As a VA national healthcare recruitment consultant, James Marfield recruits mission critical health care providers for VHA facilities in Kansas, Missouri, southern Illinois, southern Indiana, western Kentucky, and northeast Arkansas. James, who retired from the Air Force after 20 years of service, is part of an elite team of recruiters who work tirelessly to find the best, most qualified health care professionals to serve our Nation’s Veterans.
James readily admits that he loves his job. In his own words, “Finding physicians to treat my fellow Veterans is an honor for me. I’m blessed with the opportunity to interact each day with some of the best and brightest healthcare minds on earth. Our physicians oftentimes sacrifice higher salaries to come work at VA and they freely do so because they are altruistically driven to serve our American Heroes – to give back to their country – to care for those who have borne the battle.”
Recently, James received a job application from an experienced physician who was eager to work at VA in a leadership role. This physician’s cover letter clearly stated why he felt called to serve Veterans: “With my daughter deployed and my son-in-law buried in Arlington after being killed-in-action in October 2013, I have a strong desire to positively impact the health of our Veterans,” wrote the doctor.
In his years of working as a recruiter, James had never felt more moved than by this physician’s words. “It reminded me of how lucky I am and how important and honorable our work is,” he says. “This guy is a hero in my book.”
James’s passion for serving Veterans reaches beyond the duties of his job description. He regularly advises executive and clinical leaders, hiring officials, and human resources on recruitment industry trends and best practices. He also leads the “Take a Closer Look at VA” initiative to recruit the Nation’s best and brightest health professions trainees to work at VA – a mission that has been a priority at the highest levels of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
To connect with James or another VA national healthcare recruitment consultant in your region, visit the Contact A Recruiter page on the careers site. To explore all VA opportunities and apply, visit VACareers.va.gov.
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My body been damaged since1987, reedling chronic painful Illinesses ,I’m refused real pain management, sent to other doctors once waited appointments arrive I make them only to go back to over counter acetaminophen which isn’t the best while new and older pains keep me from real living ,I would like to drive again, leave out to pay bills ,shop,normal things i I’ve have issues when younger, hit by cars,attacked now falling, weakness of my back ,legs,arms, repertory problems COPD’S,even lately a clerical misprints following me medically none of the contacts,clinics,nurses,doctors nor others listen or hear me while staying calm as I can with high blood pressure always, temperatures, irritation s on skin from top to bottom,scolioises, fibermyalgia, agoraphobia, panic attacks,people from rental office walk in my apartment have to use motorized w/chair to be safe, these young folks have broken hingdes off my entrances door didn’t get fixed for two weeks later,homemakers are poorly trained from three provider ,I need the assistances but can truth these folks sent to me ,I don’t go out much at all,due to agoraphobia, this suburban area ,CVS,Walgreen’s,other drug stores won’t deliver, mail don’t get to me on time for two years and two months now,libraries have sent me out saying I have to only where I live ,None of these strange behaviors make sense to me,I been told because I don’t have long history of employment that I can’t receive said until 65yrs old but I have hardships surviving now,alone ,I don’t have no one that I know I can count on learning this being a older ,disabled senior targeted by weakness,depressed, medically ignored as well, I do speak words same as outer human beings, need all that is allowed me legally, I learned in over two years to work importants & using new skills to operate this tablet realpad for seniors made by or connected w/AARP on my own by pH.,landline there’s no respect always forwarded to more number for two years to no avail, I still want to live, and live as independently with respected PCA , my conditions are documented this and other conditions plus aren’t getting anyways better, so I’m isolated reaching out but no one wants nor see,hear,listening weakening in serious needs suffering inspire of human ,civil rights,running out of many options .I am legally disabled and denied any treatmement requested at all medical visits,need to know why am I left without?please summit these issues!
…….the BEST way to “Find the best talent” is to TAKE CARE OF THE VETERANS IN A TRANSPARENT, HONEST & ONGOING WAY while utilizing quality control measures at every level (only 1 of 20 levels now) & getting rid of the ‘internal political fights’ going on between “Providers vs Non-providers”, “Veterans vs Non-Veterans” & the OBVIOUS ‘Corruption’ at so many levels within the VA System. If you want to know where the the improvements need to be, where the corruption is & how the process can be EASILY corrected, saving thousands of lives, send me an official request….& I will bring in a team of WISDOM (folks from BOTH sides of the fence) to HELP…not ‘narcissism’, honest offering. God bless
The VA hires foreign doctors with illegitimate credentials. Unprofessional staff, Malpractice runaways and they also experiment on Patients in direct concert with Pharmaceutical Companies. How about the VA pay all the fraudulently denied claims and stop taking dead veterans out of the mix. That’s right, If they wait long enough till you die, you and your family get nothing. Nobody cares, Delay, Deny and Hope You Die is the motto of the VA. I have seen the people the VA hires and they are far from anything to brag about. You guys don’t have the money to hire talent, Civilian Doctors can make 10 times what you want to pay these guys. You get inexperienced, credentialed Online College Doctorates, Great Job !
When the VA finally does get a good physician they always end up leaving because of the stupervision they have!! They get so fed up with all the stupid rules that most times are made up by their supervisor when they find out they are a better physician than them they leave!! This happens more times than not and the word gets out and that is why the talented physicians don’t come near the place! What needs to happen before recruiting for the best is you need to get rid of the worst that are already there trying to run the place then you will get the talent that the veterans deserve to be treated by!! This will be a time consuming task going to each and every VA and getting rid of the worst of the worst but don’t our veterans deserve the best of the best??
This article is pure spin. I fired a cardiologist associated with Creighton University becauase be made a false entry in my records. When I confronted him he said he thought my visit was just a routine visit. He now works for the VA Hospital in Omaha Nebraska. This particular hospital is filled with “retired” physicians. This practice has got to stop a long with using residents to provide medical treatment.