Key Takeaways
- Healthcare leaders must mandate universal screening for military service history in patient intake processes to identify critical service-related health risks.
In the sprawling landscape of American healthcare, a quiet crisis is unfolding in plain sight. It doesn’t involve a new pathogen or a breakthrough drug, but rather a patient population that is both revered and routinely misunderstood: military veterans. While the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health system looms large in the public imagination, the reality is starkly different. The vast majority of the nation’s 18 million veterans receive their care not in specialized VA hospitals, but in the same community clinics and civilian medical centers that serve the general public. And according to Dr. Ali R. Tayyeb, a U.S. Navy veteran, registered nurse, and founder of RN-Mentor Consulting, LLC, these systems are fundamentally unprepared to meet their unique needs.
This isn't a failure of intention, but one of awareness, education, and strategic priority. Civilian health systems, from the C-suite to the exam room, often lack the cultural competency and clinical protocols to effectively care for those who have served.1 The result is a dangerous gap where veterans’ service-related health risks go unscreened, their invaluable skills are overlooked in the workplace, and their transition back to civilian life is made harder by a system that fails to see them for who they are. Drawing from his profound personal and professional experience, Dr. Tayyeb offers a compelling diagnosis of this systemic failure and a clear prescription for how healthcare leaders can—and must—do better.
To understand the challenges veterans face in healthcare, one must first appreciate the profound cultural shift they navigate upon leaving the military. It’s a transition that goes far beyond simply changing jobs or moving to a new city. It’s a complete rewiring of identity, communication, and community. Dr. Tayyeb, who served for a decade as a Navy Corpsman before building a career in nursing leadership, explains that the military is an all-encompassing culture.
“There's a whole indoctrination that happens for individuals going into the military,” he notes. For an average of four years or more, service members are immersed in a world with its own language, hierarchies, and codes of conduct. They build their identities, networks, and a deep sense of camaraderie within this structured environment.
The problem arises when it’s time to leave. Unlike the structured process of joining the military, the exit is often abrupt and lacks a meaningful process for reintegration. “When it's time to leave that environment that's been reinforced over a number of years, there is really no enculturation back into the civilian community,” Dr. Tayyeb explains. “We have maybe a couple of weeks that we go through some classes... but not enough for us to say, ‘Okay, now I have taken, I have put aside my 4 years, 8 years, 20 years of service, and now I can easily reintegrate back because it's a completely culture shift.’”
This cultural whiplash leaves many veterans feeling isolated and misunderstood. The very traits that were assets in the military—directness, a mission-focused mindset, a dark sense of humor forged in high-stress environments—can be misinterpreted in a civilian workplace. This disconnect is exacerbated by what experts call the "civilian-military divide." With less than one percent of the U.S. population currently serving on active duty, the number of civilians with direct exposure to military life is at an all-time low. As Dr. Tayyeb points out, this isn't about a lack of respect; it’s a profound lack of familiarity that breeds misunderstanding and allows stereotypes to flourish.
This cultural divide manifests acutely within the walls of healthcare organizations. While many systems proudly proclaim they hire veterans—and often receive incentives for doing so—the support frequently ends at the point of hire. Dr. Tayyeb identifies this superficial engagement with a poignant term: the "badge buddy effect."
A badge buddy is a small card that hangs behind an employee's ID, often used to display their role (RN, MD) or special certifications.2 Some hospitals give veterans badge buddies that identify their branch of service. While a well-intentioned gesture of recognition, Dr. Tayyeb argues it often represents the beginning and end of an organization’s veteran support strategy.
“I call it the badge buddy effect,” he says. “You get that veteran into organizations, you slap on a badge buddy. Thank you for your service. And that's the extent of where they stop engaging with the veteran, right? They've hired them. They've done their good deed... But what do you do with the veterans afterwards? How are you investing in them?”
