Cartersville Medical Center Affirms Support of Guard and Reserve

February 11, 2009– Cartersville Medical Center CEO Keith Sandlin was among twenty hospital CEOs with HCA’s TriStar Health System who today reaffirmed their support of the nation’s National Guard and Reserve units. 

In a ceremony attended by representatives from the Army Reserve, National Guard and Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), hospital CEOS from Kentucky, Tennessee and Northwest Georgia signed ESGR Statements of Support at HCA’s TriStar division office in Brentwood. 

“Cartersville Medical Center is proud to support our community’s citizen soldiers, and their families, who make significant sacrifices to answer our country’s call to service,” said Sandlin.   “Their service certainly deserves the highest possible support and by signing these Statements of Support today we are reaffirming our hospital’s long-standing commitment to support the Guard and Reserve.”

According to Sandlin, HCA was awarded the Above and Beyond award in 2005, recognizing the company’s support of employees who serve that goes above and beyond the requirements set by law.  While employees are deployed, HCA pays any difference between the military and HCA salaries and continues providing insurance benefits for family members, paid time off accrual and senority.

HCA currently has about 125 employees company-wide on military leave; 22 employees with the TriStar division are currently active duty and/or reservists. Cartersville Medical Center has several employees and physicians who are serving as reservists and active duty.

“Employer support is critical to maintaining the strength and readiness of the nation’s National Guard and Reserve Units,” said Brigadier General David Smalley, Deputy Commanding General Army Reserve Medical Command in Tampa Florida, a Nashville native who attended the event.  “Our soldiers need to be able to serve their country with confidence and peace of mind, knowing their employment is secure when they have completed the job of serving our nation.”

Kloess said he hopes other employers will not waver in their support of men and women who serve, particularly in these challenging economic times.

According to Joe Thomas, ESGR State Chairman, the "Statement of Support" program asks employers to recognize the critical role of the Reserve Components and pledge support for their employees who participate as citizen soldiers in our "community based defense force." The certificate is signed by the Secretary of Defense and countersigned by the employer. This is a symbolic gesture that reassures employees who are members of the National Guard or the Reserves their rights are upheld during military duty.

Employers signing this statement pledge they will (1) neither deny employment nor limit or reduce job opportunities because of service in the Reserve Components; (2) grant absences for military duty and training; and (3) ensure all their employees are aware of these policies.

Since September 11, 2001, more than 600,000 National Guard and Reserve men and women across the United States have left their families and employers to serve on active duty in the Global War on Terrorism.  Many of these deployed Guard and Reserve members serve, work, and live in the Middle Tennessee area.  None of this could have been possible without the strong backing from civilian employers of the brave men and women who serve this great Nation, and the State of Tennessee.

The Department of Defense established the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve component members and their civilian employers, and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee’s military commitment.  Local members are volunteers and are more than willing to recognize community businesses for supporting their National Guard and Army Reserve employees while performing military duty.