Envision Healthcare is proud to recognize and honor those among our 25,000 employees who are active and veteran military. While each of our employees is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of patients, we know that veterans bring unique skills, training, experience and perspectives that improve the delivery of care. We thank them for their service, and during the month of November, we will be featuring some of the military professionals across our organization and highlighting how they continue to serve the healthcare needs of their communities.
Valuable Skills and Experience
Veterans and active duty members representing all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces are part of the Envision team – from physicians and advanced practice providers to support team members and business leaders. They all play an integral role in providing high-quality care and advancing Envision’s mission of improving life in our communities one moment at a time.
“At Envision, we recognize the value of military experience,” said Brian Baxter, M.D., Executive Vice President, Alliance OU National Group, and soon-to-be President, HCA National Group. “Military professionals come to us with leadership experience because that is what is expected of every service member – whether that person is enlisted or an officer.
Dr. Baxter served 10 years in the Army, performing his residency at Fort Hood before being stationed at Fort Benning and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The former major said those who serve understand the importance of holding themselves and their colleagues accountable, which is “extremely important in a healthcare environment.”
Dirk Frantz, Director of Clinical Operations, QuestCare Urgent Care (an Envision affiliate in Dallas, Texas) was deployed to Iraq three times. He was also stationed in Italy, Korea, Africa and other areas of conflict during his 21-year career in the Air Force.
During his time as a battlefield medic, Frantz relied on his military discipline and medical training to provide aid and save lives in some of the most critical situations imaginable.
“It’s hard to compare anything to providing healthcare on the battlefield,” Frantz, who retired as a master sergeant, said. “The things we saw were trauma of the highest level; it felt like every other person I laid my hands on was missing a limb or had serious burns or gunshot wounds.
“What you learn – and this is something I carried into my civilian career – is that no matter what you encounter, you are expected to do your duty,” Frantz added. “It is expected of me to provide the same level of care to every patient I treat.”
Jennea Correia, M.D., Associate Medical Director, Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center in Fredericksburg, Virginia, said the skills service members develop, like problem solving and adaptability, uniquely prepare them for the obstacles they may face within the healthcare system.
“In the military, we are trained from day one that, if we want to complain about something, we also have to come up with a solution, and that mindset never really leaves veterans,” Dr. Correia said.
Providing Patient-Centered Care
As a multispecialty medical group, Envision touches the lives of patients through more than 35 million encounters a year. As a leader in healthcare, it’s important that Envision’s workforce reflects the diverse patient population and communities in which we provide care.
“Because military assignments can take you all over the nation or world, military service members are exposed to so many different cultures, patient populations and pathological conditions at a much earlier point in their careers, which helps build empathy and understanding,” said Gretchen Moen, Physician Recruiter.
For clinicians on the frontlines, fostering that patient-clinician relationship is important – wherever they practice.
“The biggest compliment here is the number of moonlighting physicians who end up signing with us permanently,” Moen said. “They also recruit each graduating class of residents and encourage them to moonlight with us, as they feel we have so many offerings for work. No matter where their first or tenth post is, we likely have enough opportunities to ensure their ability to maximize off-duty employment (ODE).”
In honor of Veterans Day and in recognition of all U.S. service members, join us in celebrating the many dedicated and talented active and veteran military professionals at Envision.