Home All in a day’s work: Virginia Premier recruits military veterans, especially women vets
Local

All in a day’s work: Virginia Premier recruits military veterans, especially women vets

Contributors

virginia premierThousands of new veterans enter Virginia’s workforce each year, and that number is projected to keep rising. Virginia Premier, a nonprofit managed care organization, views today’s military veterans as a vibrant resource for the civilian sector. As a result, Virginia Premier continues to be recognized by the Virginia Department of Veterans Services as a certified member of its Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Program. With Gov. Ralph S. Northam proclaiming March 18-24 as Women Veterans Week, Virginia Premier recognizes the contributions of women who have served our country and encourages veterans to apply for positions.

Of the 1,300 people employed by VP throughout the state, 64 are military veterans, with 28 of them women. The company has a goal of hiring at least 10 more women veterans this year as part of its commitment to the V3 Program.

“As a leading provider of health care insurance for our Medicaid and Medicare members, we value most of all dedication and a commitment to service, which are hallmarks of those who serve in the military,” said Linda T. Hines, CEO of Virginia Premier. “We are a rapidly growing company – presently covering approximately 220,000 members but projected to grow significantly in the next few years, with the launch of our new Medicare Advantage product and the upcoming Medallion 4.0 contract. So we strongly encourage veterans to consider joining Virginia Premier.” As of this writing, the company has a number of professional positions available in medical management, information technology and member operations.

The V3 Program was launched in 2012, and Virginia Premier has been a certified member since 2015. To become certified, companies undergo training to gain a better understanding of veterans and how they can contribute to the workforce, as well as how to develop and implement strategies for hiring vets. According to the Virginia Department of Veterans Services, Virginia has one of the youngest and fastest growing veteran labor forces in the United States.

Natasha Byrd, manager of grievances and appeals in the Medical Management Department, has been with Virginia Premier since 2009. She served as a paralegal noncommissioned officer in the U.S. Army Reserve from 2002 to 2016.

“Virginia Premier made it easy to go away and perform my military duty,” Byrd said. “At a time when you’re balancing making sure your family is taken care of, I never had to worry about my job. Virginia Premier was so supportive I even submitted the company for an award for being a military-friendly employer.”

Grace Edwards, a Virginia Premier care coordinator who is also a major in the Army Nursing Corps, agrees. She has been with Virginia Premier for almost four years – 16 months of which were spent on active duty at Fort Hood, Texas, where she was mobilized as a nurse case manager for service members who were being deployed all over the world.

“Virginia Premier is the only organization during all my years of employment that recognizes the work and the sacrifices that veterans have made over the years for our country,” Edwards said. “When I returned from my deployment, I was treated like a celebrity.”

“Veterans who have completed challenging military careers should know that rewarding professional careers await them in the civilian sector, and especially at Virginia Premier,” Hines said.

In addition to providing job opportunities with competitive compensation, Virginia Premier offers a range of benefits, including: medical, dental and vision health insurance; a 401(k) retirement plan; generous vacation; tuition reimbursement; work-life balance and flexible work schedules. A list of Virginia Premier’s current job openings and benefits is available at www.virginiapremier.com.

Contributors

Contributors

Have a guest column, letter to the editor, story idea or a news tip? Email editor Chris Graham at [email protected]. Subscribe to AFP podcasts on Apple PodcastsSpotifyPandora and YouTube.