Honoring Those Who Serve

As reported by NBC news in an article published on Nov. 11, 2013, figures compiled by the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, as of Sept. 30, 2012, show there are currently 22,225,541 veterans throughout the U.S.

These brave men and women who have served our country are true heroes, and Cleveland Clinic’s Stanley Shalom Zielony Institute for Nursing Excellence proudly salutes and thanks each and every veteran for their courage and honorable commitment to ensuring life, liberty and freedom in America.

Several of America’s finest veterans have found a professional home within the Cleveland Clinic health system, and our Nursing Institute is proud to support their missions and career growth. Our country’s veterans possess the very highest standards of service, and often a professional career in healthcare following their committed military service is an opportunistic path for them.

At Cleveland Clinic, our Military/Veterans Employee Resource Group actively conducts programs, commemorations and initiatives that aim to honor and support Cleveland Clinic veteran caregivers by recognizing their personal needs and making Cleveland Clinic a stronger organization through integration of their military-learned competencies.

Last month, the Military/Veterans Employee Resource Group held an internal health system seminar, which included representatives from the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center and the Cuyahoga County Veterans Service Commission.

Veterans understand the value of teamwork and encompass the personal and professional skills and characteristics that the healthcare delivery system needs. Through initiatives and programs such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ 2013 $2.8 million grant, which is designed to transition more than 1,000 U.S. veterans’ skills into nursing careers, our nursing profession is fortunate to continually welcome talented veteran nurses into the national nursing workforce.

In honor and celebration

As our nation comes together to celebrate Veterans Day this year, I urge you to take a moment to recognize and honor the veteran nurses and other veteran caregivers within your healthcare organization.

Cleveland Clinic will be hosting a Veterans Day celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 11. The program will begin at 5 p.m. at the InterContinental Hotel Bank of America amphitheater at Cleveland Clinic’s main campus location.

The event will feature a 30-minute screening of Last Days in Vietnam, a documentary that chronicles the heroic efforts of American diplomats and soldiers during the chaotic final days of the Vietnam War. Following the screening, Cleveland Clinic Chief Executive Officer and President Delos M. (Toby) Cosgrove, MD, will be joined by two veterans from the documentary, Cmdr. Hugh Doyle and Col. Gerry Berry. The group will participate in a panel discussion and share their personal experiences of the Vietnam War.

With great thanks

Our nursing veterans are professionals who have mastered advanced technologies, honed their leadership skills and demonstrated character, courage and a profound sense of duty. On this special day the Zielony Nursing Institute extends its deepest thanks to and sincere appreciation for all Americans who have served in uniform.

Written By: ECNO K. Kelly Hancock, MSN, RN, NEA-BC