Massachusetts Plans Pilot for Veterans’ Health Care Careers

The Military to Medicine pilot is intended to help veterans use their medical experience in civilian health care while easing staffing shortages at Massachusetts hospitals. The proposal would let 10 eligible former military medics perform specified medication administration tasks without further education or training for those duties.

The program still needs state health officials’ approval. It will first be opened for public comment; if put into effect, the state office overseeing veterans’ services will assess how military medical experience corresponds with civilian health care roles and whether hospitals can use those skills to recruit workers.

Healey said veterans often encounter obstacles when trying to apply military training to civilian jobs. Advocates for veterans also described credentialing as a recurring barrier, with some former service members finding that their experience does not meet requirements for comparable civilian positions.

Heather Meehan, a former Navy hospital corpsman, said her experience in cardiac and intensive care did not translate into the civilian roles she sought. She said she was considered qualified only for certified nursing assistant work, while also being told she was overqualified for that position.

Bruce Buckley, who leads the veterans’ nonprofit Soldier On, supported the pilot, saying it could help former medics move into a new stage of life and recognize the value of their military training. He also said employment pathways may help veterans facing homelessness. Supporters see the program as an initial step toward a more practical route from military medicine into civilian health care.