$10,000 grant from Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation to kickoff new statewide initiative to help veterans transition into the civilian healthcare workforce; Statewide summit planned for Feb. 21 in Richmond
Claude Moore Opportunities today announced the launch of a statewide new initiative to help veterans transition into the civilian healthcare workforce after leaving military service. The initiative will specifically focus on developing career pathways and removing barriers to employment for military medics and hospital corpsmen who leave the service with significant experience and training in healthcare but may lack the credentials and licenses required to work in civilian healthcare.
Claude Moore is launching this new veterans employment initiative with assistance from the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation which has provided a $10,000 grant to support a statewide stakeholder summit on February 21 in Richmond to identify barriers faced by military medical professionals as they enter the civilian healthcare workforce. Claude Moore and partners will then develop a strategic plan for eliminating employment barriers by matching veterans’ healthcare skills with career opportunities and credentials, creating more flexible career pathways for veterans with healthcare training, and leveraging educational and training opportunities to address any gaps that make it harder for medics and hospital corpsmen to secure civilian employment.
“Virginia has two workforce challenges that are serious but not new: we don’t have enough healthcare workers to serve our citizens, and our well-trained veterans face unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles when seeking employment, especially in the health sciences,” said Dr. Bill Hazel, CEO of Claude Moore Opportunities. “As part of our statewide work to address Virginia’s healthcare workforce shortage, Claude Moore will work with partners around the state to improve the way Virginia taps into this incredible talent pool. We appreciate the Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation’s support as we launch this project and look forward to getting all stakeholders around the table to begin this important and urgent work.”
Virginia faces a growing healthcare workforce shortage, particularly in the positions that make the healthcare system function such as nurses, technicians, therapists, and aides. The Commonwealth is also home to nearly 700,000 military veterans as well as their spouses and families. By identifying and eliminating barriers to entry in healthcare industries, Virginia can help meet the needs of a growing and aging population while allowing more veterans to pursue family-sustaining healthcare careers that match their skills, training, and experience.
According to a comprehensive 2023 study for the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority, 102 of Virginia’s 133 localities are federally designated “Health Professional Shortage Areas” and 93 localities are “Mental Healthcare Professional Shortage Areas,” meaning about one-third of Virginians live in a community without enough primary and behavioral healthcare providers.
About Claude Moore Opportunities
Launched in 2024, Claude Moore Opportunities is a new 501(c)3 public nonprofit organization that will raise and distribute philanthropic funds to support regional and collaborative efforts to expand Virginia’s healthcare workforce and create family-sustaining career opportunities. The independent organization is led by CEO Dr. Bill Hazel, Jr., former Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources, and governed by an executive board of notable civic, philanthropic, and healthcare leaders from around Virginia. Claude Moore Opportunities is building on the 20 years of healthcare workforce development efforts by the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation, which has invested more than $24 million to enable thousands of Virginians to receive healthcare workforce training and credentials through strategic partnerships with public school systems around the state, the Virginia Community College System, George Mason University, INOVA Health System, the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and the Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Science Careers, among others.
