Roundtable discussion on veteran's health to be held Saturday

Mineral Regional Health Center, a federally qualified health center located in Superior, Mont., and its Frontier Medicine Better Health Partnership are sponsoring a roundtable discussion related to the healthcare needs of veterans in the region. The roundtable will be held Saturday, May 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Community Center in St. Regis, Mont.

In addition to listening to veterans about their healthcare needs, representatives from Mineral Regional Health Center (MRHC) and the Frontier Medicine Better Health Partnership (FMBHP) will also present plans for a program that would put returning veterans to work in the healthcare industry. The “Troops to Healthcare Careers” program will be patterned off the national Troops to Teachers program, a U.S. Department of Defense program that helps eligible military personnel begin careers as teachers in public schools. The “Troops to Healthcare Careers” program would credit veterans for education garnered in the field, align them with educational programs, and provide pipelines to healthcare entities that are hiring.

The “Troops to Healthcare Careers” program dovetails with the recent authorization of a bill by the Montana Legislature allowing the state Commissioner of Higher Education to develop criteria to award veterans higher-education credit for the learning that occurred during their military service.

“Just as a voluminous number of baby boomers age and seek more and more healthcare, the number of workers available to work in the healthcare industry, from Generation X and our young Millennial generation, is declining,” said Karen Sullivan, a spokesperson for MRHC and FMBHP. “Veterans returning to their homes in Montana face a 20 percent unemployment rate. It makes sense to credit our veterans with the lessons learned in the field, and put them to work in an industry that traditionally pays well and provides good benefits.”

Information garnered from the May 11 roundtable will be used by MRHC to redesign its offerings and formulate partnerships to better serve veterans in Western Montana and Northern Idaho in regard to their healthcare needs. This topic, along with the “Troops to Healthcare Careers” discussion, will occur over lunch, courtesy of Mineral Community Hospital, MRHC and FMBHP.

Veterans planning to attend are asked to RSVP by calling 822-3713 or emailing mfrancis@mchospital.net.