This failure to invest is a massive missed opportunity. Veterans bring a portfolio of skills tailor-made for the pressures of healthcare: discipline, resilience under pressure, advanced technical training, and proven leadership experience. Yet, instead of cultivating this talent, organizations often leave veteran employees to navigate a foreign culture on their own.
Dr. Tayyeb shares a personal story of being called into an HR meeting after a colleague felt uncomfortable with his description of his military experience—a conversation the colleague had initiated. His communication style, honed in a predominantly male, high-stakes military environment, was perceived as aggressive in the predominantly female, civilian nursing world. The burden was placed on him to change, to make others feel "safe" from his experience. This scenario highlights a crucial point: without organizational efforts to bridge the cultural gap through education, the onus of adaptation falls unfairly on the veteran, leading to alienation and stifling their potential contributions.
The consequences of this systemic ignorance extend beyond employee relations and into the very core of patient care. The single most significant clinical failure, according to Dr. Tayyeb, is a remarkably simple one: health systems are not consistently asking patients if they have served in the military.
“Most veterans do not receive their healthcare within the veteran's health system,” he emphasizes. “They're not getting their care at the VA, they're getting their care in the civilian communities. However, most of our civilian communities... are not asking the right questions.”
That one unasked question—"Have you ever served in the military?"—is a gateway to a host of critical follow-up assessments. Without it, clinicians are practicing with a blind spot, potentially missing diagnoses directly linked to a patient's service history. These can include:
When a clinician doesn't know to screen for these conditions, they miss the opportunity for early intervention and targeted treatment. This clinical gap is widened by an educational deficit in medical and nursing schools, which rarely include veteran-specific health in their core curricula.6 Clinicians enter the workforce without the knowledge base to understand what to ask or, critically, what to do with the information once they have it.
For healthcare leaders feeling overwhelmed by the scope of the problem, Dr. Tayyeb offers a single, powerful directive that reframes the entire approach. It’s not about launching a dozen disparate initiatives, but about making one fundamental strategic shift.
“Make the veteran community a priority within your organization,” he urges. “Not a competing topic with everything else within the healthcare system, but making them a priority... The veteran community can't be the flavor of the month.”
This means moving beyond Veterans Day platitudes and embedding veteran support into the operational DNA of the organization. It requires treating veteran care and employment not as a niche interest or a DEI checkbox, but as a core component of quality, safety, and workforce strategy.
Translating this mandate into action involves a multi-pronged approach:
Crucially, this work also acknowledges that not all veterans even qualify for VA healthcare services. Many who served for a single term or did not sustain a service-connected disability are entirely reliant on the civilian system. By making veterans a priority, health systems fulfill a societal obligation while simultaneously improving care quality and strengthening their own workforce.
Dr. Tayyeb’s insights provide a clear roadmap for any healthcare leader committed to better serving the veteran community. The journey begins with these actionable steps:
The failure of civilian healthcare to adequately care for its veterans is not a partisan issue or a niche concern; it is a fundamental gap in the quality and equity of our health system. It is a failure to honor the unique sacrifices of a population that has given so much. Dr. Ali Tayyeb’s message is both a stark warning and a call to action. By shifting veterans from an afterthought to a priority, healthcare leaders can begin to bridge the cultural and clinical divide. It is a complex challenge, but it starts with a simple question and a profound commitment: to see, hear, and serve the veterans who walk through our doors, not just as patients or employees, but as the valued and respected members of our community they have always been.
