Pa. seeks to ease healthcare staffing woes by fast-tracking veterans with military medical experience into civilian roles, similar to Kentucky and Wisconsin.

HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania could soon take a major step forward toward strengthening its healthcare workforce by helping military veterans transition into civilian careers in the medical field.

Officials at the state capitol are working on creating new pathways to convert military medical experience into jobs after their service.

Marc Migala has lived a life of healthcare.

“I’m a former army medic,” Migala shared. “I spent 20 years in the airborne community and retired in 2016 as a medic and as a sergeant first class.”

State leaders met at the Pa. State Capitol to discuss pathways for service members to transition into jobs in the medical field, like Migala.

“Veterans coming out aren’t going to start over,” Daniel Perkins, a professor at Penn State University, explained. “They’re not going to do a do-over. They’re not going to have to go back. They’re going to literally be able to start where they’re at.”

The Commonwealth is partnering with Kentucky and Wisconsin to learn how to implement licensing, resume and coaching programs to help thousands of vets who leave the military each year.

“We have about 16,000 veterans getting out every year with medical experience, and we have no way to fast-track them into jobs, and that’s really the goal,” Perkins said.

The state wants veterans to use their skills to address the shortage of nurses and support staff in Pa., as officials report that nearly 20% of that workforce will remain unfilled in 2025 and 2026.

“Their experience, their training, [exceeds] what most people getting out of a school would be, in terms of nursing, or if we were talking about a medical technician,” Perkins expressed. “Yet, we’re not honoring that. We’re not figuring out ways to say, ‘Ok, we should count that.’”

With the right support system in place, officials believe people can find their path when they return to civilian life.

“It’s better to fall forward than stand still,” Migala said.