February 15, 2021
HORNELL, NY – From St James Hospital:
Today St. James Hospital launched a program to recognize inpatients who are actively serving or who have served in the U.S. military. Each patient who is admitted to St. James Hospital is asked if he or she has served in the military, and if they want to be acknowledged during their stay. For those who consent, staff insert a card outside of the patient’s room and place an American flag in the room. This alerts staff of the patient’s military service and the opportunity to acknowledge it. The patient is encouraged to take the flag home.
“We are honored to formally show appreciation to patients who have served our country,” said Bryan O’Donovan, president and CEO and U.S. Army veteran. “This is one small way that we can thank them for their service, and as safety restrictions allow, our leadership team will also visit military and non-military patients in their rooms.”
“We feel that these patients deserve to be recognized for their service,” said Melissa Rackmil, chief nursing officer, “and after several months of planning we’re happy to get it started.”
“We hope that this gesture genuinely demonstrates our appreciation for patients who have served in the military,” said Jason Bisker, inpatient nurse manager.
