VNSNY Veterans Hospice Care: Saluting Those Who Served

On warm July day recently in a high-rise apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, a bedridden World War II veteran and VNSNY Hospice patient received an unexpected surprise. The veteran, Edward Flanagan, had enlisted in the Navy after his beloved older brother died in combat and went on to see action in the Pacific theater. He later became a successful bank executive and active member of the community in his hometown of New Rochelle, New York—but like most war veterans, he was shadowed by memories, some more painful than others. It also saddened Edward that his Naval medals and discharge papers had gone missing.

Now, VNSNY Hospice veterans liaison Joe Vitti was at his bedside with duplicates of the medals he had earned, and a copy of his discharge papers as well, thanks to Joe’s hard work and determined outreach to the Department of Defense and the National Archives. In the presence of Edwards’ wife and a family friend, Joe awarded the medals one by one, briefly explaining what each represented before pinning it on Edward’s chest: the American Campaign Theater Medal, the Asiatic–Pacific Theater Medal, the World War II Victory medal.

It is because of efforts like this one that the national We Honor Veterans campaign (WHV) raised the VNSNY program’s certification earlier this year from Level Three to Level Four—the campaign’s highest rating. Developed and run by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization with the aid of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), We Honor Veterans collaborates with hospices, state hospice organizations, and VA facilities to spread awareness among U.S. military veterans of the end-of-life care and benefits that are available to them. WHV upgrades their hospice partners on the basis of how well they’ve fulfilled the requirements for each level, which range from providing veteran-centric education to staff and volunteers and identifying patients with a military history (Level 1) to developing or strengthening partnerships with VA medical centers and veterans organizations like the VFW and American Legion (Level 4).

The success of VNSNY Hospice’s veterans program is due largely to Joe Vitti, who has served as the organization’s veterans liaison for two years. In his prior career in the military, Joe was an Army intelligence officer whose job was to lead his battalion’s intelligence sections within the 28th Infantry Division and the 10th Mountain Division and to lead and care for his subordinate soldiers. Today, Joe’s roles include making veterans aware of their benefits, helping them get their documents in order, guiding veterans and VNSNY social workers through the maze of the Veterans Affairs healthcare system, and training staff members and volunteers to understand the impact that wartime combat can have on veterans, even decades later—most commonly, post traumatic stress disorder and survivor’s guilt.

“When working with hospice veterans, it’s important to remember that many have already faced life and death on the battlefield” says Joe. “Veterans are selfless people who want to help others. Now, they’re asking a hospice team and their family or friends to take care of them, and they often find it hard.”

If a veteran’s case is difficult, Joe will visit the patient’s family to offer support as well. In addition, he regularly connects with veterans organizations across New York City’s five boroughs to maintain VNSYN’s relationship with them and take care of other veteran-related matters. Several times a month, Joe also orchestrates intimate ceremonies like the one with Edward Flanagan, honoring hospice veterans for anything from an act of courage in combat to aiding fellow veterans in their community.

For Edward, the recovery of his medals and papers filled him with pride and gave him a measure of closure at the end of life, while the ceremony itself shone a bright light on his war service. After he expressed his heartfelt thanks to Joe, the two veterans ended the ceremony with a salute.

“Every war veteran has a unique story,” says Joe. “Our partnership with We Honor Veterans makes it possible to let hospice veterans in New York City know their service has not gone unnoticed, and that it is greatly appreciated.”

The Take-Away: VNSNY Hospice and Palliative Care’s veterans outreach program ensures that U.S. veterans receive full hospice benefits related to their military service, and also provides end-of-life care that recognizes and takes into account their wartime experiences.