New display features Veterans Serving Veterans
Whether they served during peacetime or war; at home or abroad; in the Army, Air Force, Navy, or Marine Corps, Veterans share a bond that only they understand.
This unspoken connection, spanning generations of servicemembers, served as part of the motive behind a new project called Veterans Serving Veterans, now on display at the Cincinnati Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC).
What has flourished into a display featuring the portraits of 10 Veteran employees began as an idea for a project that could help Veterans build their trust in the Cincinnati VAMC. According to Aaron Alles, Regulatory Program Analyst and one of the minds behind the project, highlighting Veteran employees in this manner would potentially make patients feel more comfortable with knowing the people administering their care understand what it means to be a Veteran.
“When I worked in primary care for eight years, I hung my ship cap on the wall to build that rapport [with patients],” Alles said. “It’s exciting to see the project come to life. It means a lot that our patients are seeing the display and improving the trust and confidence in their care.”
For Veteran employees, this project also serves as a demonstration of their pride in being a military Veteran and in serving Veterans every day.
“As a Veteran, it is an honor to serve fellow Veterans and I’m humbled by the many sacrifices I have witnessed and still see on a daily basis,” said Cincinnati VA Executive Medical Center Director. “It was an honor to serve my country and it is an honor to serve at the VA each and every day.”
The Veterans Serving Veterans display will rotate the portraits of different Veteran employees throughout the year. From the main entrance to the medical center, Veterans and visitors should walk down the main corridor, take a right at the pharmacy, then walk a few feet to see the large portraits on display.