Nurse's inspiration becomes instrumental in new veterans recognition program at hospital

CONCORD — A program at Atrium Health Cabarrus intended to thank military veterans started as a small goal in a small wooden box.

Carmen Frutig, a nurse in the intensive care unit, pushed for more.

Frutig initially started an “Honor Box,” which provided small gifts for military veterans receiving treatment at the hospital.

That small, simple idea has grown significantly thanks in part to a grant provided by NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski, his wife Paige, and the Checkered Flag Foundation.

The grant for a little more than $43,600 is for the new Atrium Health Cabarrus Veterans Recognition Program, which will start in early February.

The program is designed to ensure that every identified veteran patient at the hospital will be given a special welcome, along with recognition and appreciation for their service during their stay.

“Our foundation, the Checkered Flag Foundation, has a number of initiatives to show support,” Keselowski said. “Today, announcing this program with Atrium Health and the NorthEast Foundation, it’s just a natural continuance of that. It’s an ability to help recognize those who have served and are going through a pretty difficult time.”

Upon admittance into Atrium Health Cabarrus, veterans will receive a special welcome kit, included with gifts, and an American flag will be placed outside their door and on their bed.

“It means that all it takes is one little idea, really, to start a big effect,” Frutig said. “The fact that it has to do with the military, the veterans really need all of the support we can give them and show our appreciation for what they have done for our country.”

Frutig said military members and veterans are important to her.

Both of her sons are serving in the military. She also said she had a specific patient who was very ill and ended up dying. He and his wife served in the military.

“I started making calls about what do we do to honor our veterans,” Frutig said. “He was an organ donor, so I felt like we needed to do something, and at that time there wasn’t really anything in place. I knew right then that I was going to put something together in ICU, so when we get veterans admitted into the unit, we will be able to honor them for their service.”

Frutig pushed for the new veteran’s recognition program. Then, the NorthEast Foundation, through the hospital, applied for the grant through Keselowski’s Checkered Flag Foundation.

Keselowski and the Checkered Flag Foundation awarded the grant, which was announced Monday morning inside Atrium Health Cabarrus.

Hospital representatives were on hand for the ceremony, along with Rep. Richard Hudson and Cabarrus County Commissioner Steve Morris.

“It has been very overwhelming for me,” Frutig said. “I didn’t know this was going to happen, but I am so excited that this little pebble that fell into the water has just turned into a great big ripple of efforts from Brad Keselowski and his team and the efforts from the team here at NorthEast.”

In addition to the welcome kit, veterans treated at Atrium Heath Cabarrus will be honored and recognized with the “Code Honor” protocol upon dying in the hospital.

The program will provide an “honorable discharge” for the hospital upon a veteran’s death by draping the stretcher with the American flag and having the veteran and their family escorted by security from the deceased veteran’s room.

Hudson provided an American flag that had been previously placed on the Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

“We are losing veterans every day,” Hudson said. “As each population gets older, the reality is they are going to be in need of health care. It’s important that we recognize them, and this gift from the Checkered Flag Foundation and Atrium Health Cabarrus are to recognize and honor these veterans.”

Based on self-identified veteran patient data for a 12-month time frame from 2018 to 2019, Atrium Health Cabarrus provided medical services to 752 veterans, predominantly from Cabarrus County and its three surrounding counties.

According to Cabarrus County Veterans Services, there are about 13,000 veterans living in the county.

Several of them had reserved seats at the ceremony and personally spoke with Keselowski.

“Every veteran has their own story. They all have a different journey,” Keselowski said. “They’ve gone through different struggles, and you can really appreciate it once you’ve heard them.

“I have been in enough places in the world to know that not everyone has those freedoms and privileges, and they are made possible by those who are willing to serve for their country, willing to sacrifice for their country. Not every one of those men and women come back the same way they went out, and they need our help and our support. It’s important for us to give them that.”