Veteran parking spots offered at Roper St. Francis Healthcare hospitals as “thank you”

In an effort to thank those who have served our country, Roper St. Francis Healthcare has reserved two well-positioned parking spaces for veterans at our four hospitals.

“The beauty of this is that it’s a special acknowledgement,” said Ken Hill, director of construction and safety who served 24 years in the Air Force and retired as a lieutenant colonel at Charleston Airforce Base where he served as commander of the medical support squadron. “It’s saying we know what you did for us, and we want you here.”

The parking spaces are the latest example of action taken by Roper St. Francis Healthcare’s Military Appreciation and Alignment Task Force to recognize the growing population of veterans throughout the Lowcountry.

Earlier this year, multi-skilled technician John Goff from Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital suggested offering bracelets to veterans to wear during their stay. The former Air Force member wanted to make sure patients with a military background were recognized and thanked, and hospital leaders made red, white and blue “United States Veterans” bracelets available to patients. Goff’s idea has been expanded to all Roper St. Francis Healthcare hospitals.

With the deepest harbor in the south Atlantic and a strategic East Coast location, Charleston has benefited from a significant military presence since its founding in 1670, according to the Charleston Regional Development Alliance. The Charleston region is home to Joint Base Charleston, one of twelve joint facilities operated by the Department of Defense; the Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC), one of the Navy’s only two cyber mission engineering centers; and nearly all U.S. Dept. of Defense and Dept. of Homeland Security agencies.

“Our veterans have given parts of their lives to serve our country and to protect us and they need some special treatment and appreciation,” said Tony Heyward, manager of engineering and support services at Roper St. Francis Berkeley Hospital. “This a way of showing our appreciation to the commitment they have given us.”