City of Tempe Vice Mayor Robin Arredondo-Savage has been honored with the 2017 Service Award as part of the third annual Mesa Community College (MCC) Hall of Fame. The Service Award is given to a community member who has provided exemplary service to the community.

“I am honored to receive this award and to be recognized by such a dedicated group of educators,” Arredondo-Savage said. “I remain committed to working towards better education, more economic opportunities and improved care for veterans across our city.”

Vice Mayor Arredondo-Savage was recognized for her years of service to the City of Tempe, the State of Arizona and our country.  She is a U.S. Army veteran and served on the Tempe Union High School District Governing Board for eight years, including two years as President of the Board. She has also been serving on the Tempe City Council since 2010.

As an advocate for veterans’ services, Vice Mayor Arredondo-Savage was instrumental in securing Valor on 8^th, Tempe’s first affordable housing community designed for veterans with families.  She also started Tempe’s College Connect program which helps students to apply and find the resources they need to go to college.  Vice Mayor Arredondo-Savage remains committed to serving the community by focusing on education, jobs and programs that help veterans.

This is the third year of the MCC Hall of Fame awards, which recognizes alumni, community members and MCC employees whose personal and professional accomplishments have made positive contributions to the college and the community. Other awards include Alumni Achievement, Outstanding Athletes and Excellence in Teaching.

A reception and awards program to recognize this year’s awards recipients will be held on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. at the Mesa Community College Theatre. Click here for more information.

MEDIA CONTACT: Melissa Quillard, 480-350-8808, Melissa_quillard@tempe.gov

Military veterans with high-risk health conditions who live in Tempe are getting health care in the comfort of their own homes thanks to a partnership between the Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department and the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System.  The two entities have joined forces to create a Veterans Telemedicine Program that has been helping some of Tempe’s more than 13,000 veterans conserve their health.  “Joined Forces”, a newly-produced video by Tempe11, highlights two of the veterans in the program.

The telemedicine program combines an old-fashion house call with modern technology to allow the Tempe fire department’s nursing team and the VA medical staff to concurrently monitor the program participants, who are selected by the Phoenix VA. The registered nurses provide the hands-on health assessment while a VA nurse practitioner consults with the patient via a video conferencing platform to determine their medical needs.

“Our city high-risk veterans now have an alternative to stressful and costly emergency room visits,” said Tempe Fire Chief Greg Ruiz. “We believe there are more veterans in our city who have health conditions that may benefit from this program.” Veterans can contact the Tempe fire department or consult with their VA doctor about the program, which has been in progress for about a year and was recommended to the fire department by Vice Mayor Robin Arredondo-Savage.

To read the full release on the City of Tempe website click here.

To learn more about the program, click here.

The Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services and the Arizona Coalition for Military Families will recognize the City of Tempe during the inaugural Arizona Roadmap to Veteran Employment Summit.

The summit, a collaborative effort of public and private sector partners led by the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services and the Arizona Coalition for Military Families, launches a statewide initiative to connect service members, veterans and their families to employment opportunities, training and resources.

The City of Tempe will be named the first Arizona Veteran Supportive Employer, a designation of the Arizona Roadmap to Veteran Employment for efforts to improve quality of life for veterans and their families. Additionally, Tempe will be announced as a Military/Veteran Resource Network Partner Organization, making it the first city in Arizona to earn this designation, based on the Guidelines for CARE for counties, cities and towns.

“Local veterans and their families sacrifice so much to serve our community. Tempe’s programs and services are a great way to show our gratitude and give back,” said Mayor Mark Mitchell. “Our military service members deserve personal and professional success. Our goal is to ensure they have the tools and support to help them achieve their dreams.”

As part of a multifaceted effort to help improve quality of life for veterans and their families, Tempe joined forces with local veterans and veteran service providers to create the Tempe Military and Veterans Working Group in 2013. The group created a strategic plan with four initiatives: establish a Tempe Veterans Commission; partner with the East Valley Veterans Education Center to establish a center that connects veterans and their families to resources, services and programs; create affordable housing projects for veterans and their families; and earn the Veterans Supportive City designation from the Arizona Coalition of Military Families. Tempe is pleased that much progress is being made on all fronts.

The Tempe City Council unanimously voted to establish the Tempe Veterans Commission on Jan. 8. On Feb. 28, the city formalized the partnership with the East Valley Veterans Education Center through a Community Resource Fair and Celebration. Last month, the City Council adopted a resolution to pursue an affordable housing project for veterans. Additionally, in October, Tempe launched the eighth Veterans Court in Arizona.

For more information on Tempe’s veterans efforts, visit www.tempe.gov/military.