Editor’s Note: McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care and are profiling the 2025 McKnight’s Pinnacle Awards honorees daily in March and April. Find more McKnight’s Pinnacle Awards content at this page.

From leading teams that serve New York City’s most vulnerable populations to educating the next generation of nurses, Grace McGhee is a true leader in the field of home- and community-based care. 

A lifelong resident of the Bronx, McGhee started her career in the transplant unit of NYU Tisch Hospital. But she knew from her first community clinical experience in nursing school that she wanted to be a home care nurse.

McGhee landed her first job as a home health nurse with VNS Health in 1997, working with high-need populations in the Bronx. She quickly witnessed firsthand how social determinants of health affected their wellness, especially for older adults and low-income families.

In her current role as care management director, McGhee leads a team of more than 100 care coordinators who address the health needs of more than 22,000 vulnerable residents through the VNS Health Managed Long-Term Care plan. Her team helps craft individualized plans to help residents remain independent in the homes and navigate challenges of the healthcare system.

McGhee and her team are known for going the extra mile, making telephone check-ins and conducting visits at residents’ homes to identify the root causes of their challenges in order to create tailored solutions.

In addition to her home health work, McGhee is an adjunct professor at the University of Mount Saint Vincent in New York City, where she mentors the next generation of nurses and also provides one-on-one mentoring for Doctor of Nursing Practice degree students striving to complete their practicums.

The McKnight’s Pinnacle Awards program is jointly administered by McKnight’s Senior Living, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and McKnight’s Home Care. Honorees were recognized March 20 at an awards reception and ceremony in Chicago. Medline and Parker Health Group were additional event sponsors.

Know of a mover and shaker who is the epitome of a Pinnacle Awards winner? Nominations for the 2026 awards will open in September. Keep up to date on news related to the program, and learn more about the nomination process, at the McKnight’s Pinnacle Awards website.