Veterans Employee Resource Group
UF Health Jacksonville's Veterans Employee Resource Group is a valuable resource for service members.
Supporting Our Veterans
Employees who are veterans, family members of veterans and supporters of our military are welcome to join the Veterans Employee Resource Group, or VERG, at UF Health Jacksonville. The mission of the VERG is to provide veterans and current military service members with valuable information, educational opportunities, guidance and benefits that will enable each veteran to achieve their highest career aspirations and actively support community involvement.
The VERG also supports patients admitted to the hospital who are veterans by visiting them and honoring their service to our country. Each veteran is presented with a flag representing their line of service, such as Army, Navy, Coast Guard, etc. and a special certificate.
Monthly Meetings
Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month from 12 to 1 p.m. in the Coleman Room located on the 10th floor of Tower II at UF Health Jacksonville.
The Veterans ERG meets the second Tuesday of each month.
Special Events
In addition to monthly meetings, the VERG also hosts special events throughout the year, such as the annual Veterans Day event in November at UF Health Jacksonville. They also share community events and opportunities with members.
VERG members attended the 2023 Memorial Day service hosted by the city of Jacksonville.
Volunteer Opportunities
Being a part of the VERG offers employees a chance to volunteer and get involved in the local community. One major volunteer initiative the VERG supports is the Watch Stander Program run by The Fire Watch, a nonprofit organization focused on ending veteran suicides. The Watch Stander Program mobilizes 10,000+ community members to be vigilant to the concerns of veterans and to direct them to the support they need. UF Health Jacksonville regularly holds training sessions to certify employees to become official “watch standers.”
Recently, the VERG was designated as Veterans Safe Place by The Fire Watch for exceeding more than 50 members who were trained as watch standers.
If you are interested in joining the VERG or becoming a watch stander, please email VeteransERG@jax.ufl.edu.
Ann-Marie Knight, vice president of community engagement and chief diversity officer at UF Health Jacksonville; Mo Bijani, VERG chair; Thanh Hogan, vice president of clinical operations at UF Health Jacksonville; Derek Collins, the regional program director for The Fire Watch.
