Recently, students from Ross Medical Education Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan took time out to create Valentines for veterans receiving care at the Ann Arbor VA Medical Center. Although for most, Valentine’s Day is a holiday meant for surprising and buying gifts for significant others, the Ann Arbor campus knows that it’s another opportunity to thank and honor the nearly 100,000 veterans of the United States Armed Forces who are currently being cared for in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers, outpatient clinics, and nursing homes. The week of Valentine’s Day is a great chance for many members of the community to involve themselves in the volunteer opportunities at the medical center and to participate in activities going on there.
The Ross Ann Arbor students were more than happy to make the cards, as many of them know a veteran or have family members and friends who are veterans. For some, it hit very close to home. Student Jamie Cox, from the Ann Arbor Pharmacy Technician program, is married to a veteran of the United States Navy. She said the worst part of being the family member of a person in the service is that “you don’t know where they are going or when they are coming back.” Campus Director Susan Mall shared her father’s medals and dog tags from World War II. Susan shared with students and staff about her experience living with a veteran, “my father would never speak of the war because of all the death he witnessed.”
The VA Health Administration continues to meet Veterans’ changing medical, surgical and quality-of-life needs. New programs provide treatment for traumatic brain injuries, post-traumatic stress, suicide prevention, women veterans and more. According the VA website, “VA has opened outpatient clinics, and established telemedicine and other services to accommodate a diverse Veteran population, and continues to cultivate ongoing medical research and innovation to improve the lives of America’s patriots.” The Veteran Health Administration is always hard at work making sure that veterans are well taken care of and receiving all the services they need. In fact, they are so heavily invested in healthcare nationwide that over half of all medical residents receive at least a portion of their training in a VA hospital.
Ross was proud to have the opportunity to honor and thank the veterans that have given so much to defend the United States and other nations around the world. They look forward to working more with their local VA hospital in the future!