We talked to three veterans working at Hartford HealthCare about their military experience.
Their answers demonstrate the adaptability, accountability and collaboration skills they gained and share with us daily.
Ryan Bangham
Manager, Employee and Labor Relations, East Region
Navy, Captain | 30 years
ADAPTABILITY
Why did you choose the service?
I always had a burning desire to serve my country and wanted to follow in my father’s footsteps/He also served in the armed forces.
What was the most valuable lesson/experience from your military life?
Serving taught me the value of hard work and gave me the tools to take on any challenge that comes my way. It has also taught me you cannot judge people before you get to know them. That is a lesson I teach my kids all the time. There are good people out there and you never know what someone is going through.
What do veterans bring to their non-military jobs that is unique?
We bring discipline and an ability to work with all kinds of people toward a common goal.
How did your military experience make you who you are today?
I am in the Navy but I have spent time in the desert, the jungle and in urban areas so I have learned you have to be able to adapt to whatever situation is thrown at you. That is definitely something that has stuck with me and something I apply to my everyday life.
— Ken Harrison
Keith Grant, APRN
Vice President, Operations, Hartford Hospital and Hartford HealthCare Senior System Director for Infection Prevention
Air Force, Major, Flight Surgeon
439th Aerospace Medical Squadron 23 years (active)
Why did you choose the service?
I wanted to independently pay for my education and the military provided a great pathway. It also offered structure and a leadership ethos I admired. The military played a pivotal role in my education and professional growth.
What was the most valuable lesson/experience from your military life?
In 2009, I was appointed noncommissioned officer in charge of immunizations and vaccines. Two weeks later, the H1N1 (swine flu) pandemic emerged, igniting my interest in infection prevention. This focus deepened during subsequent global health crises, including Ebola in 2014 and COVID-19 in 2020.
What do veterans bring to their non-military jobs that is unique?
The experience managing epidemics and the COVID-19 pandemic reinforces my belief that education doesn’t stop with a diploma. The military service before self ethos also shapes my dedication to community in my role protecting public health at Hartford HealthCare.
I love my role because I am constantly learning. My job is to gather data, analyze it and collaborate with colleagues to design and implement solutions that benefit a wide community. It’s a constant journey of discovery and service.
— Elissa Bass
Cheryl Gill
Public Safety Manager, St. Vincent’s Medical Center
Marines, Sergeant | 10 years
Why did you choose the service?
I wanted to serve in a branch of the military that provided the greatest challenge for me.
What was the most valuable lesson/experience from your military life?
All of us are capable of doing anything to which we set our minds. When we want it, we will find a way. In many healthcare scenarios, failure is not an option. Military service taught me to focus the care I have for others into strength to do what is necessary to serve my team and clients.
What do veterans bring to their non-military jobs that is unique?
Service members often demonstrate a will and experience to overcome physical and mental barriers.
How did your military experience make you who you are today?
There are many career paths that can help us find and appreciate ways in which we may contribute to the larger scheme of things. The military was one of them for me. That experience of structure and camaraderie lends itself to many different aspects of my life.
— Anne Rondespierre
QPR Training
Tools for helping in mental health crises
Just like CPR saves countless lives by putting knowledge and expertise into the hands of the public, QPR provides lifesaving skills in the event of a mental health crisis.
“Question, Persuade, Refer” is the mental health equivalent of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), rooted in the theory that giving regular citizens techniques to help – be it chest compressions or tips for talking to someone having suicidal thoughts — lives will be saved. And the 30-year-old QPR methodology works.
“So many people don’t feel confident in a mental health emergency,” noted Sherri Vogt, Hartford HealthCare’s veterans liaison. “This training gives you the confidence to have that courageous conversation with a family member, friend, colleague, even a stranger.”
In January 2024, Paulette Schwartz, director of human-center care at HHC’s Community Network, asked Vogt to become a certified QPR trainer. A retired colleague, Laurel Reagan, APRN, later suggested modifying QPR to address the epidemic of veteran suicide.
“We worked with the West Haven Veterans Administration suicide prevention team and put it together,” Vogt said. “We included VA material, we had veterans speak to us about their needs, I shared personal information about a dear friend I saved from suicide and Hartford HealthCare jumped right on it.”
Four veterans QPR training sessions were held in September at three HHC acute care facilities and a community center, training more than 100. At Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, the entire Torrington Fire Department attended.
“It was incredible,” Vogt recalled.
In October, a live remote training was offered system-wide. More trainings are planned in-house and for the community in 2025.
“There is so much we can do when we are properly trained,” Vogt said. “Most people’s instinct is to jump in and help when someone is in distress. Being able to offer this training works perfectly with our HHC value about always doing the right thing.”
— Elissa Bass