New White House initiatives aim to bring vets into health care industry

[ProSense]

New White House initiatives aim to bring vets into health care industry

By Bill Murphy Jr.
Stars and Stripes

WASHINGTON — The White House announced a pair of initiatives Tuesday intended to help veterans find jobs in health care as part of its wider push to create 100,000 jobs for former military members and their spouses by 2014.

First, the administration said it would push the nation’s 8,000 community health centers each to hire one veteran, on average, over the next three years, positions paid for by federal funds already appropriated to help them hire more workers.

Second, the administration announced plans to fast-track military medics into programs to train them as physician assistants. The government has dedicated $45 million to support accelerated physician assistant training programs, and will now give priority for that money to universities that offer expedited programs for veterans with military medical training and that offer recruiting, retention and mentoring services aimed specifically at veterans.

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While nothing is mandatory about the push for community health care centers to hire veterans, Tom Van Coverden, president of the National Association of Community Health Centers, said his organization “has embraced this fully and accepts this challenge.”

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[matt819]

1. That's nice

But what about civilian paramedics who are likely to be discriminated against as a result.

And you know full well that these new health professionals are not going to end up where they are needed, any more than they are now.

As for $45 million - that comes to a whopping $450 per health professional for this program. That pretty much tells you what they think of this effort.

What. A. Crock.

[ProSense]

2. When

"But what about civilian paramedics who are likely to be discriminated against as a result."

...did job creation become discrimination?

People, veterans, need jobs. It seems there are more excuses and reasons for doing nothing.