HonorHealth providing jobs to veterans through new program

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Transitioning out of the military and into civilian life can be pretty challenging for our veterans, but now HonorHealth has a new program that recruits them for jobs at their hospitals.

Known as the SkillBridge program, military members can apply through the Department of Defense and start an internship with HonorHealth before they end service.

“The transition can be really, really tough on service members,” Skillbridge specialist Donna Tew said. “They’re leaving a very specific culture and finding an employer that matches their same cultural beliefs and the same kind of core standards. I think HonorHealth, because of our military presence here in our hospital, really is able to address those things.”

Tew was the first applicant to go through the program at HonorHealth, and since 2023, they’ve been able to get jobs for 15 active service members before they retire.

“So we bring in any type. It could be IT, a nurse, a physician or it could be our registration scheduler at our front desk,” Tew said.

Veterans like Michael Grande said this program has helped make a huge difference. Grande served in the Navy for almost 25 years as a healthcare administrator and found it hard to find a job after service.

“I’ve never really looked for a job, right, or at least not in a long time, not since my early 20s,” Grande said.

After three months, Grande was able to get a job as a director for multiple sites within HonorHealth, including neurology.

“The culture and the people within HonorHealth, they welcomed me from day one, the moment I got here,” Grande said.

For more information on the SkillBridge program, or if you’re an active service member and would like to apply, click/tap here.

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