<p>People need to understand most of our veterans are getting their health care within the civilian community. They are not being properly screened. And in addition to that, I should say this. Not all veterans qualify for health services within the VA health system. [Music] Hello, this is Zach with the American Journal of Healthcare Strategy and you are listening to the Clinicians and Leadership podcast where we focus on empowering clinicians from bedside to boardroom.</p> <p>Today we have the honor of being joined by Dr. Ali TaBB. Dr. TaBB, thank you for joining us today. Why don't you take a second to introduce yourself? Tell us a little bit about your experience and and your current role and what you're up to today. Great. Thank you uh first of all for having me. I greatly appreciate it. Um so uh I am by trade a registered nurse. Um I have uh been so for uh quite a few years but I didn't always started start out as a nurse.</p> <p>Uh I did serve in the US Navy uh as a Navy corman for uh 10 years. Uh and after that I decided to go back to school and um created created a um a career for myself within the profession of nursing. Uh I am PhD prepared and I currently serve uh with a number of different organizations.</p> <p>uh uh one of I have my own um LLC uh RN mentor um consulting uh and through that I work with a number of organizations around uh professional practice of nursing and veterans health which where my research primarily uh exists. Well, Dr. Tayad, we're we're excited to have you on the clinicians and leadership podcast today.</p> <p>um particularly to to talk about this subject um that is just the the integration of military personnel uh back into not just society but but specifically the skills and the value that they can bring to a healthcare organization and your your experience um as um in the Navy um and as well as working in healthcare offers you a unique perspective into this to this uh topic today and coming from a military growing up in a military family myself.</p> <p>Um there's there's a unique sacrifice not just the individual and makes in their specific time of service but but just in in doing the things that they have to do and and the sacrifices that they have to make and that their families have to make. And so I want to start by saying thank you for your service um and for what you've done. We're we're grateful for that. Um and and as Yeah.</p> <p>And as we dive into this subject, I'm I'm really excited to hear your thoughts and your perspectives on a number of things. And so I I guess starting off, what is or what are some of the biggest challenges that that veterans face when transitioning into society and and more specifically transitioning into healthcare careers? Yeah. Uh great question. So that's really that as you mentioned, this is really a two-parter.</p> <p>First, transitioning back from military service into into the communities where we most of the time have originated from, right? Um so that transition within itself is quite difficult and it's been a bunch of research around that and well documented that uh as veterans we have it we have difficulty transitioning back primarily because uh we have been inculturated into the military for a number of years.</p> <p>Um most on I would say probably on average we're looking at about four years somebody enlists into the military or enters into the military for a four-year period. There's a whole indoctrination that happens for individuals going into the military. They transition into the military uh and they become accustomed into the military culture, right? They get integrated into the military c culture.</p> <p>But when it's time to leave that environment that's been reinforced over a number of years, um there is really no inculturation back into the civilian community. Right?</p> <p>We have maybe a a couple weeks that we go through some uh classes and transition processes back into the civilian community but not enough for us to say okay now I have taken I have put aside my 4 years 8 years 20 years of service and now I can easily reintegrate back because it's a completely culture shift uh from going into the military into the civilian community.</p> <p>So that transition with itself within itself is quite difficult uh and especially when it happens during our we transition into the military uh during our late teens early 20s most of the time. So we have built our identities in the military. So coming out of the military and transitioning into the civilian community, we don't have the same connections, we don't have the same networks, we don't have the same camaraderie with individuals.</p> <p>So that transition within itself uh becomes quite difficult and then you have to also look at now what do you do now that you're out of the military you have gone from having military service how does that experience and work trans translate into civilian work and you also have to deal with civilian community that don't necessarily understand you or necessarily understand your skill sets and what you bring to the workforce. So that's part one of the whole transition issue.</p> <p>As a result, a lot of our uh veterans uh selfisolate because now they're not fitting in, right? So trying to navigate through that process becomes quite difficult. The second part uh that I want to mention as you've asked is how do we get them to come into the healthcare community, right? Uh which is a whole another uh another animal. Um most of our veterans may not even see transitioning into health care as even an option, right?