Covenant HealthCare Honors Those Who Served

A group of dedicated Covenant employees felt that all veterans – living or deceased – should receive the respect and recognition they deserve in return for their service to our country.

Janice Kubczak witnessed the fruits of this group’s labor firsthand when her husband passed May 31, 2017.

James Kubczak served in the United States Army military police and played on the U.S. Army basketball team. Janice and James were happily married for nearly 40 years, with four children and six grandchildren. “He was a good good man,” says Janice of James. “Honest and honorable. He worked at General Motors for 41 years as a millwright and enjoyed golf and bowling.”

The Covenant Veteran Recognition Program kicked-off May 30, 2017, the day before James’ passing.

The goal of the program is to identify veteran patients so they can be acknowledged and greeted throughout their hospital stay. If the patient agrees to be identified, an American flag sticker will be placed on the whiteboard to indicate this patient is a veteran. Nursing staff and the care team are encouraged to thank them for their service and elicit conversations regarding their branch, years and locations of service.

As the Kubczak family witnessed, when a veteran passes away within our facility, permission is sought from the family to honor their loved one with a “Final Salute” ceremony. If granted, “Code Honor” is paged overhead to alert staff, visitors and volunteers that the ceremony is occurring and on which unit. The patient is then draped with a flag and a blessing is performed at the bedside.

As the deceased passes from the room to the elevator, personnel wishing to participate quietly line the hallway, placing their hand over their heart or if a veteran, they may salute. There is total silence as the patient and flag passes. The family is then presented with the folded flag and a certificate commemorating their loved one’s service to our country.

Tony Lyle is a member of the Veteran Recognition team, a diverse group of hospital staff who’ve worked on this special act of deference for nearly a year. “I’m proud to be part of an organization that strives to recognize and honor the veterans and their sacrifices and those of their family as well,” said Lyle, a Patient Safety Administrator and Navy veteran.

“It was a beautiful ceremony to see everyone lined up for him,” says Janice. “Covenant should be proud of this program; it’s a wonderful thing you are doing.”