Editor’s Note: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Home Care and McKnight’s Senior Living are profiling the McKnight’s 2024 Pinnacle Awards honorees daily in April and May. For additional McKnight’s Pinnacle Awards content, visit this page.

Esther Kamara-Conteh’s life has taken her from Sierra Leone in West Africa to New York and beyond.

Her parents were healthcare workers and educators, and when she immigrated to New York City, she began as a home health aide, modeling her approach to the compassionate care learned at home. 

Her patients often were the most vulnerable, managing their own multiple, chronic illnesses. Kamara-Conteh learned the true value of the insights from direct care aides as she worked with care teams to develop plans and deliver the highest quality care. 

Her time as a home health aide propelled her to nursing school and from there, her career shot upward. Her current role as the vice president of care management for Health Plans from VNS Health has her at one of the largest US nonprofit home- and community-based healthcare organizations. She oversees clinicians and care managers to develop care plans for the 35,000 members they serve.

Remaining true to her roots as a home health aide, much of Kamara-Conteh’s time is focused on VNS Health Health Plan Medicaid Advantage Plus (MAP) and Managed Long Term Care (MLTC) members, the company’s Medicaid plans for New Yorkers who want to remain in their own homes and communities but need help with activities of daily living. There, she continues to manage care for patients with multiple illnesses who also can struggle with access to food and housing. 

Kamara-Conteh also is a mentor for the next generation of caregivers, helping them understand the big picture, which can get lost in the day-to-day.

“It’s important to look beyond the daily demands and challenges, because the reward over time will be so much more than you put in,” she tells younger employees. 

  • Moved to New York City when she was 16.
  • Graduated as an advanced practice nurse from New York University.
  • Her parents were healthcare workers and educators in Africa, providing early inspiration for Kamara’s career in healthcare. 

The McKnight’s Pinnacle Awards program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care. Honorees were recognized March 21 at a dinner and awards ceremony in Chicago. Omnicare was the Silver sponsor for the 2024 Pinnacle Awards program. Parker Health Group and Sentrics were event sponsors.