</p> <p>Uh if you look at um any kind of transition work, the people that tend to go after our military are like the police department, the FBI, law enforcement type of stuff. um some companies depending on on what your job is but most of the time the healthcare industry is not running after the veteran community trying to recruit them in. So the option of even being in the healthcare community most of the time is not even on the veterans radar.</p> <p>So that's why it's important for us to look there's there are programs out there uh that uh target uh veterans specifically like medics and corman uh within the community that try to pull them back in.</p> <p>And if you're already a nurse in the military or a physician in the military or you have you're a physical therapist or or a radiological technologist, those individuals kind of transition easily transition back into the civilian community because they already have the experience, the licensing and so a lot of them it's not that difficult of a translating what they did in the military compared to what they are going to do in the civilian community.</p> <p>The difficult part is for those of us who maybe like Corman or medics who have to go back to school to get licensed to come and work or if you're not even in the healthcare field and there's a number of colleagues that I have that were in the military that were not involved with anything healthcare related but came out and transitioned into uh the healthcare field but those are not that is not t that tends not to be the norm. Well, Dr. Ta.</p> <p>I I think it's helpful to for for civilians to to recognize just some of the challenges that that veterans face because that like you mentioned, there's a there's a sometimes a lack of understanding of of what being and serving in the military for a particular individual has has looked like and and the strain and the sacrifice that they've had to make, but also that that culture that they are now transitioning out of and transitioning back transitioning back into just American society.</p> <p>the challenges I think that they face is helpful not just for for all of us to understand so we can better show appreciation but particularly when we're talking about healthcare and healthcare leadership that to allow your your healthcare leaders to better not just address physical medical complaints that that veterans can face but but also just to help build a appreciation and and be a a landing spot for for some of those individuals um like you mentioned especially as you're transitioning from a a high pressure environment, very detail- oriented environment, very disciplineoriented environment.</p> <p>That is that is the uh serving in the military and and in in a in several some ways the medical field is is similar in in some high pressure situations and discipline and and very skillsoriented positions. And so I'm I'm excited to dive into some of the rest of these these topics. And we're going to get into some some various various topics today, but but particularly I want to talk about uh healthcare leadership.</p> <p>Um and and particularly starting off with discussing some some ways that that veterans who are now serving in healthcare organizations can be empowered and can be um encouraged to speak up and and address some of these transitioning issues that they're facing or or even just bring ideas to to light on on how to better improve and and run an organization.</p> <p>And so what are some ways that that healthcare leaders can ensure that the veterans that are serving within their organizations that that their voices are heard and valued within decision-m processes? Yeah. Um I think um from my perspective uh once a veteran is in the health care system uh I think it's important for organizations to realize the skill sets that that veteran brings to the table, right?</p> <p>because they've already had a number of years in the military and if they've done about four years we'll say minimum where they've done four years that four years has already they've already been through leadership roles they they already they are already well disciplined individuals they are going to already be uh uh goal focused individuals once they're given a goal to go after.</p> <p>So that's one of the things that we look at uh from an organizational perspective but most organizations aren't looking at veterans. Yes. Like on the applications that we get like it says are you a veteran and then it's a check mark and you know organizations get brownie points for that for you know hiring veterans. What organizations tend not to do is invest in the veterans afterwards right like they're in the system. Fantastic. You're in the system. I call it the badge buddy effect.</p> <p>I don't know if you've seen like hospitals who have the badge buddy and the badge buddy says like veteran on it on it or it says United States Navy or United States Marine Corps veteran, something like that. I call it the badge buddy effect, right? Or you get the veteran into organizations, you slap on a badge buddy, thank you for your service, and that's the extent of where they stop engaging with the veteran, right? They've hired them, they've done their good deed, we appreciate that.</p> <p>We always, you know, love organizations that actively recruit veterans, but what do you do with the veterans afterwards? How are you investing in them? And how are you investing in your own organization in ensuring the organization understands the value of the veteran that is in their organization?</p> <p>And just that's just that could be as easy easy easily done as for example creating um an opportunity for the organization to learn about the veteran culture right because we do uh it is a different culture right so how do we become culturally aware of what the veteran culture or the military culture is because if I don't understand culture I may take things the wrong way and I'll be the first to say I've gotten in trouble more than once uh for and ended up in HR for you know saying something where in the military it would have been completely normal to say right uh or sort of sometimes you know discuss I I even from discussing my military experience I've had people be um I want to say there's a stigma behind sometimes being a veteran right because of what you have experienced and the things you've been through so people don't necessarily always know how to react.