Veterans Honoring Veterans: St. Luke's Magic Valley program connects volunteers, patients

Despite their service and sacrifices, the truth is it is often difficult for veterans to find a local support system when they return home.

According to the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, there are more than 127,000 veterans in Idaho. To help meet that need for support, there’s a new Veterans Honoring Veterans volunteer program at St. Luke’s Magic Valley to ensure every veteran in the hospital has someone to connect with them.

St. Luke’s staff in Twin Falls have introduced a new workflow to identify the veteran status of patients and if they choose, these veterans can be recognized and identified with an American Flag magnet outside their hospital door. A ceremonial flag draping service is also available for veterans who pass away while in the hospital.

“What we noticed was that some veterans that were being admitted into the hospital either did not have family in the area or were waiting for family and friends to come …,” said Joni Huff, manager of volunteer services. “That’s when we decided to start looking at recruitment for veteran volunteers.”

There were a few veterans already serving as hospital volunteers in Twin Falls, including Skip McArthur. McArthur was happy to step up when Huff asked if he’d be interested in visiting with veteran patients.

“You need to sit there and just listen to them,” said McArthur, who served in the Army. “Nurses have that loving tenderness to listen, but don’t always have the time. We have that time to sit and just talk with them.”

While talking with veterans in the hospital, McArthur realized many were unaware of resources available to them. He now carries business cards to connect veterans and their families with the Office of Veterans Advocacy in Twin Falls.

The Veterans Honoring Veterans program currently has a small corps of hospital volunteers working on an on-call basis but are working to raise awareness and recruit more local veterans in the community.

“The minute that I shared the concept of this program in the emergency department, the passion that Joni showed us was immediately felt,” said Garth Blackburn, manager of nursing in the Twin Falls emergency department.

And support has come from all corners.

Fred Cunha is a clinical educator at St. Luke’s Magic Valley. When he heard about the new volunteer program supporting veterans, he chose to contribute in a unique way — donating a photo he took of a giant flag flying in the Snake River canyon during a 9/11 memorial event.

“I have immeasurable gratitude and respect for those that have served in the military,” Cunha said. “For me, this photo represents the resiliency of America and the deep patriotic roots of Magic Valley residents.”

A large print of Cunha’s photo was unveiled to hospital staff and local veterans at a recent event to celebrate the new volunteer program. The photo now hangs in the hospital lobby to recognize veterans and potentially spark the interest of more people who may want to volunteer.

Anyone interested in joining the mission to support local veterans in the hospital can reach Huff via email at [email protected] or call 208-814-1119.