Every Day Should Be Veterans Day

January 12th, 2015

This past week we marked Veterans Day. There are 22 million American veterans who are living, and a significant number of them have served or are serving in healthcare professions. We want to take a moment to pause and say “thank you” to all of our readers who have served so valiantly. My brother, sister-in-law, and nephew have served or are serving in the military, so I am well aware of the sacrifices and difficulties of military service, including the sacrifices of the families.

Members of the military have unique experiences, which means their healthcare needs are unique. Help is now available. The American Hospital Association has a “Joining Forces” toolkit to help providers respond to the healthcare needs of members of the military who are returning from deployment. The resources in that toolkit recognize that not all injuries are visible. Those invisible injuries include post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. The toolkit includes four 30-minute broadcasts so you won’t feel helpless when you sit down with members of the military or members of their families to discuss what they’ve experienced. We give a hearty thanks to the AHA for providing such a needed and valuable resource.

Veterans, members of the military, and military families, we salute you!