2 Chaplain’s Corner ... Are you feeding yourself good? Services of Worship A story is told of an evening gathering comes, but evil deci - Protestant/ Interdenominational between a grandfather and granddaugh - sions can lead to evil Sunday ter. The grandfather tells the granddaugh - outcomes. When we 10 a.m. Chapel and TV (Ch. 30) ter about a battle that goes on inside of choose to do good, it 12:30 Psychiatry Unit people. He says the battle is between two can be said that we're 1:30 p.m. NHCU (2nd Fl. Day Room) wolves; one evil and one good. choosing to follow God Catholic The grandfather says the characteris - or a Higher Power. Monday 11:30 a.m. Chapel tics of the evil wolf are anger, envy, jeal - We're choosing to trust ousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, and walk by faith be - Islamic self-pity, guilt, resentment, lies, false lieving God or our Friday 1:30 p.m. Chapel pride, superiority and ego. The charac - Higher Power will lead Jewish teristics of the good wolf are joy, peace, us by grace. The Jewish Chaplain is available by request in the love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, When we choose to chaplain’s office at ext. 6870 benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, do evil, it can be said Dial-A-Prayer compassion and faith. that we're setting our - VAMC’s Chaplain Service provides a Dial-A- The granddaughter asked, “Which selves up for failure Prayer service/ministry. Dial-A-Prayer is always wolf wins?” The grandfather replied, and adversity. After available. If calling from an outside telephone, “The one you feed.” choosing evil we can dial 404-321-6111, ext. 4161. We, too, are like the wolves. Every experience anger, envy, day we're deciding whether to do good jealousy, sorrow, regret, or evil. Whether we decide to indulge in greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt or re - Overcoming evil primarily consists of good or evil, the decision makes a re - sentment. Theses emotions can begin to practicing good. markable difference. Sometimes a deci - affect our whole being (physically, spir - The question you could ask yourself sion will affect an individual for a life itually and mentally). is: As I journey through life, which wolf time. Good decisions lead to good out - Can we learn how to overcome evil? will win today? Personal sales, purchases unauthorized at VA Medical Center We have observed a number of visitors and/or patients in the of Code of Federal Regulations 38CFR, 1.218, (a) (8) and (b) Atlanta VA Medical Center selling goods or promoting their (20) and can result in fine or arrest (depending on the items services. This activity is prohibited without prior approval. If being sold). such individuals are identified, Police should be notified and Please be aware that all sales activities require approval by they will be asked to stop the activity, leave the medical center the Public Affairs Office and Veterans Canteen Services. or face potential criminal charges. The Mission of the Atlanta If you are an employee selling personal items, please be VA is to provide timely and compassionate healthcare, which aware of regulation 5 C. F. R. 2635.701-705 that states, contributes to the well-being and quality of life of our veterans. Employees may not misuse official time. This includes the Promoting one’s own entrepreneurship or private gain is unau - employee's own time as well as the time of a subordinate. thorized on federal property. Buying and selling are violations Atlanta VAMC is published to provide the Veteran commu - nity of patients, their families, staff and faculty with informa - tion on people, policies, operations, technical developments, trends and ideas of and about the Department of Veterans Affairs in Atlanta and VISN7. The views and opinions ex - pressed are not necessarily those of the VA. ■ Send story ideas, letters to the editor and other corre - spondence to Editor, Atlanta VAMC (OOPA) 1670 Clairmont Road, Decatur, GA 30033-4004 , The official Atlanta VAMC Newsletter call 404-321-6111 ext. 5155 or send e-mails to Medical Center Director: James A. Clark [email protected]. ■ All photographs belong to the Internal Information Officer: Robin Brown Atlanta VAMC unless otherwise credited. 