PBRM celebrates veterans

Pictured from left are Jake Corlew-Emergency Department Pharmacist, Rick Naegler CEO and Stacy Magnum-Director of Pharmacy.

Photo provided

In celebration of Veterans Day, Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center is celebrating the staff who have served and are currently serving in the United States Military.

“PBRMC celebrates and honors our veterans in our community. We are fortunate and privileged to have many veterans and current military personnel in our employee ranks that carry the dignity and pride in everything they do to serve our community,” CEO Rick Naegler said in a press release from the hospital.

Among the 100+ veteran staff is emergency department pharmacist Jake Corlew who served in the U.S. Navy from 2017-2021. Corlew was a staff pharmacist with PBRMC in 2006 until he joined the Navy in 2017. He became a lieutenant in the Navy and served from 2017-2021 in the Medical Service Corps. Corlew did tours at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida, Kandahar, Afghanistan and Washington, D.C.

“All the trauma I’ve witnessed and the training I received while on active duty has prepared me in the best way possible to be the ED Pharmacist,” said Corlew. “PBRMC is home.”

During his time on tour, Corlew witnessed the 2019 terrorist attack in Pensacola, a war zone in Afghanistan and the Capitol breach in January 2021. “That was the best and worst day there, worst for obvious reasons, and best because I was able to use my training and take care of our nation’s representatives, senators and Supreme Court justices during a riot,” added Corlew.

Corlew came from a military family and felt it was a family tradition to carry on.

“My father served 21 years in the Army and my grandfather served during WW2,” he said.

Now, Corlew is serving in the Navy Reserves as an intelligence officer and is up for lieutenant commander.

Corlew and his fellow employed veterans and current military staff were honored Thursday, Nov. 11 with a ceremony, food and beverage, the MIA-POW table and thanked by the entire staff for their commitment to the United States Military.

“In many ways, the parallel between military service and health care is rooted in a greater mission than self and demonstrated in their commitment to serve,” said Naegler.