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September 7, 2026
BROWN COUNTY – Northeast Wisconsin is turning to a group with a built-in healthcare skill set to help ease its workforce shortage: veterans.
Heroes for Healthcare, Brown County, Emplify Health by Bellin and Aurora Health Care are teaming up through a $200,000 Wisconsin Talent Recruitment Grant to recruit 20 medically trained veterans from across the country to Brown County.
Heroes for Healthcare CEO Laura Hanoski said the effort targets military medics, corpsmen, medical technicians and registered nurses.
Hanoski said eligible veteran households can receive up to $7,500 in relocation assistance, helping remove barriers as they transition into meaningful civilian careers.
“It’s super exciting because our program is really unique,” she said. “There is no other state in the country that does it or has anything similar to this. It all came about from thinking outside the box. The mere fact that the state is starting to think like this, and they’re looking at us as a solution to a healthcare crisis, makes us feel really good.”
Hanoski said Heroes for Healthcare has already had partnerships with different health organizations in the past, so she knew something deeper could work.
“[Some of our past partnerships] show that this is a successful program and helps veterans and healthcare communities,” she said. “It’s great the state is thinking differently about how to utilize our veterans as a resource.”
Hanoski said the up to $7,500 in relocation assistance is tracked and tailored to each candidate’s needs.
As veterans prepare to move, she said the money could help cover expenses such as a moving truck or security deposit.
“It’s for whatever they might need along the journey to make that move or transition easier,” she said. “First off, we’re trying to get them set up with our job partners, so when they relocate, they have income right away. Next, we’ll get them set up in schooling, maybe for the following semester.”
Hanoski said the process gives medically trained veterans time to acclimate to the civilian healthcare system before pursuing further education.
“We don’t want them to be overwhelmingly stressed right off the bat,” she said. “It really allows for better success.”
Hanoski said she foresees having more than 20 medically trained veterans relocate to the area, but the $7,500 in relocation assistance won’t be available for more than that number.
“It would be really nice that in 18 months, when this grant ends, we can go back and maybe they would continue something like this – whether it’s for a designated county or the whole state,” she said. “Again, this program is very desirable, and nobody else in the country does it. Bringing these folks to Wisconsin because of this program is big in itself, and when you add the bonus money to it, the incentive is very desirable.”
This initiative, Hanoski said, is expected to generate:
- $1.676 million in annual compensation
- $764,800 in annual local household spending
“We’re grateful to the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation for investing in veterans, strengthening our healthcare workforce and helping build healthier communities across Wisconsin,” she said.
Hanoski said the partnership is a win-win for veterans, healthcare organizations and the community.
“Veterans are wired to serve,” she said. “They need to come home, need to be useful and feel welcomed and valued in the community. There is no better way than utilizing their skills – and we have a healthcare crisis, so we need them. If we can continue to do this, we would obviously do it as long as we can.”
Hanoski said applicants so far come from across the country, including California, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas.
Some have Wisconsin ties, she said, while others are considering the state with no prior connection.
“With a lot of these medical corpsmen, they are younger,” she said. “Many enlisted right out of high school, so they almost look at [this opportunity] as a base change and going to their next assignment. I feel they look at things a little differently than we do. Of our candidates, only two of them have families with spouses and children. Most of them are single men who want to make roots here.”
One of the candidates, Hanoski said, is a single woman who relocated from Hawaii.
“So many people fall in love with the area and end up staying here forever,” she said. “There are so many perks to Wisconsin with the four seasons. At some point during the year, it has to make everyone happy, right?”
Hearing from Aurora Health Care
With various organizations making the partnership a reality, Aurora Health Care RN, Molly Siebold – who also doubles as the chair of the health system’s veterans committee – said through her role at the hospital, she has seen firsthand the benefit of working with veterans.
She said veterans and active-duty military members are strong team players, bringing leadership, resilience and a commitment to serving others to the workplace.
“All of those qualities align very well with a healthcare mindset,” Siebold said. “Learning those leadership skills from them is also invaluable to our teammates, our patients and all the other staff and families who come through our doors.”
Kim Quetschke, senior talent sourcing specialist, said her goal is simple: find great talent for Aurora.
Quetschke said veterans have been trained to focus on an entire team and have a collaborative approach to their work.
“This in itself is essential in health care,” she said. “Based on their work experience and training, veterans are typically adaptable and able to work quickly under pressure. We’re hoping that through this partnership, veterans find Aurora a place they’ll call home and that they’re able to serve the community in a whole new way.”
Working closely with recruiters and hiring leaders in the process, Quetschke said she feels – and hopes – her job makes a difference in people’s lives.
“I promote Aurora by working in the community and developing relationships with partners like Heroes for Healthcare,” she said. “The candidates referred to me have unique backgrounds and skillsets.”
In a competitive talent acquisition market, Quetschke said organizations need to keep up to date with benefits, salary and finding out what is fulfilling to people.
“You have to be aware of what your competitors are doing, too,” she said. “I’ve been working with the Heroes for Healthcare program for three years, but this grant is new, and we’re now going to have an increased pipeline of veterans to consider for employment.”
Quetschke said as part of her role, she doesn’t solely focus on Brown County.
“I also connect talent to jobs in many other parts of Wisconsin,” she said. “I think Wisconsin has a reputation for being friendly and welcoming, where living a comfortable life is more attainable than in other places. Importantly, we feel people will relocate to Wisconsin because we’re an employer who is leading the way in health care. It’s a place we feel everyone can belong and thrive with us.”
Siebold said the WEDC grant opens doors for veterans who may have faced barriers to healthcare careers in the past.
“This type of opportunity allows them to get into a working environment, continue their education and build a future for themselves while benefiting our teammates, themselves, our community and our patients,” she said. “It doesn’t surprise me at all that Aurora had its hands in a very beneficial and important project such as this.”
In addition to being solid teammates who bring a lot to Aurora, Siebold said the bonds and connections created with veterans are therapeutic for staff and patients.
“It’s really great to hear those stories and see that positive impact our vets have with each other and with our teammates,” she said.
Siebold said the goal of the veterans committee is to help provide education to staff and provide recognition and support for their veteran teammates.
“We also hosted a Veterans Healthcare Symposium, which was a full-day event with continuing education,” she said. “The symposium allowed us to have mainly VA speakers come in and talk about multiple topics specific to veterans’ health care.”
