BJACH hiring: Check out upcoming job fair

FORT POLK, La. —Fort Polk hosts a military spouse employment fair at the Youth Gym, bldg 2070, Wednesday at 10 a.m. This is the first in-person job fair held in more than a year.

Stacey Delgado, Employment Readiness program manager, said there are 20 employers with current openings planning to attend.

Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital is hiring and will be one of the employers at the job fair.

“I have verified employment opportunities and vetted all of the employers who will be participating in the job fair,” Delgado said. “I also have a great relationship with the BJACH human resources department. I send qualified people to BJACH and they send me people who need assistance with their resumes.”

Troy Boudreaux, marketing and outreach specialist, is the medical recruiter for BJACH. He said he uses the Department of Defense Health Agency’s contracted marketing firm, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and USAJobs to search for, connect with and assist candidates interested in working for BJACH. He said physicians, medical technicians and psychologists are the hardest positions to fill.

“Job fairs are important for three reasons,” Boudreaux said, “Sure, getting a job on the spot would be amazing, but it’s not always realistic. Networking and meeting different people who can get you closer to getting a job in the field you’re interested in is the primary reason you should attend a job fair. Also, many of us have difficulty interviewing and talking in front of people; job fairs give you the perfect opportunity to talk to a variety of people and practice your elevator speech.”

He said every time he meets a person interested in working for BJACH, he adds them to a list based on the positions they are interested in. He then reaches out to them when BJACH has openings that match their experience.

“We love to hire military spouses at BJACH,” Boudreaux said. “Registered nurses with specialties and medical support assistants willing to work rotating shifts are great ways for military spouses to get their foot in the door with the federal government. This allows them to have a career alongside their active duty Soldier.”

Sarah Vasquez, a registered nurse, recently returned to BJACH after a permanent change of station to Fort Bragg. Vasquez will be working in labor and delivery.

“Due to unforeseen circumstances related to COVID-19, I found myself on leave without pay status after leaving Womack Army Medical Center at Fort Bragg” she said. “I got in touch with Mr. Boudreaux at the suggestion of the civilian personnel office. He was just outstanding. He kept in contact with me, let me know what positions were coming open that I might be eligible for and was an invaluable resource.”

Vasquez said having an asset like Troy Boudreaux at BJACH is beneficial for anyone interested in working at the hospital.

Sarah Santiago, a military spouse and the patient safety manager for the hospital, has been at BJACH for almost one year.

“My department at BJACH hires a lot of military spouses,” she said. “The Deputy Commander of Quality, my boss, tries to fill positions in our department with military spouses whenever possible.”

Santiago said her position at BJACH allows her to give back to the community.

She said she is able to help patients, colleagues, the organization and other military spouses on a daily basis.

Stephanie Mathis is an Army spouse and medical support assistant in the BJACH call center.

Mathis has worked at BJACH for three years. She was a Red Cross volunteer at General Leonard Wood Community Hospital, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, before coming to Fort Polk.

She said that a volunteer position qualified her for her current position.

“My job at BJACH has made my time at Fort Polk more enjoyable,” she said. “I know my experience at the hospital will benefit me when my husband gets orders for the next duty station.”

Mathis said some of the bigger medical centers have career advancement opportunities for medical support assistants and her experience at BJACH will make her competitive at the next place the Army sends her Family.

“I recommend spouses attend the job fair next week if they are interested in jobs at BJACH,” she said. “I am thankful and grateful to have this job. I love my co-workers in the call center; they make me laugh and we help each other every day. Some days are challenging, but every day I ask God to allow me to be a blessing to someone. Helping patients is very rewarding.”

Alex Morris has been a personnel specialist at BJACH for almost a year. Morris a military spouse and accountant by trade, was able to find employment in the area through the Employment Readiness Program.

“When I first got here I put on my suit and started knocking on doors. This resulted in a few leads,” he said. “But I got my first real break after meeting Stacey Delgado. I attended her ‘10 Steps to a Federal Job’ class and she helped me with my resume to market my experience for non-accounting positions.”

Morris said Delgado remembered him after their interactions at ERP and when a position opened with the city of Leesville she called him. His job with the city opened the door for him in human resources.

“I was motivated by security when I applied for my current position at BJACH. This is my first federal job and I’ve always wanted to get into the system,” he said. “My experience with the city opened the door for me in this field and I really enjoy working for BJACH.”

Morris said the BJACH HR department will assist military spouses employed at the hospital with their transition to a new duty station when the time comes.

Military spouses should attend the job fair and talk to Troy Boudreaux for more information about jobs at BJACH.

Editor’s note: The Army Medical Department Civilian Corps is celebrating 25 years March 26.

AMEDD and BJACH recognize the importance of the civilian workforce as a ready, agile and engaged team of professionals dedicated to innovation and customer service in support of Army Medicine.