Marshall Miles Interviews Melanie McGinn, SVNA Hospice Director, on the "We Honor Veterans" Program

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Salisbury Visiting Nurse Association (SVNA) Recognized as a We Honor Veterans Partner
It may surprise many people to learn that 25 percent of those who die every year in the U.S. are
Veterans. To help provide care and support that reflect the important contributions made by these men and
women, SVNA has become a national partner of We Honor Veterans, a pioneering campaign developed by
National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
As a We Honor Veterans Partner, SVNA will implement ongoing Veteran-centered education for their
staff and volunteers to help improve the care they provide to the Veterans they proudly serve. The nation is
seeing many of the Veterans who served in World War II and Korean pass away—and the number of deaths of
Vietnam Veterans is beginning to rise.
The We Honor Veterans campaign provides tiered recognition to organizations that demonstrate a
systematic commitment to improving care for Veterans. “Partners” can assess their ability to serve Veterans
and, using resources provided as part of the campaign, integrate best practices for providing end-of-life care
to Veterans into their organization. By recognizing the unique needs of our nation’s Veterans who are facing a
life-limiting illness, SVNA is better able to accompany and guide Veterans and their families toward a more
peaceful ending. And in cases where there might be some specific needs related to the Veteran’s military
service, combat experience or other traumatic events, SVNA will find tools to help support those they are
caring for.
“We thank Salisbury Visiting Nurse Association for partnering in the We Honor Veterans program,” says
NHPCO President & CEO Edo Banach. “We Honor Veterans partners are committed to providing quality
Veteran-centric care to the Veteran patients they serve. They understand how a Veteran’s military service,
combat experience or other traumatic events, could impact their end-of-life experience.”
The resources of We Honor Veterans focus on respectful inquiry, compassionate listening, and grateful
acknowledgment, coupled with Veteran-centric education of health care staff caring for Veterans. To learn
more about We Honor Veterans or to support this important work via a secure, online donation, please visit
www.wehonorveterans.org.
“VA shares a common goal with our nation’s hospices, and that is to provide the best possible care
specifically tailored for Veterans, meeting their goals of care in their preferred setting. As we focus on working
together and unite our services and skills, We Honor Veterans will channel our combined strengths directly to
Veterans – wherever they are receiving care,” added Banach.
About Salisbury Visiting Nurse Association
Founded in 1904, the Salisbury Visiting Nurse Association is the oldest and most comprehensive home care,
hospice and private care agency serving all of the Northwest Corner of Connecticut. The not-for-profit, state
licensed and Medicare certified home health and hospice agency’s mission is to provide advanced,
compassionate care at home and in the community. Serving: Canaan, Cornwall, Falls Village, Goshen, Kent,
Lakeville, Norfolk, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon, Taconic and Warren.