Direct Line from Max Buetow for 7/05/2024

July 5, 2024

On Independence Day: Recognizing those who have sacrificed for our freedom

I hope you all are having a great Fourth of July weekend, spending time with family and friends, and making the most of your summer.

On Independence Day, we celebrate our great nation, and reflect on the selfless sacrifice Americans have made in service to our country. This is a time to pause and give thanks to those in the armed forces, and all who have come before us, who provided us the opportunities and freedoms we enjoy.

With heated political campaigns in an election year, we will hear negative things about where we stand as a nation. I can tell you, though, that the United States is richly blessed, and those blessings are thanks to the people who are standing in the gap for us.

It is important to honor those who have devoted themselves to service. I am proud of the way our teams do that daily, through organizations like our own Wellness For Warriors program. Wellness For Warriors serves our patients who are veterans and supports members of our care teams who have served.

In our hospitals, Wellness For Warriors leads our veteran honor program, which recognizes patients who have served with a special American flag door marker and a thank you card from our leadership team. Our volunteers visit with veterans, and the Wellness For Warriors team is available to help connect patients with case workers and resources when needed.

My friend Kerry Miller, our Volunteer Services manager and a U.S. Army Reserve veteran, has led the charge with Wellness For Warriors. For him, it is an extension of his service.

He told me: “I always wanted to stay engaged with the military population. For veterans who are going through a health challenge, we are proud to support them on that journey after all they have done to serve the country.”

I am extremely proud to have a program like Wellness For Warriors that pays credit to the incredible sacrifice that service members make. There are many veterans who come into our care who may feel forgotten, and the work Wellness For Warriors does reminds them of how special they are.

Recently, my family and I have been watching a documentary series on George Washington and the founding of the nation. What strikes me is how there are so many individuals, whose names we will never know, who have been critical in the trajectory of our history.

In the military, as in health care, there are so many people behind the scenes. Both fields draw people who are built for service to others – unsung heroes whose lives have a ripple effect on their fellow Americans.

From fundamental freedoms to the ability to vote unencumbered in free elections, there are so many honors and privileges that Americans have fought for.

And people are still fighting for us to maintain those privileges today. Around the world and here at home, there are humble servants holding a line that helps preserve our way of life.

I hope as we celebrate this weekend, we will all take the time to recognize the blessings we enjoy as Americans and to honor the sacrifice that makes them possible.

Resources for veterans: You can learn more about Wellness For Warriors and the work they do at The CoxHealth Foundation’s website. I am proud to have their work alongside outstanding community resources, such as The Warrior’s Journey, a Springfield-based nonprofit serving veterans and their families. My sincere thanks to those who are working to support all who have served.

Voice of the patient

A few notes of feedback Wellness For Warriors has received from veteran patients:

“Thank you for the quilt and the challenge coin and for being there for my wife as she continues to support me.”

“Thank you for the gifts, and I am so grateful for you taking time to visit me.”

Received from the sister of a homeless veteran patient with stage four cancer: “Thank you for reuniting me with my brother and for the support while he was at the hospital. Thank you for the flag so we that can honor him with a memorial service.”

Thank you for all you do,

Max