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Thank You for your Service

Shot of rstethoscope lies on the uniform of a US soldie. The concept of health care, military insurance, state care
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This past weekend, Cordell Walker, the heart and soul behind Alpha Omega Veterans Services, died after a long battle with prostate cancer.

I suspect you might not recognize his name or his organization. I got to know him and Alpha Omega in the 1980s when he began sending me patients at Church Health who were uninsured. I was shocked to learn that veterans aren't eligible to receive medical care from the VA if their problem isn't service connected. This is true for a lot of the problems Cordell and Alpha Omega deal with.

It's become a cliché to tell a member of the military, "Thank you for your service," but the consequences of that service can lead to lifelong trauma that is not readily service connected, but can indirectly be the result of fighting a war in a far off land. Homelessness, joblessness, hopelessness as a result of PTSD are not easily overcome. For almost 40 years, in has stepped Cordell Walker and Alpha Omega for veterans living in Memphis. Cordell wouldn't want much attention focused on him, but he would want you to support Alpha Omega. As for Cordell, thank you for your service, good and faithful servant. This is Dr. Scott Morris for Church Health.

Dr. G. Scott Morris, M.D., M.Div, is founder and CEO of Church Health, which opened in 1987 to provide quality, affordable health care for working, uninsured or underserved people and their families. In FY2021, Church Health had over 61,300 patient visits. Dr. Morris has an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia, a Master of Divinity degree from Yale University, and M.D. from Emory University. He is a board-certified family practice physician and an ordained United Methodist minister.