Veterans Day is a time to honor the service and sacrifice of the men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. As veterans ourselves, we believe one of the best ways to express our gratitude is to provide veterans with access to employment opportunities once they transition from their full-time active, reserve or guard commitments.
At Keck Medicine of USC, we are devoting resources to veteran-specific recruitment activities. We post open positions on RecruitMilitary.com and partner with other military and veteran recruitment websites to create greater visibility about employment opportunities in the healthcare field. We have participated in both on-site and virtual job fairs at Camp Pendleton, which is the major West Coast base of the U.S. Marine Corps and one of the largest Marine Corps bases in the country. Keck Medicine is about to unveil a newly created resource guide for our managers and recruiters to help them learn how to effectively interact with and interview veterans.
We know this approach is the right thing to do for our fellow service members, but we also value the unique strengths and skills veterans bring to our organization. Service members are trained to be selfless, mission-oriented, strong and accountable for their actions. They know how to make decisions and act in high-stress, high-stakes environments, where commitment to the unit and team of teams is above all.
These skillsets and leadership principles align with the demands of healthcare and hospital environments, where we seek people of high integrity and character who are ready to step up, often under challenging conditions. Veterans also understand how and when to ask the right questions. They value the wisdom that can be derived from a group working toward a shared goal. That syncs with the demands of the healthcare environment, in which safety and compliance are just as important as they are in the military.
Most importantly, we know from our own military careers that veterans experience a call to serve. They thrive on the sense of purpose, worthwhile work and making a difference that military opportunities provide. Healthcare leaders and professionals are often drawn by a similar search for purpose-driven work and a desire to help people in need.
In both the military and healthcare, daily tasks are aligned with a deeper mission and a desire to contribute to something greater than themselves. It’s not surprising that purpose-driven work has been shown to mitigate the effects of stress and fatigue, making jobs more fulfilling.
This Veterans Day, we are reminded of those who served alongside us and the leaders who helped us become the people we are today. We feel a strong sense of pride for having served our country. And we are grateful for our veteran colleagues at Keck Medicine, whose knowledge and experience contribute so much to our organization.
If veterans are not yet part of your workforce recruitment activities, we strongly encourage you to devote resources toward making them a priority. Your organization, your patients and your workforce will benefit greatly from these men and women who made sacrifices to safeguard the freedoms we so value.
Rod Hanners, CEO of Keck Medicine of USC, was a naval officer in the United States Submarine Force. He is also an ACHE member.
Marty Sargeant, CEO of Keck Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital, was a former F-15 combat pilot with the United States Air Force.