The tightening regulatory scrutiny on hospice providers is an opportunity for hospices to demonstrate their ethics and integrity, according to Sena Woodall, COO of VNA Health.
VNA Health appointed Woodall as its COO earlier this month. She first joined VNA Health in 2018, serving as a hospice manager and then as director of hospice. Woodall then rejoined VNA Health in 2023 as senior director of hospice and was later promoted to vice president of operations.
Founded in 1908, VNA Health VNA Health is California’s third oldest Visiting Nurse Association (VNA). The organization provides home health care, palliative care, hospice care, bereavement Care and community care programs across three California counties.
Hospice News spoke with Woodall about the prevailing trends impacting the industry, how fraud affects legitimate providers and VNA Health’s top priorities.
What are your top priorities as you come into this new role?
As I step into the role of chief operating officer, one of my top priorities is to ensure our communities continue to recognize and trust VNA Health as their partner in care at home, supporting their health, safety and overall well-being.
For over 118 years, VNA Health has been a trusted presence in Santa Barbara County, walking alongside patients and families through some of life’s most vulnerable moments. Our commitment to education, compassionate care and serving individuals regardless of their ability to pay remains at the heart of our mission.
My vision is to build upon this incredible legacy and remind our community that VNA Health is not only still here, but continues to be a strong, vital, and trusted resource. I want us to be more visible, more connected and more intentional in how we serve the people of Santa Barbara County.
My priorities are centered on three areas: investing in our clinicians and staff, ensuring they feel valued, supported and equipped to provide exceptional care; strengthening our financial sustainability, so we can continue fulfilling our mission for generations to come; and expanding our community outreach and education, building relationships and ensuring that more people know who we are, what we offer, and how we can support them.
Ultimately, my goal is to honor the legacy of those who built VNA Health while leading us into a future where we continue to grow and serve with excellence.
What are VNA Health’s plans for increasing the communities’ access to both home health and hospice care services?
VNA Health remains deeply committed to reaching our community and expanding access to care for everyone who needs it. A key part of this commitment is increasing education and outreach throughout Santa Barbara County, ensuring that individuals and families know who we are, what services we provide, and how we can support them with their specific needs.
As part of this initiative, we invested in a dedicated nurse educator whose primary focus is education, outreach and serves as a reflection of our trusted resources — not only for physicians and healthcare professionals, but for anyone in our community seeking information, guidance, or support.
I have seen the impact of this type of education as it allows for a safe space for families to have the opportunity to discuss and learn without the fear or pressure of making a decision they are not prepared for. Families are scared to talk about end of life or how care in the home will help. Having a dedicated nurse to sit with families and answer questions provides time and space to make the right decision.
We continue to strengthen our partnerships with healthcare providers throughout Santa Barbara County, working together to remove barriers to care and ensure that individuals, whether insured, uninsured, or facing financial hardship, have access to the compassionate, high-quality care they deserve.
We have partnered with CenCal Health to provide care for Medicaid patients and the most vulnerable in our community.
What do you see as the most prevailing headwinds that hospices are facing in 2026?
One of the most significant headwinds in 2026 has been the increased regulatory compliance and enforcement within the healthcare industry. With greater exposure of fraud and ongoing changes to the healthcare landscape, there has been an increased focus on navigating these challenges while continuing to provide high-quality patient care.
VNA Health continues to remain at the forefront of these changes, ensuring that we continue to meet regulatory requirements while maintaining our commitment to excellence. We have never viewed increased regulation as an obstacle, but rather as an opportunity to demonstrate our integrity, accountability, and commitment to compliance.
Most importantly, we continue to show that regulatory excellence and exceptional, compassionate patient care can go hand in hand.
Where do you see the strongest tailwinds?
The strongest tailwind for the hospice industry continues to be the growth of the aging patient population.
Looking ahead, the baby boomer generation represents the next significant wave of patients, and VNA Health is proactively preparing to meet their evolving needs across the continuum of care, including home health, palliative care, and hospice services. We are placing greater emphasis on education and outreach, ensuring that patients and families are well-informed about their care options and empowered to make decisions that best align with their needs and goals.
Another significant tailwind is the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and healthcare technology. These innovations present tremendous opportunities to improve our operational efficiency. As the technology landscape continues to evolve, we are exploring ways to leverage these advancements to give our clinical teams more time to focus on what matters most: providing exceptional, compassionate patient care.
Our goal is to embrace innovation thoughtfully, balancing greater efficiency with our unwavering commitment to our mission to care for our community with compassion and integrity.
California has had a rough go in recent years due to hospice fraud. How does this issue affect legitimate providers like VNA Health?
Hospice fraud has had a significant impact on our industry, and I have seen the most impact on maintaining patient and family trust.
It has also led to increased regulatory oversight, additional compliance requirements, and greater accountability to ensure that all providers are operating with integrity and transparency.
For VNA Health, these changes have led us to strengthen our policies, procedures, and documentation to ensure continued compliance. We have always been committed to doing what is right, so the impact on our day-today operations has been limited. More importantly, this heightened attention and focus has reinforced the importance of building trust with patients and families, ensuring they feel informed, supported, and genuinely cared for as they make important decisions about their care.
At VNA Health we see this as an opportunity to further demonstrate our commitment to ethical practices, quality care, and putting patients first.
What are the most important lessons you have learned about health care leadership?
One of the greatest lessons I have learned in healthcare leadership is that caring for your staff is the first priority. I have seen that when employees feel supported, valued, and heard, they go out into the community and provide the highest quality of care to their patients. I firmly believe that servant leadership lays the foundation for exceptional patient care.
As a leader, taking the time to genuinely listen to staff, understand their perspectives, and advocate for their needs builds trust and makes it easier to navigate change. When staff know their leader is invested in their well-being and success, they are better equipped to care for others.
I am a nurse by trade, and early in my career, I realized that as a nurse, I could care for one patient at a time. As a leader, I have the privilege of caring for the staff who, in turn, care for more than 600 patients a day. That perspective has shaped my entire approach to leadership. By investing in our people, we extend our ability to make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients and families throughout our community.
Healthcare leadership requires a constant balance between financial stewardship, staff well-being, patient care, organizational reputation and an ever-changing landscape. It demands the ability to think on your feet, listen with intention, respond with compassion and adapt to new challenges and opportunities.
Ultimately, I believe the heart of great healthcare leadership is servant leadership. When we care well for those who provide the care, we create an environment where our staff, our patients, and our communities can thrive.
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