Tulsa based Miller Hospice and Oxford Healthcare will be hosting an inaugural event for veterans on March 13th at VFW Post 557. The event will be called a “Day of Honor”. Mission BBQ is an event sponsor and will provide a free lunch.
Highlights of the event include:
• Giveaways and door prizes.
• Veteran Service Officer will be present to help with benefit needs/questions.
• A Keller Williams real estate representative will be on sight to help with obtaining a veteran certificate to purchase a home.
• Derrick Ogle, Chief of Engineering for the VA, will be present.
• Guest speakers and the singing of the national anthem by a local singer.
Tony McMillan, Miller Hospice’s Bereavement and Veteran Outreach coordinator shared that they wanted to do something outside of Veteran’s Day to salute and thank veterans and show them that they can be taken care of by both entities.
McMillan, a retired Desert Storm combat veteran whose spouse also served more than twenty years in the Army, developed his passion for veterans by being one and is committed to helping them. He went on to say, “A Day of Honor is about recognition, dignity and connection. Veterans carry a lot with them in relation to their service, especially as they age”. Miller Hospice wants veterans to know that their service, their life and their stories matter. Many veterans are alone or isolated at the end stages of their life and find it difficult to connect with people outside of their home. Miller Hospice partners with the VA to help veterans have the best possible experience. They offer educational programs in relation to sicknesses that may be related to specific times of service. They understand that Post Traumatic Stress may also come with moral injuries related to combat service. Miller Hospice wants veterans to know they have great love, respect and compassion for them. They are committed to helping veterans have access to the resources they have earned. Additionally, McMillan and Michelle Fox, the Executive Director of Miller Hospice, understand that veterans grieve differently and deserve care from people who honor their individual experience in a place that is safe to share. Grief groups for them and their families is one of the ways they do this.
Jaclyn Solomon who is a licensed Occupational Therapy Assistant and currently the Account Executive for Oxford HealthCare, has served veterans for nearly two decades. She is the former spouse of a Marine, and her father also served in the Army as a Buck Sergeant. She has worked at Quantico and Cherry Point serving active and retired service members. Oxford HealthCare serves a 50 mile radius of Tulsa and has a 4.5 star rating from CMS.gov (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services), offers a variety of services that allows care for those that served while working closely with VA contracts.
Miller Hospice serves an approximate 50 mile radius of Tulsa. They have earned a five star rating from CMS.
McMillan added that the objective of the event is to make veterans feel honored and said that honor is not something they just say, it is what they do!
Miller Hospice is a locally owned, non-profit care provider that is committed to caring for the body, mind, and spirit of each individual along with his or her family. Being local and a non-profit are both important because it means the patient care is our priority, ensuring excellent, compassionate care. We serve people of all denominations, nationalities, races and creeds. As a non-profit, our patients will never pay for our services, even if they are not eligible for Medicare or private insurance coverage.
Our expert care team provides services including: nursing, home health aides, medical social workers, chaplains, durable medical equipment, medical supplies, medications and volunteers FREE of charge.
At Miller Hospice we are committed to focus not only on the patient but on the family, too. We understand that the end-of-life care journey can be demanding and stressful for everyone. Therefore, our hospice team is there to help meet the emotional and spiritual needs of the patients as well as their loved ones. The hospice team is highly skilled and will be available to assess both your needs and your family’s.
The “Day of Honor” is a free event for veterans only. Veterans are asked to call 918-742-6415 to RSVP. The address of VFW Post 557 is 1109 E. Sixth Street, Tulsa. •
by Jill Stephenson, staff writer
