Visiting Nurse Home Care & Hospice Welcomes Jessalynn Geerdes as New Executive Director

October 25, 2025

Sandy Ruka welcomes Jessalynn Geerdes as new Executive Director at VNHCH. Photo credit: Jamie Gemmeti

North Conway, NH — The Board of Trustees of Visiting Nurse Home Care & Hospice of Carroll County and Western Maine (VNHCH) is pleased to announce the appointment of Jessalynn Geerdes as the organization’s new Executive Director. She succeeds longtime Executive Director Sandy Ruka, RN, MSN, who will retire after 17 years of transformative leadership.

Geerdes brings more than a decade of experience in community-based healthcare operations and leadership, most recently serving as Manager of Scheduling Operations for the Granite Visiting Nurses Association, where she oversaw staffing and workflow strategies for home care and hospice services across multiple communities. Her work has focused on improving operational efficiency, building cross-functional teams, and implementing new electronic medical record (EMR) systems to enhance care delivery.

Geerdes shared that what attracted her to this role is her strong passion for community health. “It’s a gift to allow healing at home, especially at the end of life. It was important to me to find an organization with a mission of meeting the needs of the community. With my background in both home health and community health, moving to VNHCH was a natural progression.”

She continued, “I look forward to working alongside the exceptional staff and partners of VNHCH to continue advancing quality, person-centered care across Carroll County and Western Maine.”

Outgoing Executive Director Sandy Ruka expressed her confidence in the transition:

“Jessalynn’s leadership experience and understanding of community-based care make her a wonderful fit for VNHCH. Her commitment to teamwork, innovation, and patient-centered service reflects the same values that have guided this agency for decades.”For more information about Visiting Nurse Home Care & Hospice of Carroll County and Western Maine, visit www.vnhch.org or call 603-356-7006.