SLU School of Medicine Hosts Operation Healthy Vets

ST. LOUIS — The Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Saint Louis University School of Medicine will host Operation Healthy Vets. This family-friendly community event for veterans will be held on Saturday, Oct. 1, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Learning Resource Center. 

The School of Medicine is committed to supporting veterans and has hosted several community events. 

“There are many veterans at SLU, and that number is significantly magnified within our greater St. Louis community,” said Daniel Blash, Ph.D., vice dean of diversity, equity and inclusion​, chief diversity officer at SLU’s School of Medicine, and an Army veteran​. “This event will send the message to those veterans and their families that ‘you’re not forgotten, nor left behind.’ There is an entire medical enterprise here committed to healthy veterans.”

The School of Medicine has partnered with community agencies to provide health screenings as well as mental and wellness resources. The event features free food, live music, and entertainment for all ages. 

“This is an opportunity to connect with veterans and bring those resources to them,” said Esmeralda Aharon, program director, and an Air Force veteran. “In our community, I have noticed that services are underutilized because people are unaware that they exist.”

Among the community agencies that will be represented at the event are two for the under-housed or unhoused: the Veterans Community Project and Heart for the Unhoused at Washington University in St. Louis. Others are the VA St. Louis Health Care, St. Louis Public Library, St. Francis Community Services, a nonprofit that provides legal aid and advocacy for veterans, and K9s on the Front Line, an advanced program for veterans who need a fully trained and certified service dog. 

The event is open to the St. Louis community. Veterans may register in advance, although sign-ups are not required. Free parking will be available at Hickory Garage, 3424 Hickory Street, St Louis, MO, 63104. 

For more information about the event, please contact Esmeralda Aharon at esmeralda.aharon@health.slu.edu. 

About Saint Louis University School of Medicine

Established in 1836, Saint Louis University School of Medicine has the distinction of awarding the first medical degree west of the Mississippi River. The school educates physicians and biomedical scientists, conducts medical research, and provides health care on a local, national and international level. Research at the school seeks new cures and treatments in five key areas: cancer, liver disease, heart/lung disease, aging and brain disease, and infectious diseases.