On the eve of Veterans Day, Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) dedicated and held an open house for the newly-completed Dick and Peggy Fleming Military and Veteran Resource-Information Center (MAVRIC).

Located on the first floor of the School of Nursing at Lehigh Valley Hospital-17th Street, Allentown, MAVRIC is an 11,000 square-foot facility where United States veterans, guard and reservists, active military members and their families can obtain personal and professional support, including clothing, food and personal items, use computer technology to search for employment, receive personalized, coordinated health-related services or assistance obtaining health insurance, attend support groups, participate in writing workshops, learn yoga and socialize with other veterans.

The MAVRIC facility comprises a dozen rooms, which provide specialized and certified staff and critical resources to support active and returned military members and their families, especially those who are being challenged in readjusting to civilian life because of illness, injuries or other difficult circumstances.

“At LVHN, we are committed to meeting the unique needs of our veterans, and the MAVRIC takes that commitment to another level,” said Brian Nester, DO, MBA, FACOEP, LVHN President and CEO.

MAVRIC was established with funding from the Fleming Foundation, an organization founded by longtime LVHN supporters, the late Richard and Peggy Fleming, formerly of Zionsville. An oil painting of the Flemings was unveiled during the dedication and is displayed in the center.

Fleming, a retired executive of Air Products and longtime trustee of LVHN, died in 2015. He was a World War II veteran. His wife, Peggy, a supporter of LVHN nurses and founder of the Friends of Nursing awards program at LVHN, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2002 and died in 2008. The Fleming Foundation has pledged a $2-million gift to fund staffing and capital items for MAVRIC.

“Dick and Peggy Fleming were great friends of LVHN and pillars of our community,” Nester said. “Their legacy will be their dedication, generosity and vision for making ours a healthier place to live.”

MAVRIC offers:

• A resource room equipped with computer terminals and printed materials.

• Offices where trained and certified personnel interview, screen, counsel and assist veterans in applying for health insurance, and connect them to medical and legal resources.

• Men’s and women’s supply closets stocked with clothing and personal items.

• A pantry with food items and emergency, 72-hour meal kits for veterans dealing with immediate hunger needs.

• Community meeting rooms and a coffee lounge for learning, relaxing and socializing.

“This new resource will link the continuum of services and care for our veterans and military, including the VA, private providers and LVHN, to offer a seamless experience,” said Debbie Salas-Lopez, MD, LVHN Chief Transformation Officer.