Honoring Those Who Served

Covenant Health Marks One Year of Honoring Military Personnel and Veterans in Hospital Setting

Of the 17 million veterans in the U.S., only about one-third receive medical care at Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities, while the other two-thirds receive hospital care at civilian hospitals. Covenant Health hospitals care for many military veterans and active service members, and one year ago this month, the health system implemented a recognition program for these patients.

Since Nov. 3, 2020, more than 11,000 service members have received care at Covenant Health hospitals. The military recognition program gives hospital employees the opportunity to honor and thank patients for their military service with pins, certificates and other recognition. (View a list of Covenant Health hospitals here.)

Clinical social worker Cindy Winterberger, LMSW, at Covenant HomeCare and Hospice has coordinated the hospitals’ military recognition program and has been integral in implementing training and activities related to active military and veterans’ care at Covenant Health.

She explained that questions about military service have been added to the hospitals’ admission process. “When a person has been identified as military or veteran, it creates a moment for staff members to thank the patient for their service and sacrifice through special pins or other acknowledgement,” she said. Winterberger added that noting military information in a patient’s file will be helpful if the patient has any future admissions to Covenant Health hospitals.

“The first 12-month period of honoring veterans in our hospitals has proved meaningful, especially for our staff who are also veterans,” Winterberger said.

In addition to hospital patients, the pinning ceremony and recognition initiative has been in place for more than six years at Covenant HomeCare and Hospice, the area’s largest nonprofit home health and hospice provider. The organization is a top-tier (Level V) partner with We Honor Veterans, a national awareness and action campaign created to assist veterans in hospice care. As part of the Level V designation, Covenant HomeCare and Hospice continually expands services to better connect with veterans in the community and to provide specialized care for veterans and their families.

“The majority of veterans seen by Covenant Homecare and Hospice have been Vietnam Era veterans, but we thank and recognize veterans of all branches and all eras. For veterans facing end-of-life care, Covenant Hospice regularly presents ceremonial pins and certificates of thanks,” Winterberger said. “My dad is a Vietnam-era Air Force veteran and my grandpa was a WWII Army veteran. Pride in my country has been instilled in me from a young age. If not for the brave men and women who have stood to defend our nation, where would we be?”

About

Covenant HomeCare and Hospice provides a comprehensive range of home care services from skilled nursing to rehabilitative therapies and specialized care. For those facing end-of-life care, Covenant Hospice provides individualized services that address the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of patients and their families. Covenant HomeCare and Hospice scored 100% on CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid) quality measures for patient care, including patients’ treatment preferences related to hospice care. Covenant Homecare and Hospice serves a 16-county region including Anderson, Blount, Hamblen, Knox, Loudon, Roane, Sevier, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Jefferson, Monroe, Morgan, Scott and Union counties. CovenantHomeCareandHospice.com.

Covenant Health is an award-winning Tennessee healthcare delivery system serving 23 counties and committed to providing excellent care for our 2 million+ patients each year. Learn more at CovenantHealth.com.