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Veterans were offered tokens of appreciation according to their branch of service.
UAMS Shows Gratitude for Veterans with Breakfast, Care Packages
Dozens of UAMS employees who are veterans attended the breakfast.
| Active duty, reserve and veterans of the armed forces who are UAMS employees were honored at a Nov. 2 breakfast, just one part of a larger month of celebrations and events planned by the UAMS Veterans Awareness Committee in honor of Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
Dozens of service members, from a veteran of Korea to many currently serving, from all five branches of the armed forces – Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marines – attended the annual Veterans Appreciation Celebration, which included breakfast, trivia with prizes and a keynote address from Nathaniel Todd, director of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs.
Col. Nathaniel Todd (ret.) speaks to UAMS veterans during the annual Veterans Appreciation Celebration.
Todd, a retired colonel in the U.S. Army Medical Department who holds a master’s degree in health care administration from Baylor University, spoke about the core values of each branch of service, noting commonalities between them and those of UAMS, including integrity and service.
“When I look at the core values of UAMS, I believe those resonate with veterans because I believe they resonate with the core values of the military,” said Todd.
In his talk, Todd not only thanked those veterans in attendance for serving, but encouraged them to continue to serve, noting that a desire to serve is fundamental to providing exceptional health care. He said he hoped to see them energized by the event.
“I believe you’ll see in the coming weeks an uptick in productivity, an increase in excitement in the workplace. And that’s true whether it’s the physicians or the housekeeping or the administrative staff,” said Todd. “I believe that when veterans’ hearts and minds are touched, you see an increase in outcomes.”
Indeed, those in attendance said they were grateful for the event.
A veteran of Korea watches the presentation after breakfast.
Darrell Johnson, a transplant services administrative coordinator who spent 23 years in the Air Force, said events like the celebration remind veterans that they’re appreciated.
“It feels good to hear someone say ‘thank you,’ you know?” he said. “People may not often think about it, but in what we do in service, we may be in harm’s way 24/7. So it’s nice to know that that’s recognized and appreciated.”
Johnson added that he was likewise grateful to UAMS for hosting the event.
Avelina Harris, a cardiac non-invasive technician who spent eight years in the Army during the Gulf War, said another benefit of gatherings like the celebration is to identify fellow veterans, which helps to form a community.
“A lot of the people here, I wouldn’t realize they were veterans. But when you do realize it, there’s a brotherhood or sisterhood formed with them,” she said.
UAMS employs more than 800 veteran, active duty, reserve and guard employees and includes about 120 such students.
In addition to the appreciation breakfast, other events for the month included:
- Veteran Care Packages (Oct. 25-Nov. 5) — The UAMS Veterans Committee collected items and donations and gathered signatures for thank you cards for veterans to be delivered to the Eugene Towbin Veterans Affairs at Fort Roots in North Little Rock and for veterans housed in transitional housing at St. Francis House Ministries in Little Rock.
- Red, White and Blue Day (Friday, Nov. 9) — The cafeteria will feature a special “Red, White and Blue” menu.
- Fort Roots Care Package Delivery Day (Friday, Nov. 9) — Care packages and thank you cards will be delivered to Fort Roots.
- Francis Care Package Delivery and Lunch (Saturday, Nov. 10) — Care packages will be delivered and lunch served to veterans housed in transitional housing at St. Francis House.
- UAMS Veteran Patient Visitation (Sunday, Nov. 11) — UAMS Veterans Awareness Committee members will visit veteran patients admitted at UAMS and delivered a token of appreciation.
- Benefits and Education Fair (Wednesday, Nov. 14) — Veterans’ groups and agencies will meet with UAMS employee veterans and family members of veterans to address any questions regarding benefits, counseling, education, health benefits, etc.
- The Interface of Moral Injury and PTSD in Military Veterans (Thursday, Nov. 15) — A presentation about moral injury, PTSD and their effects on individuals and families by Jeffrey Pyne, M.D., associate director for Research South Central MIRECC and professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UAMS College of Medicine.