Leadership Spotlight: Wendy Ebner, RN, MSN, CRRN

When Wendy Ebner joined VNA Health Group in 2003, she was already a seasoned hospital nurse, and she expected home care to be a temporary stop on her career path.

At the time, Wendy was working many hours in the hospital, splitting her days between cardiac floors and sub-acute rehabilitation.“I was working three 12-hour shifts at the hospital, and I would often pick up another two or three eight-hour shifts at a rehab hospital,” she recalled. “Some days in rehab, some days on cardiac. It was a lot.” With young children at home, she saw home care as a way to gain more predictable hours, something she assumed would be temporary.

“I thought I’d come to home care, get some balance, and eventually go back to acute care,” she said. “But I never did.”

Discovering Home Care and a Mission

Before accepting the role, Wendy spent time learning more about VNA Health Group and its home care approach. What stood out to her immediately was the organization’s non-profit status and its commitment to reinvesting in the community.

That purpose, paired with her diverse clinical background, made the transition a natural fit. Wendy began her career as a nursing assistant in long-term care, earned her LPN and later her RN, and spent years working in cardiac care, rehabilitation, and hospital settings.

“It felt like my past experience lent itself well to taking care of people in the home, one-on-one with the patients,” she explained. “But you’re also teaching them, helping them understand their conditions, and empowering them to care for themselves. That’s incredibly rewarding.”

Challenging Misconceptions About Home Care

One of the biggest misconceptions Wendy encounters is that home care patients are less complex. In reality, she says, the opposite is often true.

“The patients we care for in the home are medically complex, but it goes beyond clinical care,” she explained. “You’re looking at social determinants of health, access to food, transportation, caregivers, and community resources. You’re not just caring for a patient; you’re addressing the whole person and the whole family.”

The holistic approach is strengthened through close collaboration across VNA Health Group’s network, including VNACJ Community Health Center, Visiting Physician Services, and the Children and Family Health Institute programs.

“Even when someone isn’t technically a parent, they share their concerns,” said Wendy. “They might mention a grandchild with developmental delays or difficulty accessing care. We connect them to resources. That’s how you build a healthier community.”

Growing Into Leadership

Wendy’s leadership journey at VNA Health Group unfolded quickly. She began as a field nurse case manager, became a preceptor within six months, and soon stepped into a clinical manager role, drawing on prior experience as a director of nursing in long-term care.

Supported by VNA Health Group’s tuition reimbursement program, she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees while working full-time. Along the way, she played a key role in launching and integrating multiple hospital joint ventures across the region, helping translate the organization’s home care model into new partnerships.

“I’ve been involved in every joint venture,” she shared. “Helping them get off the ground, teaching workflows, and making sure the care remains consistent.”

Despite her leadership responsibilities, Wendy never lost touch with the field. For years, she worked extended hours on Saturdays, conducted field visits, and maintained her rehabilitation nursing certification. “You don’t lose your skills in home care,” she said. “You build them.”

Looking Ahead

As healthcare continues to evolve, Wendy sees technology as essential to sustaining the nursing workforce. Documentation requirements have expanded significantly, often pulling nurses away from patient care. But emerging tools such as voice-to-text documents and AI-assisted workflows offer promise.

“If we can reduce the time nurses spend documenting, we can give them more time with patients,” she explained. “We’re not going to solve the nursing shortage overnight, but we can be smarter about how we support our clinicians.”

Reflecting on her career, Wendy credits home care with shaping her leadership path and her outlook on nursing itself.

“I stayed because home care lets you truly know people,” she said. “You see their lives, their challenges, and what they need to stay safe at home. Being part of that year after year, that’s what kept me here.”