</p> <p>So just by me sharing my military experience with a colleague who asked about it, I got a call from HR saying, "Hey, somebody didn't know how to exactly take the information like I was just discussing something that I was asked, right?" So something as simple as sharing military experience can sometimes make make people uncomfortable, right?</p> <p>Um so the organiza and that just basically means the or people that are working in the organizations don't understand military culture don't understand uh how we how we you know interact with people like in meetings like in meetings I could be I could be you know uh loud and use my use my hands I I love use my using my hands to to begin with but you know some people find that like aggressive aggressive right uh but it's not because this is you're passionate about a topic and you're going to be talking uh but some people would find it aggressive.</p> <p>So some of those nuances which is completely normal in the military culture doesn't translate well in the civilian community. And when I was leaving the military, nobody said when you're sitting in a meeting, don't use your hands or don't don't don't uh don't raise your voice. Not shouting, but just raising your voice from like, you know, being passionate about a topic or something like that. Like a lot of these nuances that they don't talk about.</p> <p>And then you compound that with being for me anyway I'm in a nursing field being in an being in a um in an environment which is predominantly female coming from a predominantly male population there's also those challenges of how do we start interacting because how I was working with my male colleagues is much different than how I work with my female colleagues right um so there's also those things that go into play and there needs to be some educ education not only for for for the veterans but also the rest of the community because the burden can't be all on the veteran that they have to change who they are right uh to be make themselves safe sort of safe for other people right so other people can feel safe right like asking the veterans to change who they are so others can feel safe because there's so much stigma behind what who veterans are what they are uh what they do Um, so a lot of misunderstanding in the civilian community to begin with.</p> <p>Right. Well, and I I love what you said and when you described it just the the the value that a veteran brings and how that's a that's a critical component for um for someone who is serving in a healthcare leadership position to be able to recognize that.</p> <p>And there is there's a massive clash of cultures like you just walked us through between between someone that's been serving in the military and and has grown has adapted to that culture to then someone that that is serving in a different capacity in in a different industry and there's there's always a clash of cultures but but particularly when you're interacting with the military that that is a big clash of culture and to like you I love to also how you describe just to to put that burden to to change solely on the veteran after that they have spent, you know, on average four years, regardless number of years serving in some some pretty intense roles and some pretty intense situations and regardless serving serving the country to to then put additional burdens on top of them as they're trying to integrating is is is is a hard hard thing to do and and does not convey the value that they bring to the table and and I think that's such a critical thing that that healthcare organizations and healthcare leaders can can really step in.</p> <p>And so, um, beyond hiring, how can healthcare organizations cultivate a culture of appreciation and respect both both for just for veterans in general, both both the employees that are that have served, but but also for for the patients that that are veterans coming in? How how do you create a a culture of appreciation and respect for those individuals? Yeah. Uh, I don't know if it has to do with a culture of appreciation or respect.</p> <p>Um, I I don't think anybody or or there aren't that many people out there that are not necessarily uh respecting our veteran community.</p> <p>I think the issue is the number of veterans we have now compared to well right now we have a number of uh you know when I first started researching the veteran community we were somewhere around 23 24 million veterans and then by the time by now we're down to about 18ish million veterans and that's because a huge number of World War II veterans have since passed past. Our Korean era veterans are getting are up there in age. A number of them have passed.</p> <p>So we have a declining number of veteran population to begin with. In addition to that, we have a much smaller military than we did like let's say back in let's say World War II, right? Uh just because from and I say that from a perspective of there were so many people that were that had the military experience.</p> <p>I didn't have to explain myself back in the day about what military experience was like because more than likely a number of my neighbors and my people in my community or my co-workers also had those same experiences, right? Which is different than now because only a very small percentage and I want to say from from an active duty military perspective, it's like less than 1% of the population, right? So the percentage of the people that are either veterans uh or active duty is extremely small.