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Red Deer hospital launches veteran recognition program

Nov 5, 2018 | 11:42 AM

The efforts of a local veteran have resulted in the launch of a new Alberta Health Services (AHS) program that will see veterans receiving care at the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre have their service recognized.

AHS officials say the Veteran Recognition Program enables current and past members of all service branches to identify that service during their admission process.

For those wishing to be recognized through the program, a poppy magnet is placed on their in-room whiteboard for the duration of their hospital stay.

It’s an idea that came from retired Capt. Allan Gooding of Red Deer during his hospital stay from April 17 – May 1 of this year.

“I had the honour and privilege of serving my country as a jet fighter pilot during the Cold War era and in April of this year I had cause to be an in-patient here in this hospital for two weeks during which I received outstanding medical care,” exclaims Gooding, who is 71. “One day a young man came into my room in an Army uniform looking for his grandfather and we got to talking. He told me about his grandfather who was in a room almost next to mine who was dying, he was 93-years-old who wasn’t just a veteran, he was a war hero.”

Gooding says the soldier’s grandfather was in WWll fighting the Nazis, was captured, then helped organize an escape in which most of the escapees were found and shot by the Nazis but the soldier’s grandfather escaped with the help of the French resistance.

“But there he was in a room near mine being kept alive until the rest of his family could gather,” recalls Gooding. “As I mentioned this to various medical staff, they all said ‘Thank you for telling us, we didn’t know’. I am dedicating a part of my life to helping veterans get the support they need and the recognition they deserve.”

AHS officials say the magnetic poppies have been purchased through CANEX – a unit of the Canadian Forces, with proceeds going to the Royal Canadian Legion, an organization that provides a variety of services that continue to honour, support and advocate for Canada’s veterans.

“We weren’t asking for special treatment,” states Gooding emotionally. “We’re just asking for acknowledgement that they served their country to preserve our freedoms. I’m just so pleased that this has been approved and I’m making it my mission that this goes Canada-wide.”

Sharon Bilanksi, Director of Peri-Operative and Inpatient Surgery at the hospital believes it’s a one-of-a-kind program in Canada and an initiative they hope to roll-out to the rest of AHS Central Zone and all over Alberta.

“We are very pleased that we were able to take this request from Mr. Gooding and make it a reality,” says Bilanski. “So when a patient is admitted into the hospital, the admitting nurse will ask them ‘Are you a Veteran?’ and the veteran can be someone that has served or also a retired RCMP or police officer. If the patient says ‘Yes I am a veteran’, we ask them if they would like to be acknowledged in their hospital stay.”  

She says the in-room whiteboards where the magnetic poppies will be placed, are a key communication tool for patients, their families and the health care team.

“This is a very small thing that acknowledges such great sacrifices that our veterans have given for us,” adds Bilanski. “When we saw Mr. Gooding’s letter, the senior leadership team at the Red Deer Regional Hospital got together to say, ‘How do we move this forward? How do we recognize our patient that has brought something forward that we can do?’, and it was done!”

“We remember our veterans on November 11th but we need to remember them every day.”