A Call To Serve:
Northwestern Steps Up to Help Citizen Soldiers
Posted on March 23, 2009
At Northwestern Health Sciences University, we take great pride in our connections to the community. We have a long-standing history of reaching out to the community through clinical partnerships, health and wellness information, and neighborhood events. In 2008, the University was inspired to serve a larger community – those who are serving in the United States armed forces.
The Right Thing to Do
Starting in January 2008, Northwestern joined an initiative to offer treatments free of charge to United States military personnel and their families. The initiative, called the Warrior to Citizen campaign, is part of a larger grassroots effort called Beyond the Yellow Ribbon. Through partnerships forged with community leaders and business, both programs strive to help soldiers successfully re-enter their communities after deployment, and help their families cope during their absence. “We were inspired to participate as a way to give back to those who sacrifice so much to serve our country,” said Deborah Miller, LPN, Northwestern’s associate vice president of clinical services.
Nearly 50 patients have received treatment at Northwestern through the Warrior to Citizen program. In cooperation with the Adler Graduate School, Northwestern is able to offer chiropractic, Oriental medicine, psychological therapy, family counseling, acupuncture, and massage therapy services to through the program. Many would not have had access to natural health care without it, as medical benefits for the military generally do not include chiropractic or other natural modalities. “It is heartwarming to hear how grateful these families are,” praises Miller. “I am so proud of our institution for stepping up and doing the right thing.”
More than a Weekend Warrior
As a student at the University of Minnesota, Susan Bradshaw spends time thinking about her future; graduation this May, and what job opportunities will be available. When Bradshaw – who goes by Susie –first learned that her Minnesota National Guard unit was being deployed to Iraq, her focus shifted almost immediately.
On that January day back in 2006, as she left the frigid cold of Minnesota for the blistering heat of the Iraqi desert, she became a different kind of student. When she stepped off the plane onto the hot tarmac, wind and sand swirling at her feet and in her face, she couldn’t have imagined the lifelong impact those steps would make.
“One minute I’m a college student, and the next I’m in Iraq,” Bradshaw recalls. “I found myself in a very different situation, and I tried to make the best of it. If you are not able to do that, it ends up being a long year.”
Bradshaw was in Iraq for more than one year – from January 2006 through July 2007. It was a long deployment; indeed often during those long days Bradshaw says she sometimes worried she’d never see home again. Looking back, she realizes that 16 months was a relatively short span of time that would shape her life for years to come.
As a Signals Intelligence Analyst in the 1/34th Brigade Support Team Battalion, Alpha Company, of the Minnesota National Guard, Bradshaw was among 2,600 members of the Bloomington-based 1st Brigade Combat Team that returned in the summer of 2007 from the longest combat tour yet of any military unit – Active, Guard, or Reserve – in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
“We wore body armor that weighed approximately 45 pounds,” she says. “I had constant back and neck pain. I went on many civil affairs missions, delivering personal and school supplies to towns. They were very long days – sometimes 15 or 16 hours. We’d prepare early, leave midday, and not return until close to midnight. We were on our feet all that time, in extreme heat. The weather was hot and dry. Then I was there for the rainy season, and everything turned to mud from the canal next to the base.
“It was interesting going out into the towns and visiting the police stations and medical facilities, collecting information and delivering supplies. The social interaction with people other than other soldiers was encouraging and gave me something to look forward to. I was able to get people from home to send school supplies and personal hygiene items that I handed out in the towns. It made me feel like I was making a difference in the lives of the Iraqi people. Especially the children. Kids are the innocents in this – they were very interested in us, especially the girls who were in awe that a female soldier was out in the towns since there are no women in the Iraqi army. They loved me, calling me ‘madame.’ It was a very gratifying part of my time there; to see how appreciative the people were, how happy our visits made them. But it really took a toll on my body. “
In Iraq, Bradshaw was one of thousands of soldiers who were displaced from their homes, families and communities. But back in Minnesota, Bradshaw became one of many soldiers who faced the lingering physical effects of her tour of duty.
