Mini Medical School: Military and Medicine

The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine will host a free two-part Mini Medical School on Nov. 9 and 16 that will feature individuals involved in veterans’ creativity on a national scale along with local physicians and medical researchers who will address the current state of medical care for veterans. The event on both evenings will begin at 6 p.m. and will be held in room 106 of the medical school located at 2 Riverside Circle in Roanoke. On Nov. 9 Tara Leigh Tappert will present “In Service to the Nation: Arts and Crafts and the Military.” This presentation briefly document such creative initiatives as the WWI Red Cross Institute for Crippled and Disabled Men, the WWII era Red Cross Arts & Skills program, Vietnam era crafts and writing projects for veterans, and the myriad forms of artistic endeavor and crafts-making practiced by today’s Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Tappert is an independent scholar and an archives and American art consultant. Tappert will be joined by former Navy SEAL Rusty Noesner, whose experience as a participant of art therapy programs led him to establish War Paints, which seeks to empower veterans to create. War Paints promotes and encourages the creative endeavors of our nation’s warriors and service members and helps these men and women explore and develop their talents while connecting them to a community of support. On Nov. 16, a series of short presentations by local physicians and medical researchers will address the current state of medical care for veterans as well as innovative programs and resources available here in the greater Roanoke Valley.