HCA Healthcare named a best employer for veterans by Military Times for seventh consecutive year

HCA Healthcare and the HCA Healthcare Foundation to give $200,000 in support of veterans and military families

We are proud to announce that HCA Healthcare has been recognized for the seventh consecutive year as a Best for Vets Employer by Military Times for our efforts to help veterans, service members and military spouses build successful careers. Since 2012, HCA Healthcare has hired more than 75,000 veterans, active-duty and reserve personnel and military spouses.

The Military Times Best for Vets: Employers ranking is an editorially independent annual assessment of companies’ efforts to recruit, hire and support veterans and military-connected employees. The ranking is based on a voluntary survey that evaluates employment practices, workplace benefits and programs that help veterans and their families succeed.

“We are deeply grateful to our nation’s veterans and military families for the extraordinary service, sacrifice and unwavering commitment that define the military community,” said Sherri Crowley, chief culture and values officer at HCA Healthcare. “Their leadership, resilience and unique perspectives make HCA Healthcare stronger and enrich the communities we serve, and we are proud to invest in their continued success and well-being.”

Our organization was also recognized by VETS Indexes as a five star employer for our commitment to hiring and retaining military talent and supporting veterans and the military community.

In honor of Veterans Day, HCA Healthcare is contributing $150,000 to three organizations that support veterans, military families and caregivers:

• $50,000 to Blue Star Families, an organization that helps military families build connections, find belonging and establish strong communities of support.
• $50,000 to CreatiVets, an organization that empowers veterans and their families to find healing from service-related trauma through music and the arts.
• $50,000 to Wreaths Across America, an organization dedicated to remembering fallen service members, honoring those who serve and teaching future generations the value of freedom.

As part of this commitment, the HCA Healthcare Foundation is also giving $50,000 to the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, an organization that provides support and resources to caregivers of wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans.

HCA Healthcare has supported veterans and military families for more than a decade through partnerships with organizations, including the Veteran Jobs Mission and the Department of War’s Military Spouse Employment Partnership. Since becoming an inaugural employer partner of the “Hiring 100,000 Military Spouses” campaign in 2018, HCA Healthcare has hired more than 14,000 military spouses.

HCA Healthcare helps service members prepare for careers after the military. In 2025, HCA Healthcare became an authorized Department of War SkillBridge provider, through which active-duty service members can gain hands-on experience in clinical and non-clinical healthcare roles before leaving military service. We also work with organizations, including Hiring Our Heroes, 50-Strong and local veteran service organizations, to help military talent find employment opportunities in healthcare.

HCA Healthcare’s commitment to veterans and military spouses extends throughout their careers. Through our Military Colleague Network, colleagues across the country can build connections, share experiences and find a supportive community as they grow professionally. For colleagues who continue to serve in the military, HCA Healthcare also provides military leave and supplemental pay to eligible colleagues, helping them balance their commitment to service with their careers.

Our efforts have earned national recognition, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Lee Anderson Award in 2015 and the Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award in 2021, the highest recognition given by Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. Since 2024, HCA Healthcare has also been designated as a Tennessee Veteran Ready Business for our commitment to recruiting, hiring and retaining veterans.

Honoring those who serve and strengthening military communities

In recognition of Veterans Day, HCA Healthcare colleagues came together on our corporate campus in Nashville, Tennessee, to honor veterans, recognize military families and celebrate a shared commitment to serving others. The special ceremony featured Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Jon Meacham, who reflected on the history of Veterans Day and the sacrifices that come along with service of this magnitude.  

The program also highlighted the experiences and sacrifices of military spouses and families, alongside a panel discussion featuring Jerry Montgomery, executive director of the Tennessee Chapter of Blue Star Families and Richard Casper, co-founder and executive director of CreatiVets who shared their personal connections to the military community and what inspired their work. HCA Healthcare colleague and U.S. Army veteran Alex Kell, AVP of Meditech Expanse, also shared her experience transitioning to the civilian workforce. 

Following the program, colleagues put that spirit of service into action by assembling holiday baking kits for military families served by Blue Star Families. Filled with brownie mix, baking utensils, a kitchen towel and festive touches, the kits will be distributed during the organization’s annual holiday celebration through its Clarksville-based food bank, bringing a little extra warmth and joy to military families this holiday season. 

“At HCA Healthcare, we show support and care for our communities in and out of the hospitals,” said Virginia Tenpenny, president of the HCA Healthcare Foundation and vice president of community impact, during the Veterans Day event. “Today, we’re bringing that commitment to life by coming together as colleagues to assemble holiday baking kits and bring a little extra joy to military families this holiday season.”

For Jon Snider, director of military affairs and workplace programs at HCA Healthcare, and U.S. Army veteran, the event served as a reminder that while military service may end, the calling to serve others remains. 

“Military services instills a deep sense of purpose that stays with you long after you take off the uniform,” said Jon. “At HCA Healthcare, veterans have the opportunity to carry that purpose forward by supporting our mission, serving others and making a meaningful difference every day.” 

Colleague spotlight: A veteran’s mission to serve, support and give back

That commitment to continued service is reflected in the experiences of HCA Healthcare colleagues across the organization, including U.S. Army veteran Sean Soehl. His dedication to helping others began at 18 when he enlisted in the military and continues today through his work at HCA Healthcare and volunteer efforts supporting fellow veterans in his community.

Below, Sean shares in his own words how his journey from military service to civilian life has inspired him to give back and help others find their path forward.

Sean Soehl
Provider Solutions Specialist, HCA Healthcare’s Mission Health
U.S. Army veteran

“I was in eighth grade in New York on September 11, 2001. At 12 years old, I couldn’t fully understand the magnitude of what was happening, but I knew our country would never be the same. That day sparked a call to serve that never left me. Six years later, I enlisted in the U.S. Army, beginning a journey that continues to shape who I am today. I remain proud of my service and motivated to show what a soldier can still do to support the mission and help the team.

My transition to civilian life wasn’t easy. After leaving the military because of an injury, I struggled to find steady employment and found myself at one point living out of my vehicle. I know firsthand how challenging it can be to navigate life after service without the right support system. Those experiences are a big part of why I’m so passionate about helping veterans, transitioning service members and military spouses recognize their value and find meaningful opportunities.

Through HCA Healthcare’s Military Colleague Network and partnerships with organizations like Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM)’s Veterans Restoration Quarters, I’ve found meaningful ways to give back. My teammates and I have prepared meals for veterans experiencing homelessness, assembled backpacks filled with essential supplies for outreach efforts and helped restore the Veterans Restoration Quarters following Hurricane Helene. It is one of the most rewarding things I have ever been blessed to do!

One experience that has stayed with me involved a young woman who once received one of our backpacks while experiencing homelessness. Since then, she found support through ABCCM, secured employment and returned to help pack backpacks for others. Seeing someone who once needed a helping hand become the person extending that same kindness to someone else was incredibly powerful. It reminded me that leading with a compassionate heart can help change someone’s trajectory.

I want veterans and military spouses to recognize that their experiences have value, even when those skills don’t easily translate onto a resume. Leadership, adaptability, financial management and problem-solving are just a few of the strengths developed through military service and family life. Sometimes people simply need someone to help them recognize what they have to offer.

To me, leadership is a form of service. It’s about taking ownership, setting an example and asking, “What can I do to help you?” I hope my story inspires others to get involved in their communities, support those around them and remember that we all have something meaningful to contribute.”