Victory Media names Penn Medicine as 2014 Military Friendly Employer

This Veteran's Day, Penn Medicine was named a 2014 Military Friendly Employer® by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs and Military Spouse magazines. Companies competed for the elite Military Friendly Employer® title via a data-driven survey of over 5,000 companies with resulting survey data independently tested by Ernst & Young LLP. Criteria for the survey included a benchmark score across key programs and policies such as the strength of company military recruiting efforts, the percentage of new hires with prior military service, retention programs, and company policies on National Guard and Reserve service.

Penn Medicine aggressively seeks to hire military talent and has found that hiring from the military community is a strategic competitive advantage. "We highly value the contributions of employees with military experience," said Judy L. Schueler, vice president, Organizational Development and chief Human Resources Officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System. "Veterans have the proven capacity to develop new abilities and concepts and can enter the workplace with skills transferable to the medical and health care environment."

Currently, veterans are employed in clinical and non-clinical departments throughout Penn Medicine including Surgery/operation rooms, real estate and construction, Engineering management, Trauma, Billing and Compliance, Administration and Human Resources.

Now in its 11th year, Military Friendly Employers® media is the premier resource for transitioning service members and spouses seeking civilian employment. Each year companies taking the survey are held to a higher standard than the previous year via improved methodology, criteria and weightings developed with the assistance of an Advisory Board consisting of leaders in the military recruitment community.

Penn Medicine will be showcased, along with other 2014 Military Friendly Employers® in the December edition of G.I. Jobs magazine and online at MilitaryFriendly.com.

Using the priority data engine on MilitaryFriendly.com, job seekers are able to view prospective employer profiles, as well as design their own custom lists according to their preferences. Custom, user-directed lists can then be saved and shared socially, allowing job seekers to find the Military Friendly Employer® most suitable to their needs.

"The 2014 Military Friendly Employers® represent the preeminent tier of companies with strong military recruitment programs and meaningful job opportunities for transitioning service members and spouses seeking civilian employment," said Sean Collins, vice president for Victory Media and a nine-year Navy veteran. "Our Military Friendly Employers® constitute the group of companies actually moving the needle and hiring from the military community. The 2014 Military Friendly Employers reported hiring over 117,000 service members and spouses over the last 12 months, representing an average of 14 percent of total new hires."

One year ago on Veteran's Day 2012, Penn Medicine announced its sponsorship of Joining Forces - a national initiative to heighten awareness about the health needs of our nation's veterans, service members and families, and elevate the role that medical schools, nursing schools and teaching hospitals play in serving their community.

Joining Forces was established by First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to bring Americans together to recognize, honor and take action to support veterans and military families during their service to our country and throughout their lives. Combat to Care, an extension of the national Joining Forces effort, is Penn Medicine's campaign to: celebrate the service of our veteran faculty and staff; train our clinicians in the unique clinical challenges of caring for military service members, veterans, and their families; and recruit veterans who have demonstrated inspiring dedication, loyalty, and strength in the service of our nation to join Penn Medicine. Combat to Care acknowledges Penn Medicine's commitment to both hiring and retaining veterans, as well as recognizing the over 160 Health System and Perelman School of Medicine employees who have served, or are currently serving, in the Armed Forces in an active duty or reserve capacity.