</p> <p>So the idea that the general population in the US understands what veterans who veterans are and what they do is is uh the gap between this what they call the civilian military divide continues to grow, right? Because we're less exposed to the population. Um so that's one thing. So I don't think there's people who may not necessarily respect. It's just that we just don't know, right? And if we're not exposed to it, we don't ask the question.</p> <p>The curiosity about the veteran and the military community just isn't there unless we're actively in a war. Then the media hypes us up and then um you start getting some some, you know, press releases and all of a sudden people become military or veteran aware.</p> <p>So other than that, when it's not in the media, when it's not on the socials, uh the veteran community kind of fall fall aside to to the side of everybody's thoughts, it's not actively there because again that interaction isn't there like there used to be. So that's one issue. I think the thing that healthcare organizations can do in general is take an active role in not only understanding military and veteran culture, but how are we integrating their health care, right?</p> <p>Because they have a very specific and unique health care health care needs that need to go into the s into our civilian health care um or organizations and institutions. Most veterans do not receive their health health care within the veterans uh health system, right? They're not getting their care at the VA. They're getting their care in the civilian communities.</p> <p>However, most of our civilian communities uh or healthcare organizations, what they are not doing is they're not asking the right questions. They're not asking the veterans who are coming into their system or even act families of of of veterans, families of active duty military personnel, some active duty military personnel that use our civilian communities healthcare systems, they're not asking the questions of have you ever served in the military?</p> <p>And if that question is not there, they are not do doing any of the follow-up appropriate follow-up assessments that go along with that because veterans have various uh um um mental health issues, right? Uh that need to be well, they don't all have it, but they need to be screened for. Uh any kind of physical uh issues that they need to be screened for, any kind of exposures that need they need to be uh screened for.</p> <p>So there's a number of things that we miss on the civilian community that is very specific uh that uh that we need to be asking about that those military experiences. Yes. Well, I I loved how you described that and just the intentionality behind engaging these veterans both both employees and patients and and um you know asking them that simple question. That's that's an easy question to include in an assessment and is have you served in the military?</p> <p>that can help guide a differential but or guide screening exams as well and just the the the proactive benefits that that brings from engaging those individuals and just the the challenge I would imagine with without that of of you have individuals that have that have served within the military like we already mentioned it's it's high pressure situation um not a lot a and and and then transitioning to to you know seeking medical care being in a medical facil facility is inherently a vulnerable position for for a lot of these people to face.</p> <p>And so if you're not engaging them with just in simply asking them if if they've served, you're you're missing out on an opportunity to provide the best care that that you can to a group of patients that have spent, you know, a portion of their career not being able to be as vulnerable um as as maybe some other individuals uh who are just in society.</p> <p>And so, um, and and you've touched on a couple of those ways and and we've just highlighted that, but but I'm curious for from a leadership perspective, um, how can leaders within healthcare identify gaps in their health care system that that make it difficult for for veterans to access the care that they need. Um, so we're not going to talk about the VA system because the VA system is, you know, that's that's what they do and they're good at what they do.</p> <p>Um but it's the understanding that not again not all veterans are accessing most veterans are not accessing the VA health system. Most veterans are accessing the civilian community because they have their own health insurance or what have you, right? So, they're accessing that. In addition to that, uh they are also not um most organizations, I guarantee have this gap, right? Because again, we're not teaching uh our schools, our schools of medicine, nursing, what have you.</p> <p>We're not teaching them anything about the veteran uh communities and any kind of related illnesses or issues. uh we're not uh asking the questions within the healthcare organizations and very few um um I would say organizations outside of that are actively engaged in making sure that they are um cutting out a niche for the veteran community within their conferences education and things like that.</p> <p>So unless you're actively going after some of this mil military specific or veteran specific uh continuing education, you're not getting it anywhere else. The organization isn't asking the question. And if you're not asking the question and you don't have the educational background to understand, okay, now that I asked you, have you ever served in the military? Now, do I what do I do with it? Right?