How Military Experience Shapes Our Health Care Heroes

Military veterans from every branch of the service work at Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN). For Veterans Day, we're sharing recollections from five of our colleagues about their military service and their journey into health care.

I served in the U.S. Air Force from 2006 to 2014. In March 2013, shortly after returning from a deployment to Afghanistan, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. This was the start of a new journey – one that ultimately led me into health care. With this diagnosis, I knew my military career would be coming to an end, so I had to start planning my next steps. During that time, I connected with numerous health care clinicians who guided me through managing this chronic illness, and the support they offered opened my eyes to the possibility of a career in health care.

Not long after my discharge, I enrolled in an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Moravian College and launched my registered nurse career in the intensive care unit at Lehigh Valley Hospital–Muhlenberg. My military background was invaluable as I adapted to the critical care environment, especially when the COVID pandemic hit, challenging us all in ways we’d never experienced. From these experiences, to completing my Master of Science in Nursing, and now as an ExpressCARE nurse practitioner, I know the resilience I gained during my time in the Air Force helped shape who I am today.

Over my eight years in the Air Force, with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, I met people from every walk of life – both on their best days and their hardest ones. This taught me to approach patient care with the same compassion and support I had received myself. In ExpressCARE, I often see people when they aren’t feeling their best, but I strive to provide the care and empathy they need, just as others did for me during my own health journey.

In the same way that wearing the U.S. military uniform gave me a sense of pride and purpose, I now wear my Lehigh Valley Health Network uniform with the same commitment, knowing I’m serving the health care needs of our local community. The Air Force taught me to live by two mottos: “Service Before Self” and “Excellence in All We Do.” I make it a point to embody these values every day by continuing to learn and grow so I can provide the highest quality care to my patients.

I was raised in a family that valued service to others, and as a fifth-generation veteran, that legacy of service runs deep. My journey in health care began at 14, when I started volunteering as an emergency medical services (EMS) responder in my community. At 18, I joined the U.S. Air Force, where I served for 20 years in both active duty and reserves, as both an enlisted member and officer. During my time in the military, I served in Panama, Desert Storm and Bosnia. I had the privilege of traveling to many places and witnessing communities with little to no outside support. Seeing this strengthened my commitment to serve others in any way I could.

After returning home, I continued to serve my community as an EMS volunteer for many years. Today, I volunteer with the Eastern Pennsylvania Disaster Response Team as a registered nurse. Throughout my time in both the military and civilian life, one thing has become clear to me: Every person has a story, family and loved ones, with both good and challenging days. I feel it’s a privilege to help others when they need it most, and the rewards of service are too great to fully describe.

I was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force upon graduating with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Temple University in Philadelphia. My first eight years as a registered nurse were spent as an active-duty Air Force officer, followed by six years in the Air Force Reserve. After an additional 13 years in the Air National Guard, I retired, having served almost 28 years as an Air Force nurse, including three years as chief nurse of a medical clinic.

During my time in the Air Force, I learned the importance of collaboration across ranks, working alongside physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants as peers. I also came to deeply respect the enlisted members who performed essential patient care tasks – our team couldn’t deliver optimal care without them. Though I understood the hierarchy in which clinicians wrote the orders and I supervised the care of the enlisted corps, I recognized that I was ultimately responsible for the care I provided. This realization taught me to seek guidance from trusted resources, like “Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice,” medication reference guides and Air Force regulations.

The military instilled in me a detail-oriented approach, the habit of asking questions and the confidence to act when something needs to be done. This confidence has reassured many of my patients, both in my military and civilian careers, whether in emergency departments, medical-surgical units, labor and delivery, on ambulances or on cardiothoracic step-down units. The reward for this confidence has been the trust I earned from patients, their families and my teammates alike.

My journey in service began as a teenager, inspired by my father’s footsteps in the military and a desire to work in health care. With limited resources for college, I started by taking prerequisite courses at the local community college to eventually apply to nursing school. Along the way, I enlisted in the Air Force and was stationed at the Willow Grove Naval Air Station in Pennsylvania. After completing technical training in Texas, I served as a medical technician in Willow Grove, but I knew I wanted to do more.

In 1982, I graduated with my Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Gwynedd Mercy College (now a university), was commissioned as an officer and was transferred to McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey, where I began serving as a flight nurse on C-141 aircraft. This was an incredible experience as a young nurse, and I am still close with friends I made at both bases – some of whom now work with me at Lehigh Valley Health Network. Many of us served together in Desert Storm in the early 1990s across Iraq, Spain and other locations.

During flights on the C-141, our medical team cared for hundreds of military personnel and their families, transporting them back stateside to receive the best possible care at military hospitals. As a registered nurse on these flights, I coordinated care among other medical professionals, flight crews and patients, a responsibility that prepared me for my civilian role as a ​certified registered nurse practitioner. This role requires flexibility, respect for leadership and an understanding of the chain of command – values I carry with me from the military.

After my honorable discharge from the Air Force Reserves, I continued my education at La Salle University to become a certified registered nurse practitioner, a role I still practice within the Emergency Department ExpressCARE. My military experience instilled a profound respect for authority, a commitment to caring for individuals of all backgrounds and a deep respect for those in the armed forces, both active duty and veterans. These experiences and the sacrifices made by military personnel have left an indelible mark on who I am today.

Today, I continue to practice at the highest level of my licensure, using evidence-based medicine, and I treat each patient with the same deep respect and individuality that I’ve always strived for. My military experiences shaped me into a compassionate caregiver, always seeking further education to benefit my patients and colleagues. Both my military and civilian experiences have enriched my life profoundly.

I joined the U.S. Army at 19 years old, uncertain of the career path I should pursue. Rather than spending valuable time and money on college before I felt ready, I chose to embark on an adventure. After connecting with a recruiter and going through the enlistment process, I discovered something unexpected: I had a knack for mechanics – an attribute no one would have predicted for the “beauty queen” and “Ms. World” contender, as my friends called me for my love of fashion. Presented with a list of career options in the Army, I made a surprising choice: electrician.

I joined the Army as an interior electrician, completing basic and advanced individual training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. My first assignment was in Hohenfels, Germany, where I worked as an electrician for the multinational peace enforcement force campaign in Bosnia. My next assignment took me to the United States Military Academy at West Point, where I served with the engineering platoon and advanced in leadership. During my time at West Point, I achieved two important milestones. First, I earned the rank of sergeant and won the rigorous Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year competition. Second, I reached the end of my Army contract, which gave me the opportunity to reevaluate my goals.

It was then that I began my journey in health care, transitioning to the field of biomedical engineering. I enrolled in a demanding, yearlong ​tri-service program at Sheppard Air Force Base. Despite the program’s high dropout rate, I graduated second in my class. My next assignment was at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where I officially began my career as a biomedical engineering technician and quickly rose to staff sergeant, taking on a supervisory role.

Today, as I near the completion of a Doctorate in Health Care Administration and work with the incredible clinical engineering department at Lehigh Valley Health Network, I know I wouldn’t be where I am without the courage to “Be All That You Can Be in the Army.” My journey has taught me the importance of challenging myself, embracing unexpected strengths and following a path that aligns with my purpose.