AHA issue brief highlights opportunities for recruiting veterans into health care careers – American Hospital Association

Report on Veteran Recruitment in Healthcare and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: A Strategic Initiative by the American Hospital Association (AHA)

A new issue brief from the American Hospital Association (AHA) outlines a strategic initiative to facilitate the recruitment and integration of military veterans into the healthcare workforce. This report analyzes the program’s objectives, resources, and significant contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Core Objectives and Direct Contribution to SDGs

The AHA’s initiative is fundamentally aligned with several key SDGs, demonstrating a commitment to creating a sustainable and equitable future. The primary objectives include:

• Fostering Inclusive Employment (SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth): The program is designed to create pathways for veterans to secure full, productive, and decent work in the civilian sector. By providing stable and meaningful careers, it directly supports inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
• Strengthening Health Systems (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being): By integrating highly skilled and disciplined veterans into hospitals and health systems, the initiative addresses critical workforce shortages. This enhances the capacity of the healthcare sector to deliver quality care, promoting well-being for all.
• Promoting Social Equity (SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities): The initiative provides targeted support to a specific demographic, ensuring veterans have the tools and opportunities needed for a successful transition. This focus helps reduce inequalities in employment outcomes for this population group.

Key Resources and Implementation Strategies

The AHA issue brief provides a collection of actionable resources and examples for healthcare organizations. The framework for implementation is structured around three key areas:

1. Recruitment: Providing hospitals with tailored strategies to attract veteran talent, highlighting the transferability of military skills to clinical and administrative healthcare roles.
2. Integration: Offering guidance on creating supportive workplace environments that acknowledge the unique experiences of veterans, ensuring their successful integration into civilian healthcare teams.
3. Retention and Success: Supplying access to tools and services that empower veterans to thrive and advance in their healthcare careers, contributing to long-term workforce stability and aligning with the principles of decent work under SDG 8.

Conclusion: A Partnership for Sustainable Progress

The AHA’s program to hire veterans is a powerful example of SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. It creates a synergistic partnership between the healthcare industry and the veteran community. This initiative not only addresses a critical labor need but also advances the global agenda for sustainable development by promoting good health (SDG 3), decent work (SDG 8), and reduced inequalities (SDG 10), thereby creating a more resilient and equitable society.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article’s primary focus is on helping hospitals and health systems “recruit and integrate the veteran population into their workforce.” This directly addresses the goal of promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  By focusing on strengthening the healthcare workforce through the recruitment of veterans, the article indirectly supports the goal of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being. A robust and well-staffed health system is fundamental to achieving positive health outcomes.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The initiative specifically targets veterans, a distinct population group that can face challenges when transitioning to civilian life. By providing resources to facilitate their entry into “successful in civilian health care careers,” the effort aims to promote the social and economic inclusion of this group, thereby reducing potential inequalities.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 8.5: “By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.”

   The article’s core theme of recruiting veterans for healthcare careers is a direct effort to achieve productive employment for a specific segment of the population.

2. Target 10.2: “By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.”

   The focus on integrating veterans into the civilian workforce is a clear example of promoting the economic inclusion of a specific group (“other status”), helping them transition successfully after their service.

3. Target 3.c: “Substantially increase health financing and the recruitment, development, training and retention of the health workforce…”

   While this target often focuses on developing countries, the principle of strengthening the health workforce through recruitment is universal. The AHA’s initiative to “recruit and integrate” veterans into hospitals and health systems directly aligns with this principle.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not explicitly mention any official SDG indicators or quantitative data. However, it implies several metrics that could be used to measure the success of the initiative described:

• Implied Indicator for Target 8.5: The number or rate of veterans successfully recruited into healthcare positions by hospitals and health systems using the AHA’s resources. This would directly measure progress in providing employment opportunities.
• Implied Indicator for Target 3.c: An increase in the overall number of healthcare workers who are veterans. This would serve as a measure of the initiative’s contribution to strengthening the health workforce.
• Implied Indicator for Target 10.2: The long-term retention rate of veterans in healthcare careers. This would indicate successful integration and economic inclusion, not just initial recruitment.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: aha.org