced through a unified effort, by holding standards, sharing information, and through advocacy, education and training. Her ideas became the essence of its network of chapters. Now, 30 years later, the challenges faced by NYSAHCP have changed, but it is still here. And, so is our Norma."

"Many of our members are faced with challenges to their business, but in all instances, they hold reputation in highest values," said Recco. "And, in our industry, that reputation is based on human beings caring for other human beings."