Residents and Medical Students Collaborate to Honor Veterans

On Veterans Day, November 11, two residents and 11 medical students gathered at the Carl T. Hayden Veterans' Administration Medical Center (Phoenix VA) to distribute patches and cards of gratitude to the patients admitted to the medicine floors and to those staying in the community living center.

The event — which saw more than 100 custom embroidered patches and accompanying handwritten cards distributed — was organized through the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS). The GHHS is a medical society that honors and recognizes medical students, residents and faculty for their humanism and empathy in medicine; and it reinforces and supports the human connection in health care, which is essential for the health of patients and clinicians.

Alexis Bailey, an alumna of the Class of 2023 and a third-year resident in the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix’s Internal Medicine Residency, helped organize the event. She was inducted to the GHHS as a medical student and wanted to give back to her patients as a resident. “I have seen how isolating it can be to be hospitalized, and this is further emphasized for many veterans when they are hospitalized on a day that means so much to them,” she said. “When I care for them, I witness how much many veterans enjoy sharing about their service, and I thought this small gift of appreciation would be a great way to not only to honor the veterans but invite them to share more about their lives and service.”

Several medical students that attended the event were from the College of Medicine – Phoenix — including Erika Yasuda, Class of 2026, who was instrumental in coordinating the project — but other institutions were represented, as well. Many of them have or will rotate through the Phoenix VA, so this was a unique opportunity for them to recognize these veterans as more than just a patient. 

Bailey and Yasuda worked together to design the patches; ordered and distributed cards to the medical students and residents to fill out for the veterans; and prepared who would deliver them to the veterans on November 11. 

This work was supported by fellow GHHS members and students from the college’s Class of 2026 Kyle Avery, a veteran, and Christine Spatacean, as well as chapter advisor and VA clinician Shakaib Rehman, MD, interim chair of the college’s Department of Biomedical Informatics.

“Even if the veterans were having a hard day, they were appreciative of the cards and the patches we gave them,” Avery, who served as a medic for the U.S. Army before commissioning as an officer through the Health Professions Scholarship Program, said.

Kathleen LeFiles, also from the Class of 2026, was appreciative to be a part of the project. “Our veterans do so much for us. It’s great to get to do something for them and bring a smile to their day.”

Additional News

Veterans Day honors those who have served in the United States military. In recognition of their commitment and sacrifice, the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix shared a few stories of medical students who have served or are currently serving in the U.S. military.