3 Spotlight on you Name : Mrs. AmyJo Vaughn Brumage Lovelady Age : 95 years old Service : Air Force, 1944-1945 Home of Record : Mullins, Texas Current residence : Community Living Center/Atlanta VAMC Her accomplishments : •Earned her nursing degree at Baylor University •Elected as post commander with the American Veterans in Tulare, California •Advanced to Worthy Matron of the Eastern Stars •Served with the Disabled American Veterans •Became a “Rebekah” and received her 25 year pin. Rebekah is a women’s auxiliary to “The Three Link Fraternity.” Lovelady remembers her childhood fondly. She was raised by her older sister Lesta and her husband, who was part of the notable Buford family that the city and highway in Do - raville are named after. Later, during World War II, she was commissioned a second lieutenant. She met her husband, Byron Lovelady, while she hospitalized after contracting rheumatic fever. Byron served as a flight control officer. After the war, the coupled moved with to Tulare, Calif., where Byron’s parents lived and owned a grocery store. While the plan was for Byron to get his pharmacy degree in Arizona, their plans shifted as they started raising their three children: Dianne, Linda and Byron Lester (named after her sister Lesta). Lovelady continued to work as a nurse until her retirement in 1975. The couple eventually took over the family business. “I was glad to serve my country,” remarked Lovelady. She said she enjoyed a great career and a robust life. “I want to be known as a good nurse and someone who had lots of fun in life.” Her son Byron Lester, lives in Cumming, GA, and volunteers at the VA. 4 VA nurse shares skills as translator Haiti native helps neighbors arriving in Atlanta for medical care after earthquake destroys hometown “When I first heard the news that a massive earthquake had struck Haiti, the information was more than I could initially take in. I experienced sleepless nights and nightmares along with phys - ical and mental exhaustion. I was glued to the television, watching CNN, hoping to see my mother. The horror of humans suffering and the sight of familiar and now demolished landmarks were almost too much to grasp! I felt a sense of hopelessness because I was unable to help.” After receiving news that her family was ok, Marie Mompoint was able to concentrate her ef - forts on helping others right from Atlanta. “It was frustrating that I could not be there to Photos by Ann Hamilton help in person. The first chance I got, I jumped Marie Mompoint assists patients as they arrive at the Dobbins Air into it,” said the Port-au-Prince, Haiti, native. “I Force Base in February during the Atlanta National Disaster Medical knew that I could assist as both a translator and System mission. medical professional.” them,” said the 19-year VA employee. “In the midst of pain, Working at the Atlanta VA Medical Center was just the ad - emotion, and deep sadness the hurting patient needs to know vantage she needed. The medical center is part of the Atlanta that they are not alone or forgotten and acts of kindness to - National Disaster Medical System Federal Coordinating Cen - ward them does that. I immediately show that I am there for ter. The staff coordinates the reception of medical board-val - my patient. I provide comfort, care, trust, compassion and a idated patients in order for them to receive definitive care in listening ear.” Georgia-area facilities. As of Feb. 25, 47 Haitian earthquake Joe Jenkins, an emergency preparedness coordinator for victims, including an 18-month-old with brain injuries, were the medical center, can attest to Mompoint’s caring de - airlifted to Dobbins Air Force Base for treatment at area hos - meanor. pitals. Contributing as a nurse and translator, Mompoint was “Mompoint is always willing and ready to help all the pa - part of the VAMC team that also included physicians, social tients arriving at Dobbins. While we were chosen because we workers, health administrative specialists, an information have outstanding medical care in the area, she was chosen technology tech and other support staffers. for her excellent ability to bridge the gap and eliminate bar - “I chose nursing because it is a helping profession,” ex - riers of communication in a way that was both comforting plained Mompoint, who is one of 30 Haitian nurses with the and reassuring to our Haitian neighbors,” he commented. Atlanta VAMC. “I wanted to work in a field that is challeng - Mompoint has longed to be a nurse practitioner since ing and in demand. Nurses are especially valuable in these childhood. times because there is such a great nursing shortage around “Ever since I was a child, my grand-father had always the world.” wanted me to be a nurse. By the time I graduated Those same high school, I knew I wanted to study nursing. I skills Mompoint deviated and received two associated degrees in uses every day in business and computer science. I was not satisfied the medical Spe - and went back in tract to my first love, nursing. cialty Care unit at From that point on, everything fell into place.” the VA. Graduating from the University of North Car - “Words of com - olina at Charlotte School of Nursing in 1987, fort will go a long Mompoint would later muster up the courage to way in showing earn her master’s degree in 2002 as a nurse practi - patients how tioner.