Avera was nominated and selected as the only large employer in South Dakota to be forwarded for the national Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) prestigious Freedom Award.
Avera was honored Nov. 10 by a personal visit from the South Dakota State ESGR Chair, Ralph Borkowski, and State ESGR Awards Coordinator, Karon Gubbrud, to recognize Avera for the nomination being chosen for national consideration.
With around 1,200 nominations from all 50 states and U.S. territories and only around 12 awards given each year nationwide, Avera was not nationally selected as a finalist.
Yet at the state level, being the only large employer to be forwarded to the national award is an honor in itself. “This recognition tangibly acknowledges the excellent support provided by Avera to members of the National Guard, Air Guard and Reserve soldiers in our state,” Gubbrud said.
Avera was nominated by Seth Druin, a member of the SD National Guard and an Avera@Home physical therapist who works from the Yankton, SD, location.
“Avera is a generous and supportive employer to their military members, and this shows in their military policies. I was able to learn and experience this firsthand through my three-month military home station activation,” Druin wrote. “I feel like Avera is incredibly supportive of their military members. They treat me and others I know who are also in the military with respect and care. They are flexible and understanding for all our needs and leave us more impressed with Avera after activations.”
ESGR, a Department of War office, is comprised of dedicated and trained volunteers and staff. They develop and promote employer support for Guard and Reserve service by advocating relevant initiatives, recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of applicable laws, and resolving conflict between employers and Service members.
“Avera is very proud of our employees who are veterans and active service members in the Guard and Reserve,” said Ronald Place, MD, Regional President and CEO of Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center, and a career military health care leader. “We are very intentional about this, because we believe they deserve our support. As employees who value service to others, teamwork and high quality, we highly respect and value the contributions they make.”