UT Health San Antonio’s Military Health Institute hosted a signing event and award recognition ceremony July 31 solidifying the university’s dedication to ensure employees and students in the National Guard and Military Reserve receive the support to best perform their military duties.
During the event at the Academic and Administration Building on the university’s main campus, leaders from the institution’s schools signed statements of support for employees and students in the National Guard and Military Reserve.
Byron Hepburn, MD, FAAFP, retired Air Force major general and director of the Military Health Institute, said it’s a privilege to support our men and women who serve so nobly in uniform.
“Their expertise [and] their motivation is invaluable to our university,” Hepburn said. “It is very fitting that we publicly reaffirm to our faculty, staff and the community that we are committed to them.”
The event also recognized UT Health San Antonio President William L. Henrich, MD, MACP, with the Above and Beyond Award presented by the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) State Committees recognizing employers at the local level who have gone above and beyond the legal requirements of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act
ESGR states that going above and beyond means an employer provided their Guard and Reserve employees additional, non-mandated benefits such as differential or full pay to offset lost wages, extended health benefits and other similar benefits.
Additionally, Mark Soucy, PhD, RN, PMHNP, FAANP, received the Patriot Award, which goes to those who have provided exemplary support for Reservists and National Guard Members.
“I’m so honored,” Soucy said. “As a member of the faculty, sometimes we don’t realize the impact we have on a person’s life until something like this happens. It’s a humbling experience.”
Christopher Kinna, PMHNP, School of Nursing student and commander, 228th Field Hospital, HHC, nominated Soucy — his faculty mentor and his clinical supervisor through his program of study — several months ago for providing him support. Kinna will soon be graduating with his Doctor of Nursing Practice.
[Dr. Soucy} supported me mentally and emotionally,” Kinna said.
To learn more about UT Health San Antonio’s Military Health Institute and its mission to improve the lives of military service members, veterans and their families, visit militaryhealthinstitute.org.