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2 MHCE News SEPTEMBER 2020 EDITION DOD Crowdsources Efforts to Promote BY JIM GARAMONE Diversity, Inclusion The Defense Department is crowdsourcing to find better ways to promote diversity and inclusion. Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper asked for the process as part of his Board on Diversity and Inclusion. The board — chaired by Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett — wants input from service members and DOD civilians, and crowdsourcing is one tool they will use. For those not familiar with the concept, crowdsourcing is the practice of using the internet as a source of information and solutions. Service members and DOD civilians can participate through Oct. 16. “The secretary wants to hear from all of our service members about what the DOD can do to improve diversity and inclusion,” said Marine Corps Maj. Sharon A. Sisbarro, a member of the board’s support office. The board members didn’t want to do yet another survey, Sisbarro said. “We adopted a kind of crowdsourcing-like model, where we just said, ‘Tell us what we need to do,’” she added. Personnel with a DOD common access card can participate in the crowdsourcing effort, she said. “Even though you need a CAC to get in, the comments are anonymous,” she emphasized. The effort is a recognition that the old ways of doing things have taken the department as far as it can go, the major explained, and new ideas are needed to continue the process of inclusion and to promote diversity in the ranks. This is an effort to create a better culture within the department, Sisbarro said. The board will look at a range of issues, from grooming standards to first-person experience sharing about the reality of life as a minority, she explained. Some Fortune 500 companies use crowdsourcing to foster innovation and speed adoption of ideas, Sisbarro noted, and this is the first effort on the DOD level. Service members and civilians interested in offering their ideas and solutions can go to the site at https://www.milsuite.mil/book/defense-diversity.
WWW.MHCE.US MHCE News 3 VA Awards 2 Tucson Nonprofits .2M to House Homeless Veterans, their Families vide housing for homeless veterans. We are serving more than 250 veterans a year either either in our permanent housing or transitional housing programs,” said Beauchamp. Esperanza En Escalante was formed in 1989 by the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 106 of Tucson to help veterans needing respite once they were discharged from the hospital, and it grew into a program offering transitional and permanent housing for veterans. Kelly Presnell The Department of Veterans Affairs will award up to .2 million to two Tucson nonprofit organizations that provide housing to homeless veterans and their families. Esperanza En Escalante will receive up to million for providing 72 beds to homeless veterans and then work to transition them into independent living, said Pat Beauchamp, director of operations for the organization. The other agency, Old Pueblo Community Services, will receive an estimated 4,000 in funding for transitional housing for veterans, said Ellyn Langer, chief financial officer for the agency. Old Pueblo will provide 23 beds for veterans and transition them into permanent housing, said Laverne McHaney, the organization’s program manager for veterans. Under the grant program, both community agencies will be paid per day on the use of the available beds by vet- erans, officials said. Esperanza En Escalante, 3700 S. Calle Polar, has case managers who work with veterans on their medical issues, and those in need of respite care once they are discharged from the hospital. Transportation is provided for their medical appointments. The housing offered for families is one-andtwo bedroom apartments, and male veterans can also stay in five-bedroom units with shared common areas. “It is a vital tool in the community to help pro- Old Pueblo Community Services, 4501 E. Fifth St., has received federal money under the Veterans Affairs grant program since 2006. In addition to housing, case managers also work with veterans to provide them medical services and make sure they are receiving benefits such as service-connected disability income and Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, benefits, McHaney said. Job specialists also aid veterans in search of employment. WWW.MHCE.US Even the Opportunities are Sunnier The region’s most comprehensive and preferred health system, located in one of the nation’s most sought-after destinations, is seeking physicians in the following specialties: OBGYN • Family and Internal Medicine • General Cardiology • Interventional Cardiology Inpatient Medical Oncology • Neuromuscular • Orthopedics • Geriatrics Ideal Place to Practice n n n n Structurally and financially strong organization Work-life balance High-caliber, physician-led teams Extensive support from the region’s largest and most comprehensive clinically integrated network World Class Quality of Life n Northeast Florida is alive with over 1,100 miles of beaches and waterways, 80,000 acres of parks and trails, a strong and prosperous economy, multiple professional sports teams, renowned golf courses and diverse cultural experiences n The area serves as home to some of the Sunshine State’s best cost of living and the nation’s most sought after quality of life n Jacksonville was recently ranked by Forbes Magazine as the second most desirable city for relocation in the United States n No state income tax Please contact us at 904.202.5124, or email your CV to PhysicianCareers@bmcjax.com BH 33518 Specialties Recruitment Practice Link Ad_v04.indd 1 2/3/20 2:08 PM
