Tom Kurlick, director of operational improvement for Baptist Memorial Health Care, recently traveled to San Diego to participate in the Wounded Warrior Ride supporting military men and women who sustain injuries while deployed.
While Kurlick was deployed, he served as a nurse and saw the injuries first-hand, ranging from concussions from roadside explosions to limbs lost from attacks on troops. A wounded warrior himself, he has recovered from two separate injuries from blasts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“In Iraq, I was in an armored Hummer, and an improvised device went off, exploding near our vehicle,” he explained. “In Afghanistan, we were under a rocket attack.”
Kurlick serves in the Army Reserves and has been in the military for 27 years with two and a half years of deployment.
“Baptist has been very supportive of my effort to serve my country,” he said. “Wounded Warriors allows me to give back and relate to the soldiers who need help and support.”
Locally, Kurlick is a peer mentor to support the wounded warriors in the Memphis area.