Addabbo partners with EMU Health to honor five women for their work in their communities for Women's History Month

March is Women’s History Month, and State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. is partnering with EMU Health to honor five women who have made an impact in their communities.

On Friday, March 10, Addabbo will present five women with New York State Senate Citations recognizing them for their dedicated work to their communities over the years. The ceremony will take place at 12 p.m. at the Deshi Senior Center, located at 83-10 Rockaway Boulevard in Ozone Park.

The women to be honored are Victoria Teutonico, the Director of Revenue Cycle Management at EMU Health; Arlenis Morel, Co-Executive Director of Make the Road New York; Sherry Algredo, Chairperson of Queens Community Board 9; Janet Forte, Vice President and Secretary of the Woodhaven Residents Block Association; and Patricia Raghunandan, South Asian Community Liaison in the Mayor's Community Affairs Office.

“Women’s History Month is a time for us to look back at some of the amazing women who have helped shape not only our nation, but the world,” Addabbo said. “This Women’s History Month I want to honor five women who have had a positive impact on their communities through their work and volunteer service. I thank EMU Health for their partnership on this event and selecting two of the five women to honor. I also want to extend my thanks to the Deshi Senior Center for opening their facility for this great event.”

“As the Community Outreach Coordinator at EMU Health, my job is creating awareness in the community we serve about our brand of quality healthcare provided at EMU Health. EMU Health is a Multispecialty Outpatient Medical Facility, consisting of a State-of-the-art newly renovated ambulatory Surgery Center and Physicians Practices,” said George Onuorah. “At EMU, our mission remains to bridge the gap between quality healthcare and a convenient patient experience. We are familiar with the saying that Health is wealth, therefore to me, a healthy community is for all intents and purposes the goal we must continue to strive for.”

Victoria Teutonico is EMU Health’s Director of Revenue Cycle Management. Teutonico joined EMU Health after devoting years in medical practice administration which included running multiple offices for a busy specialty practice. She has been the director of Revenue Cycle at EMU Health for four years where she oversees billing, credentialing, authorization, appeals and more. Victoria uses her position to avail affordable healthcare to all people regardless of their station in life. Beyond her position in Revenue Cycle, Victoria serves as a vital resource to several different departments at EMU Health to ensure that medical services are provided in a timely, quality, and professional manner.

Arlenis Morel is the Co-Executive Director Make the Road New York nonprofit organization. Arlenis immigrated to the United States from Venezuela in 1992. In 2003, Arlenis joined MRNY’s staff as a part-time receptionist. She became more and more involved in MRNY, taking advantage of the organization’s leadership development trainings, and eventually worked her way up to lead the organization’s Operations Department. In 2015, she stepped into the role of Chief of Staff, overseeing the Operations, HR and IT Departments and is now one of the three Co-Executive Directors of MRNY. She is leading the implementation of MRNY’s strategic plan and is responsible for maintaining overall day-to-day operations of MRNY. Arlenis has trained at Coro’s Immigrant Civic Leadership Program and Columbia University’s Senior Leaders Program for Non-Profit Professionals. She also represented District 24 in Queens on the Community Education Council for two years.

Sherry Algredo came to the United States nearly 30 years ago and has been a resident of Richmond Hill ever since. She was appointed on the Community Education Council 27 in 2013 and served 4 years in that role. In 2017 she applied and was appointed to a position on Community Board 9. Within one year she was appointed as Education Chair, and was voted First Vice Chair in her second year. In 2022 she became the first woman from Trinidad and Tobago to win the Chairperson position of a Community Board. As Chair of CB 9, Sherry has continued her work in the community through supporting her neighbors, local businesses and organizations.

Janet Forte is the Vice President and Secretary of the Woodhaven Residents Block Association (WRBA) and the former President of the 38th Assembly District Part B Regular Democratic Club. During her time with the WRBA, Janet helped establish the WRBA Warriors, a group of members that would go out into the community to gather information of what is happening to help address quality of life issues. She has also helped to set up free book giveaways as well as delivering food to the needy and assisted the Woodhaven Business Improvement District (BID) with some of their operations such as park and community cleanup events. Janet is a NYS Certified School Psychologist and currently works in Suffolk County in a preschool for students with special needs.

Sookranie Dhanpat (also known as Patricia), was born in Guyana and moved to the United States in 1987. Sookranie has been doing charitable work for the majority of her life. She was the secretary of COPCP (Cityline Ozone Park Civilian Patrol) and was the lead of the Ozone Park Food Pantry, serving thousands in the Ozone Park community. Sookraine is also a member of the Queens Community Lions Club. She does a great deal of charity work here in the city and in her home country of Guyana. Currently, Sookranie works in the Mayor's Community Affairs Office as the South Asian Community Liaison, and has two beautiful children.