“Endless, wonderful, priceless words have been shared

“Endless, wonderful, priceless words have been shared with me. I have always found my Veterans to be gracious and thankful for the care they receive.” So says Mary Curtiss, advanced practice registered nurse with the Roseburg VA Health Care System in Roseburg, Oregon. “I try to remember to be the best part of their worst day.” Curtiss, a self-described ‘Army brat,’ has been with the Roseburg VA for eight years. During the RVAHCS Coronavirus response, Curtiss established and continues to maintain, along with the team, a secondary respiratory screening tent – she also has a long family history of military service. “One person can’t do it alone. The heroes are the [Environmental Management Service] staff preparing the room; the tech taking vitals and drawing blood; the nurse giving medications and being my eyes and ears; the radiology tech shooting the pictures; the pharmacist walking the medication down so we don’t send sick patients walking through the halls. It takes a village.” The RVAHCS has five facilities across southern Oregon and serves four Oregon counties and Del Norte County in Northern California. (Official RVAHCS Photo by T. T. Parish/Released)