New Executive Director Leads LAVNS Toward Workforce and Care Renewal
Los Alamos Visiting Nurse Service named Ruben A. Vasquez as executive director on December 4, 2025, beginning a strategic push to strengthen staffing, modernize operations, and sustain home health and hospice services into 2026. The change matters to local residents because LAVNS is a primary provider of in home care in Los Alamos County, and its plans address workforce shortages and rising costs that affect access to care.
On December 4, 2025, Los Alamos Visiting Nurse Service announced Ruben A. Vasquez as its new executive director, a leadership change the not for profit organization says will usher in a revitalized strategic chapter as it plans for 2026. LAVNS, which has provided professional home health and hospice care in Los Alamos and Northern New Mexico since 1973, is focusing immediate attention on workforce stability, recruitment partnerships, and the adoption of smart operational solutions intended to preserve close to home services for residents.
The transition comes as the health care sector wrestles with persistent staffing shortages and rising operational costs that can erode local access to home based care and hospice support. LAVNS leaders framed the appointment as proactive, prioritizing employee retention and supportive workplace practices so clinicians can continue to provide consistent, quality care to patients recovering from illness or facing life limiting conditions. “I am honored to join Los Alamos Visiting Nurses Service at such a pivotal moment,” Vasquez said. “For 50+ years, this organization has been the quiet strength in so many homes across our community. My goal is to honor that legacy by building a resilient, supportive environment for our staff so they can continue providing the world class care our neighbors deserve.”
Coinciding with the leadership announcement, LAVNS launched a 50+ Years of Service community awareness campaign that will share stories of care on social media, on local cinema screens at SALA Event Center, and throughout the community. The effort aims not only to raise awareness of specialized hospice services but also to strengthen community ties and encourage local support for the agency that operates as a not for profit partner rather than a commercial enterprise.
Community members and medical partners are invited to meet the new executive director and learn more about LAVNS plans at a Community Open House focused on hospice and grief support on Wednesday, Jan. 7 from 4 to 6 p.m. at 109 Central Park Square. The event is free and open to the public, with refreshments and light appetizers provided.
As Los Alamos County navigates demographic shifts and constrained health care resources, the continuity and modernization of local home health and hospice services will have direct implications for patients, families, and the local health system. LAVNS describes its mission as centering dignity and quality of life, and the new leadership will be judged on its ability to translate that mission into stable staffing, equitable access, and sustainable operations for the community it has served for more than five decades.
