UAMS Recognizes Veterans at Multiple Events
| In the days leading up to Veterans Day, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) thanked the hundreds of veterans of the U.S. military among its employees, students and patients with cards, meals, care packages and recognition events.
The UAMS Veterans Subcommittee in the Division of People and Culture organized the efforts and kicked things off by setting up tables around campus to collect signatures from people thanking veterans for their service. Donors also could drop off items that the former soldiers, sailors and airmen need, ranging from clothing and personal care items to umbrellas and games.
Donated items were included in care packages distributed to veterans, UAMS veteran patients, long-term care patients at Eugene Towbin Veterans Affairs Hospital at Fort Roots in North Little Rock, veterans housed at Arkansas State Veterans Home, and for veterans housed in transitional housing at St. Francis House Ministries in Little Rock. The care packages also included the thank-you cards signed at UAMS.
Gina Boshears, RN, on Nov. 11. gives a care package to Duel Going, a veteran and UAMS Medical Center patient. Image by Andrew Vogler
One veteran at St. Francis who received a care package was Michael French, 64, who came to live there two weeks ago after losing his apartment. French served in the U.S. Navy from 1977 to 1982 and lost his wife, a UAMS nurse practitioner, in a fatal accident in 1989.
“I really appreciate what St. Francis House has done for me,” French said. “And I appreciate the meal and what UAMS is doing here today.”
On Nov. 8, UAMS provided a dinner of catfish, chicken and several side dishes to about 40 veterans at St. Francis House.
After the meal at St. Francis, the veterans received the care packages as they entered the shelter’s chapel. Following a short prayer led by Army combat veteran Reginald Williams (spouse of Sharanda Williams, assistant dean for Student Affairs). David Williams, UAMS assistant registrar for Veterans Services and a Marines combat veteran, addressed the gathering. Michael Eubanks, readjustment counselor at the Little Rock Vet Center, then spoke to the group about services the center provides.
“Some of us went through some of the same things and some of us haven’t, but we all understand what you need and can help guide you in other ways,” he said. Williams has volunteered at St. Francis House for three years.
A day earlier at UAMS, Nathan Johnson, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences in the College of Health Professions, gave the keynote address at a Veterans Appreciation Gathering. He served five years in the Louisiana Army National Guard and 28 years in the Air Force. Many members of the audience were veterans and UAMS employees, and Johnson said he wanted to share “five different ways military experience can help us here at UAMS.”
Nathan Johnson, right, speaks at a veterans appreciation event on Nov. 8 at UAMS.
Number one: Take the UAMS core values to heart. Those core values are integrity, respect, diversity, health care, equity, teamwork, creativity, excellence and safety.
“With what you’ve learned in the military, you can kind of get by even if you don’t know the UAMS core values, because it covers it all the things that you stood for and continue to stand for, things that will make this organization really good,” Johnson said.
Number Two: In the military, you learn to do what it takes to get the mission done.
“So we have, and we need to have, that mindset in which that we’re always looking forward, looking for opportunities. I drive my faculty crazy because I have endless ideas about things that we can do, and I only have so many years to get that done, but it’s that mindset that I think is really helpful,” he said.
Number three: Putting others before yourself in providing health care.
“We do that anyway, but for the military and the veteran members, you’ve come with the training to serve,” Johnson said.
Number four: Hire veterans. Consider veterans.
Allowing out-of-state students who are military veterans or active military to pay in-state tuition rates to study medical laboratory sciences helped to jump-start the degree program his department offers, Johnson said.
“If UAMS and Arkansas would not have been military friendly, then we could not have done that. So, for that, I’m forever, forever grateful,” he said.
Number five: Have fun.
In recognition of the upcoming veterans day, UAMS Nutrition Services employees decorated the cafeteria.
“The veteran can bring that creativity, and they can bring that ability to have fun,” Johnson said. “Because in those type of stressful environments that the military has been put in all over the world, they know how to have fun sometimes to relieve that stress. And doing that, it’s just really good for everyone.”
Audrey Bradley, senior human resources director – employee relations and leader of the UAMS Workforce Communities, said she attributed the success of this year’s events to the hard work of the committee, UAMS volunteers, Project Search and other Workforce Communities.
“Everyone embodied ‘teamwork’ to ensure veterans were recognized for their service,” Bradley said. “There were 196 care packages created for the veterans. It was extremely rewarding to show appreciation to UAMS veterans, UAMS inpatient veterans, and veterans in the community.”