ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Army News Service, April 15, 2008) Aca,!" The Army Reserve joined with Inova Health System Monday in the launching of a public-private partnership that will allow both organizations to recruit, train and employ people interested in serving in the Reserve and in health-care careers.
The agreement provides new Reserve Soldiers opportunities for employment at Inova Health Care facilities once they complete military occupational training in critical clinical support areas such as radiology, respiratory therapy and surgical occupations. Together, both the Army Reserve and Inova will recruit, train, credential, license and certify qualified Soldier candidates who are entering the health care field.
Aca,!A"IAca,!a,,cm honored that Inova Health System has stepped forward to join the Army Reserve as the first employer partner to create new employment opportunities in the health-care arena,Aca,!A? said Army Reserve chief Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz. Aca,!A"ItAca,!a,,cs hard to recruit Soldiers and get the quality we need out there in America because weAca,!a,,cre looking for the same thing industry is. WeAca,!a,,cre looking for those people who are drug free, have the aptitude, can pass a background check morally and are physically qualified.Aca,!A?
After studying the private and public sectors, Stultz and his staff concluded all the criteria in recruits the Army is looking for, so too is American industry seeking; but instead of competing for those quality individuals, it made more sense to partner with business, Stultz said.Aca,!A"Let me start recruiting for you,Aca,!A? he told the Inova audience at the signing ceremony.
Inova Health System chief executive officer Knox Singleton said the official partnership is a win-win for his not-for-profit organization and for the Army Reserve because there are tremendous shortfalls in trained health care professionals and that shortage is growing every day.
Aca,!A"As the population ages and the requirements for taking care of it increase, we need a strategy to fill the pipeline with quality health-care professionals.Aca,!A? he said. Aca,!A"The Army Reserve also faces a shortage of qualified health professionals and thatAca,!a,,cs a challenge for their overall recruitment.
Aca,!A"We think this partnership will address these challenges by matching skilled military members with health-care opportunities within Inova,Aca,!A? Knox added. Aca,!A"As the pace of health-care increases with the rapid expansion of technology, hospitals, nursing homes and health-care facilities must find new pools of talent and we think our men and women in uniform are known for a number of things weAca,!a,,cre looking for in employees Aca,!" strong work ethics, discipline and leadership capabilities. It seems only natural we would partner with the military to combine our efforts.Aca,!A?
Stultz said the partnership is geared toward filling critical military occupational skills such as those in Reserve hospital units, but the partnership will also help fill voids the civilian medical community in northern Virginia has a hard time filling such as in radiology and medical technologies and emergency-room technicians.
Aca,!A"This is a landmark for us in terms of us partnering with a business like Inova Health Care to offer individuals not only a career in the military, but a career in civilian life,Aca,!A? he said.
The general said the Reserve is not stopping with the health-care partnership and had signed an agreement with the America Truckers Association earlier in the day, though not as specific as the partnership with Inova.
Aca,!A"ItAca,!a,,cs not as specific as this one, but it says they will get the trucking companies who are part of the association to partner with us, where Soldiers who are military truck drivers can get jobs as long-haul truckers, some the association is desperate for,Aca,!A? Stultz said. Aca,!A?WeAca,!a,,cve also been talking to law-enforcement agencies in other parts of the country about our military police being able to fill their ranks as an example, so weAca,!a,,cre looking at a lot of different specialtiesAca,!A| transportation, medical and law enforcement."
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs Thomas F. Hall, who oversees all matters pertaining to all serviceAca,!a,,cs reserve components, also signed the partnership. He said the Army Reserve and Inova agreement will be a model for the future which he anticipates will carry on to the other services.
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