“My shoulders and neck have been affected by the body armor and the weapon I carried,” Bradshaw says. “I have chronic pain.” She is one of 50 individuals that have participated in Northwestern’s Warrior to Citizen campaign. She learned about the program through a community event in Bloomington. The event featured Bloomington businesses that wanted to honor the service of veterans through discounts and special offers. More than 300 National Guard members attended.
Through the program, she’s been receiving chiropractic and massage therapy treatments. “Since my treatments, I notice some of the discomfort is going away,” notes Bradshaw. “I’ve noticed a difference and am hoping to continue. For me, it’s important to my overall health and wellness. I have recommended Northwestern to a few other army personnel; it’s so close and convenient.”
“I feel like the Warrior to Citizen program is providing a pathway to healing with natural care,” explains Bradshaw. “It is an alternative to the services offered by the Veteran’s Administration. They are swamped with critical vets and patients just returning. This is a very nice complementary service. I feel welcomed and treated like a person at Northwestern, not just another appointment slot. The friendly staff makes it a point to get to know you and provide the best care possible.”
The Family Left Behind
Getting the best care possible for her family has always been a top priority for Barb Kelii of Bloomington, Minn. As an occupational therapist by trade and a hands-on mom, Barb knows the importance of quality health care. So when she learned of the program at Northwestern, she was thrilled. Her husband Bruce is a member of the Army National Guard, from the 834th Aviation Support Battalion, based in St. Paul, Minn. His company was deployed to Balad, Iraq, in June 2008 for a 12-month tour of duty that is expected to end in June 2009.
The Keliis have two children; Kiana, age 12, and Liam, age 8. Both kids are athletic, and massage therapy has been helpful for Kiana, an active pre-teen and hockey player. “But we wouldn’t have the budget for this,” she emphasizes, “if it weren’t for the program that Northwestern is offering to military families.
“Everyone at Northwestern was great with Kiana. Her treatments have really helped her,” says Barb. Stress can take a toll on the families of deployed military. Not only is there the stress of the danger faced by their loved one, but the parent left behind must take on the role of sole parent. Barb has had massage and acupuncture treatments. “I’ve always been interested in acupuncture. I did treatments for general wellness and stress relief. I’m very open to the practice,” she says.
Barb and her family have participated in many community events at Northwestern, which she affectionately refers to as “the college.” But she learned of the Warrior to Citizen by coincidence from a friend who is a neighbor of Northwestern. “When I called for more information, I realized that many of the Army families I knew of did not know about the program,” says Barb. Barb leads a family readiness group for her husband’s unit, so she passed along the information to the 200 families in that group. She also shared it with other group leaders. “Hopefully I’ve helped in getting the word out. It’s a great service to military families,” she says.
“To have these services offered to us is a big deal. It tells me even more about the University’s commitment to the community, and makes that connection even more meaningful for our family.”
Bruce was deployed on the last day of school. But he was home in December for Kiana’s 13th birthday and school music programs. And he was happy to find that his family’s care was in good hands.
Serving at Home
Ken Sharp thought his military days were over, having done an eight-year stint in the Army in the 1980s. Then 9/11 happened, and he felt compelled to act. “I just felt the need to help. This was something I could do,” says Sharp, who is now a sergeant in the Army Reserve. He is full-time active duty, assigned to a reserve base in Faribault, Minn., as an automated logistics technician. He lives with his wife Karen in Northfield, Minn.
For the Sharps, the attractive feature of the Warrior to Citizen program is that it offers benefits to spouses and family members. “I am not in the military,” notes Karen. “But we live on a military salary, with military benefits. Chiropractic care and other alternative health care treatments are not covered.”
A fall in the summer of 2008, coupled with an old high school injury, triggered acute back pain for Karen. She took advantage of the program at Northwestern and has received chiropractic adjustments and ultrasound. “I feel 100 percent better,” she says. “I would not have been able to afford to have these treatments without this program. We are very grateful that Northwestern chose to participate in this program.”
The University originally signed on to participate in Warrior to Citizen for one year, but has committed to another year, reports Miller. “We will continue to provide care for those service men and women who seek natural health care.” Providing the best care. Serving our community. That’s our mission.