</p> <p>Cuz if I don't have the background and the knowledge and the education on it, I can ask the question. I put a check in the box, but then I don't know what to do with it. Right? And that's problematic, right? So that that gap definitely exists for I would say probably 99% of the civilian uh uh institutions out there that they're not they are uh they don't have the education, they don't have the competency to actually provide the best care for our veteran community.</p> <p>And that's just the reality of it. And hopefully that's one of the things we're hoping to change as time goes on. And that's where some of the organizations um within not only the military community, but some organizations within the civilian community that are cutting out niches to create that specialty within within the civilian community is that much more important. Well, and Dr.</p> <p>TA, but I think it I think it speaks to the importance of as well of having conversations like this and and and creating content like this and and uh just individuals like yourself that that are championing the just what it what it looks like for for organizations and for individuals to to help veterans in this transition process both both into society but also serving in in in healthc care positions. And so, thank you for for your passion and and for your work in doing so.</p> <p>Um and um like like you said, experience is such a big part of understanding how how this transition works, some some challenges that individuals face and and how to how to better and best assist other people going through those same challenges and transitions. And so we're grateful for individuals like yourself that that have done this um and and are doing this and and are uh you know championing this for for others. And so before I let you go, Dr.</p> <p>Taib, I um for for our listeners, I'm I want to hear what is one immediate action that a healthc care leader can take today to to better support veterans in their workforce and in the the patient populations that their healthcare organizations serve? what is what is something that a healthc care leader can can do or to implement today that would encourage and and and better uh the veterans in the workforce and and those patients that have served.</p> <p>Yeah, I think the you know I I I get that question uh more than you would think and over the over the years as people have asked I've changed my answer. But I think the best thing because I always have like oh you could implement this or you could implement that. But I think it really comes down to really one thing. Make the veteran community a priority within your organization. not a competing uh uh topic with everything else within the health care system, but making them a priority.</p> <p>They don't have to be the number one priority, but as as you plan anything moving forward, right? uh whether it's healthcare, whether it's a documentation system, whether it's continuing education, whether it is whatever you're going to do within the organization, making sure that you call out the veteran community specifically and making them making sure that you are making them a priority as you implement anything new.</p> <p>If you're trying to refine anything, just make them a priority because they have always been a priority. But for some reason over the last I would say couple of decades uh uh although uh you know as as the war wars have sort of like not covered as much uh within the media.</p> <p>we are moving away and they are becoming this other thing and they're no longer they are from my perspective anyway I'm going to say they have become less of a priority for many organizations because it almost feels like you know I was call it like the flavor of the month the veteran community can't be the flavor of the month right uh they have been we have been the the veterans have been serving uh the uh from from its inception the veterans veterans have been serving and sacrificing and giving their lives for the country.</p> <p>I think as a country we owe them that responsibility that they continue to remain a priority uh for anything we do within the healthcare system. And I think part of it is again has to do with the fact that we continue to think that they are getting their health care not within the civilian community but within the VA system. But they need people need to understand most of our veterans are getting their health care within the civilian community. They are not being properly screened.</p> <p>And in addition to that, I should say this, not all veterans qualify for health services within the VA health system, right? Uh so keep that in mind also. Um that again making them a priority in anything we do uh I think is a great first step and then the conversations to follow after that. uh will just fall into place. Yes. Yeah.</p> <p>Well, and I I can't imagine a a better way to just encourage just engagement with with veterans than and and to encourage not just not personal but organizationwide seeing these individuals with this experience and have service to our country as as valuable than than making them priority than just straight up valuating valuing them.</p> <p>And so I'm I I think that's a that's a very good key theme for individuals um and and leadership across the country but particularly within healthcare indiv health care systems to to keep in mind as they are they are doing this and so Dr. Tahib thank you for joining us today. Thank you podcast and and for for sharing your insights um onto this this necessary topic that is that is very prevalent and and will continue to be very prevalent going forward.</p> <p>And so we're grateful for your time today and we wish you the best going forward. Great. Thank you.</p>
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