MJHS Health System Awarded $100k Grant by TD Bank for Veterans Initiative

Funds will help not-for-profit expand reach of trauma-informed care, Vet-to-Vet Cafes, caregiver support, legacy-building and reconciliation efforts.

MJHS Health System today announced that it has been awarded a $100,000 grant from TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, to help expand the not-for-profit’s compassionate hospice care programs for military veterans and their families. The funding will be used, in part, to: augment the use of existing virtual reality interventions used therapeutically in the delivery of trauma-informed care; increase the number of free virtual Vet-to-Vet Cafes moderated by the MJHS Hospice veteran liaison; supplement existing caregiver supportive services; as well as amplify current legacy-building and reconciliation projects that are designed to help veterans and their loved ones find peace, celebrate service milestones and get closure, as needed.

 “Aging veterans, particularly those who served during the Vietnam War, have complex care needs and face unique challenges,” said Ashton Stewart, Veteran Liaison and Cultural Sensitivity Liaison, MJHS Hospice. “Ongoing support from TD Bank helps keep MJHS at the forefront of providing innovative, culturally sensitive hospice care to veterans. It also helps us continue to cultivate a veteran-centric culture that focuses on end-of-life care that is delivered in alignment with the lived experiences of our veterans and their loved ones, as well as based on the MJHS core values of compassion, dignity and respect,” Stewart added.

“We are honored to support MJHS Health System’s initiative focused on providing trauma-informed care that will help both veterans and their caregivers,” said Emmet Conlon, Head of Institutional Healthcare, TD Bank. “At TD Bank, we are committed to building up the communities we serve by supporting organizations like MJHS that are focused on creating a more inclusive and sustainable world for all,” Conlon added.

Since 2010, MJHS has been a member of the We Honor Veterans (WHV) program, a collaboration between the U.S. Department for Veteran Affairs and the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. MJHS is a Level 5 partner, the highest credential possible, and was one of the first hospices to earn this status nationwide, as well as the first in New York State. The goal of WHV is “to care for and honor those who have served when they reach the end of life.” The WHV program enables MJHS to engage meaningfully, and collaborate effectively, with community organizations, in order to expand awareness of relevant services available to veterans and their families.