Officials from Fort McCoy presented Tomah Health administration with a certification of appreciation Nov. 15 for the hospital’s support of Operation Allies Welcome, Task Force McCoy and Task Force Medical.
Above: U.S. Army Master Sergeant (MSG) Senior Enlisted Advisor Matthew D. Johnson, left, U.S. Army Col. Matthew N. Fandre, task force surgeon for Task Force McCoy, presented the certificate to Tomah Health CEO Phil Stuart and hospital Chief Nursing Officer Tracy Myhre, MSN, RN at Tomah Health Nov. 15.
The certificate recognized Tomah Health for “immediate and phenomenal response in support of Operations Allies Welcome, Task Force McCoy and Task Force Medical. We could not have succeed in our mission without you. Your unwavering support, open communication and dedication to the care and welfare of thousands of displaced Afghan refugees was integral to the success of the mission at Fort McCoy. Tomah Health demonstrated excellence in service and represented the highest standards in healthcare for our Afghan guests.”
“We only have certain medical assets and capabilities on the post so we are absolutely reliant on the local hospitals, including Tomah Health to give the services that we cannot provide,” U.S. Army Col. Matthew N. Fandre, task force surgeon for Task Force McCoyCol. Matthew Fandre said. “Without the local communities and Tomah Health specifically, we would not have been able to take care of our guests that we needed to.”
Col. Fandre added that the certificate was a small token of appreciation to the entire team at Tomah Health. “It’s been unwavering support,” he added.
Tomah Health CEO Phil Stuart echoed the team effort thanking all hospital staff for making a difference. “It’s has been a challenge, and together we have been able to work through it.”
In August, Fort McCoy was one of eight installations chosen to house Afghan evacuees escaping from the war-torn country after it fell to the Taliban. The military reservation had 15,000 evacuees at one point, but that number has shrunk to 10,000 as the Afghans are processed and resettled around the U.S.