JPS team members continue serving their community after serving their country
For Aaron Leach, a senior financial analyst at JPS Health Network and member of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, service means looking out for the people who depend on him.
Today, Leach balances his full-time role at JPS with his responsibilities in the Marine Corps Reserve, where he helps prepare fellow Marines for deployment.
Service is an important part of the mission of JPS Health Network, and that commitment is especially meaningful for the more than 240 team members who are veterans. They carry the spirit of service from their time in the United States Armed Forces into their work caring for patients and serving the Tarrant County community.
On Tuesday, November 10, JPS hosted its annual Veterans Day breakfast to recognize and thank veterans across the network for their service to our country and the contributions they continue to make at JPS.
Speakers included Leach and Rev. Gordon Johnson, a JPS volunteer of 10 years and U.S. Air Force veteran.
“Veterans Day helps get past those bad memories. It establishes that people remember, and if they have forgotten, it's a reminder to be thankful for those folks who have served and offered everything in the service of the country.
“I don't really do it for me. I do it for the Marines assigned to my command,” Leach said. “I'm here to set them up for success. If I fail to do my job, then they're not going to be able to do theirs.”
That sense of service is one reason Leach believes it's important for JPS to recognize its veterans.
“Even if that chapter of their lives is closed for veterans, they still have a heart for service, and we can continue to appreciate that,” Leach said.
Military service was something Leach had considered since high school. After completing college and starting a family, he thought that opportunity had passed. But hearing about another person's experience as a military reservist encouraged him to take another look. He eventually joined the Marine Corps Reserve, attended Officer Candidate School, and served a period of active duty before returning to his position at JPS.
For Rev. Johnson, a Vietnam veteran and JPS volunteer for 10 years, Veterans Day carries a particularly personal meaning. When he returned from Vietnam, he remembers a time when veterans were not always welcomed with appreciation. Today, he sees the annual breakfast as an opportunity to remind veterans that their service has not been forgotten.
“Veterans Day helps get past those bad memories. It establishes that people remember, and if they have forgotten, it's a reminder to be thankful for those folks who have served and offered everything in the service of the country,” Johnson said.
Johnson chose to volunteer at JPS because of its role as a public hospital and the community it serves. Having lived overseas as a child, he appreciates the opportunity to welcome everyone and help them feel at home when they come to JPS.
For Johnson, recognizing veterans also means recognizing the ways they support their communities long after their military service.
“I think for JPS, it's a display of JPS representing the right to serve the entire community, including veterans,” Johnson said. “It's important for the veterans who work and volunteer here to know that they're appreciated.”
JPS is proud to have more than 240 veterans among its workforce of more than 7,200 team members. Their experiences bring another perspective to the work happening across the network, and their continued dedication reflects a commitment to serving others.
“Today is about honoring service, recognizing sacrifice, and celebrating the men and women who have answered the call to serve something greater than themselves,” said Dr. Karen Duncan, president and CEO of JPS Health Network. “As I look around this room, I’m reminded of the tremendous leadership, experience, dedication, and service our veterans bring to this organization. We thank you for your courage, your sacrifice, and your commitment to serving others.”