NRHA participates in White House forum on military credentialing and licensing
On Monday, April 29, NRHA Vice President of Program Services, Amy Elizondo, participated in the White House Forum on Military Credentialing and Licensing. NRHA was invited to take part in the Advanced Medical Occupations Roundtable as part of the forum. The forum stemmed from First Lady Michelle Obama’s and Dr. Jill Biden’s Joining Forces campaign they started two years ago in support of veterans and military families. The First Lady welcomed participants as this particular forum focused on improving veterans’ transition to civilian health careers. Dr. Mary Wakefield, administrator for the Health Resources and Services Administration, moderated the discussion, which also included opening remarks from Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. The discussion focused on three key areas: 1) adapting civilian education to build on military training and experience, 2) improving strategies for veterans and 3) streamlining licensure for veterans. As roughly 31 percent of the enrolled veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan are returning to their rural communities according the Veterans Health Affairs Office of Rural Health, NRHA is looking to collaborate with military and other health organization partners to help translate veterans’ health training skills to assist with workforce issues in rural areas. NRHA contributed to the discussion by offering the opportunity to collaborate and working toward meeting the needs of returning veterans while simultaneously helping meet the needs of rural America. Follow up steps were established, and NRHA will provide updates. For more information on the issue, visit The Fast Track to Employment: Streamlining Credentialing and Licensing for Service Members, Veterans, and their Spouses and attend NRHA’s 36th Annual Rural Health Conference next week in Louisville, Ky., which will feature sessions on both rural health workforce issues and innovative projects to advance veterans health.