The Obama Administration is advocating for some of the roughly 200,000 jobless U.S. veterans by challenging healthcare centers nationwide to hire them, according to The Hill.
Over the next three years, the administration would like to see 8,000 veterans hired by community health centers. Additional assistance includes the administration granting priority funding to help train veterans to be physician assistants, given that many of the veterans received some form of training for medical careers while on active duty.
"Military medics gain invaluable healthcare training and experience on the battlefield," Mary Wakefield, administrator of the federal Health Resources and Services Administration, told The Hill. "And it's important for us to help them put their good skills to use once they return home."
Since last year, the U.S. government has devoted $45 million to helping training programs for physician assistants. Beginning the week of Veterans Day, the HRSA plans to offer technical assistance for at least 21 training programs that will better serve U.S. veterans.
Roughly 12.7 percent of the U.S. population is veterans, according to the 2000 census as cited by the HRSA website.