The Many Lines that Support the Front

November 11 is Veterans Day. Most of you will call, email, visit or remember someone who has served in our nation’s military. And I know that some of the individuals you will honor served our country at great personal sacrifice.

My dad, Lucien, served as a supply officer in the army. He passed away 16 years ago after a heart attack, and I think of him often, especially on Veterans Day. Like a lot of fathers, he was prone to harmlessly embellishing stories that might lead people to believe that his tour of duty placed him on the frontlines. He wasn’t consciously trying to overstate his contributions – it’s what many dads do when their children listen to every word that gets spoken. His stories simply amplified his pride in serving our country and his belief that being a supply officer figuratively put him on the frontlines, right next to the combat. He made the connection between his job, in a supportive role, and the soldiers close to the fight.

Throughout Novant Health around Veterans Day, we have many staff and facilities planning activities to honor veterans. Many of our hospitals sponsor community events that pay tribute to veterans and those currently serving in our military. Many staff in our clinics and facilities make an effort to extend a simple thank you to patients or co-workers who have served our nation.   

I’m personally grateful that our country sets aside a day to honor veterans. They deserve remembrance and our gratitude, including a former supply officer who is near and dear to my heart.

On a related note for this upcoming Veterans Day, I hope that others within the healthcare industry who serve in a supportive role will make the same connection that my dad did. All of us serve patients, even if our jobs don’t involve directly caring for patients in a clinic, on a nursing unit or in an imaging center. A strategic sourcing staff member who negotiates the price we pay for supplies is helping take care of patients. A web center specialist who builds one of our websites is supporting clinicians and helping patients recover from illness. An accountant who unravels the complicated reimbursement formulas of Medicare and Medicaid is contributing to the remarkable patient experience. Our information technology specialists are helping make healthcare safer for patients. And the list is a long one, including parking attendants, engineers, administrative specialists, security officers and other staff.  

Nurses, physicians, therapists and technologists routinely experience a deep connection to patients and their families. The rest of us should describe our roles in a similar fashion, like my father talked about his role in the military – with pride and with the ability to translate how our job responsibilities enhance our organization’s overall mission and reason for existence. We all care for patients and communities.