AUSTIN — The Seton Medical Center Austin honored veterans in two ways: unveiling a new Military Memorial Garden outside the 38th Street facility and offering a new program that recognizes veterans.
Seton employees marked both with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday morning.
The garden included two granite benches that memorialize veterans and honor their service.
One veteran in attendance was MacKenzie Field, who served in the Army for nine years.
"I was a military intelligence officer in the Army and then became a nurse afterward," said Field.
She is now fighting to save lives as an adult ICU nurse.
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"I've only worked for Seton Medical Center Austin itself and for them to recognize those that served both patient and family side as well as the associate is unprecedented," said Field.
A new program at Seton will now allow veterans to be recognized while they are admitted at the hospital as well.
"They will place a bracelet around their wrist that has a flag on it as well as a flag within the door of their room. That allows us to identify them and recognize them for their service," said Dr. David Martin, the Chief Medical Officer for Seton. He's also a veteran.
But Martin said it's the recognition that veterans will receive if something more serious happens that will mean even more.
"So now if they do pass, we put a flag over their body, and we take them out the front door not the back door, play taps overhead and all the associates who are free can come out and line the hallways and salute and honor that veteran," said Martin.
A final tribute for those who have sacrificed so much already.
Seton Williamson started this program in 2017.