Hospital VP receives ‘Patriot Award’ for support of citizen soldiers
Marc Truedson’s commitment to serve the country as a specialist in the Vermont National Guard means time away from work as a health care assistant at Gifford Medical Center. Truedson’s employer supports his time away, filling shifts so that he can serve.
Recently Truedson discovered a way to thank Gifford and his senior manager, Vice President of Surgery Rebecca O’Berry, for that support. He nominated O’Berry for a Patriot Award through the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR).
The ESGR is a Department of Defense operational committee that, with the help of volunteers, promotes and enhances civilian employer support of citizen soldiers.
On Monday afternoon, Vermont ESGR Executive Director David Wheel delivered the award and many kind words to O’Berry and her team.
“On behalf of the Secretary of Defense, it’s my pleasure to present this to you,” said Wheel. “Thank you so much for the support you give to our citizen soldiers.”
Wheel extended his thanks to O’Berry’s team. “We know it really does take a village,” he said.
Staff shared Gifford’s long-standing commitment to support Guard and Reserve members.
Registered nurse Caitlyn Bushey, on hand for Monday’s award presentation, was interviewed while serving in her second deployment in Iraq for her position as a member of the Gifford operating room team. The former Guard member took Gifford’s call in a supply closet and the interview was stuttered by time delays.
Truedson was out of work for months when he first came home from serving overseas – until he found a job at Gifford. “Gifford was there for me when I got back from Afghanistan,” he said.
“We have a long history of doing this,” noted Jamie Floyd, surgery nurse manager.
Wheel was heartened by the stories and noted that many employers want to do the right thing. Not all make the commitment to do so, however.
For O’Berry, the decision to support staff like Truedson is a very easy one.
“They’re doing something for us, for all of us, and our job is to make that easier,” she said.
Learn more about the ESGR online at www.esgr.mil.
