JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 As Florida faces a growing healthcare worker shortage, two Army veterans are proving that service doesn\u2019t stop after leaving the military.<\/p>\n
Karen and Jean Kirsten \u2014 identical twin sisters and former Army officers \u2014 are now preparing for careers in medicine at Nova Southeastern University\u2019s Jacksonville campus through the school\u2019s Military to Medicine pathway program.<\/p>\n
After years of military service, overseas deployments and one life-changing cancer diagnosis, the sisters are beginning a new chapter together: training to become Certified Anesthesiologist Assistants, also known as CAAs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe joined the military in 2009,\u201d Jean Kirsten said.<\/p>\n
The sisters built parallel careers in the Army, often following similar paths despite serving at different duty stations over the years. Both working as officers both retiring around the same time. <\/p>\n
Karen and Jean Kirsten are identical twin sisters and former Army officers (\u00a9WernerKahnPhotographyStudio)<\/p>\n
Both say they always felt drawn to healthcare.<\/p>\n
\u201cEver since I was young, I had kind of like a passion for the medical field,\u201d Karen said. \u201cIt\u2019s always been just wanting to help others and kind of make a difference in people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
That passion eventually led them to NSU\u2019s Certified Anesthesiologist Assistant program, a rigorous 27-month master\u2019s program designed to prepare students to help administer anesthesia and monitor patients during surgery.<\/p>\n
The fast-paced program includes a year of classroom instruction followed by clinical rotations across the country.<\/p>\n
But for Karen, the decision to pursue medicine became deeply personal.<\/p>\n
Near the end of her military career, she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer while still serving on active duty.<\/p>\n
\u201cI went through all the treatment and recovery,\u201d Karen said. \u201cAnd I\u2019m actually five years cancer free today.\u201d<\/p>\n
The diagnosis ultimately changed the direction of both sisters\u2019 careers.<\/p>\n
Jean became one of Karen\u2019s caretakers throughout her treatment and recovery, bringing the sisters even closer together.<\/p>\n
Now, Karen hopes to eventually work in a cancer center helping patients facing challenges similar to her own.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to work in a cancer center and help through that way since I will also a cancer survivor myself,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Their transition into healthcare was made possible in part through NSU\u2019s Military to Medicine pathway \u2014 a program designed to help veterans and active-duty service members navigate the often difficult transition from military life into civilian healthcare careers.<\/p>\n
Awilda Carozza, director of Military Affairs at NSU, said the university created the program after recognizing a growing need among veterans interested in medicine.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe military to medicine pathway program was created because we wanted to help our transitioning service members and our veterans transition into healthcare careers,\u201d Carozza said. \u201cWe saw that a lot of veterans exiting the military were lacking a clear pathway into healthcare education after their service.\u201d<\/p>\n
The program helps veterans with admissions, academic planning, financial aid and using military education benefits such as the Post-9\/11 GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Program.<\/p>\n
Carozza said veterans already possess many of the qualities needed to succeed in healthcare settings.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have discipline, leadership, real-world experience and the ability to work under pressure,\u201d she said. \u201cThose qualities transition very well and fit perfectly into healthcare.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to NSU, dozens of service members are currently enrolled or moving through the program\u2019s pipeline into careers ranging from medicine and physician assistant studies to anesthesia and physical therapy.<\/p>\n
The initiative also comes at a critical time for Florida\u2019s healthcare workforce.<\/p>\n
The state is projected to face significant shortages of healthcare professionals over the next decade, increasing demand for trained workers in hospitals and healthcare systems statewide.<\/p>\n
For the Kirsten twins, the program represents more than just career training \u2014 it represents another opportunity to serve.<\/p>\n
During interviews at the Jacksonville campus, the sisters laughed about being built-in study partners and support systems for one another.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s kind of like a built-in support system and study buddy,\u201d Karen said.<\/p>\n
Although classes have not officially started yet, both admitted they are already studying in preparation for the demanding coursework ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cA little nervous,\u201d Jean said with a laugh. \u201cBut excited.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sisters said adjusting to civilian life after the military came with challenges, especially after years of structure and routine. But they say this next phase feels rewarding because they are pursuing something they are genuinely passionate about.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow we can do what we want to do and actually find what our passion is,\u201d Karen said.<\/p>\n
As they prepare to enter operating rooms instead of military bases, the twins say the mission remains the same: helping people during some of their most vulnerable moments.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2013 As Florida faces a growing healthcare worker shortage, two Army veterans are proving that service…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":664949,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[278402,2808,97,252,253,14310,4379],"class_list":["post-664948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health-care","tag-4-your-service","tag-florida","tag-health","tag-health-care","tag-healthcare","tag-jacksonville","tag-military"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/664948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=664948"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/664948\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/664949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=664948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=664948"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=664948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}