Florida Veteran Health Heroes

AT A GLANCE: FY 2023-24 MILITARY LICENSURE DATA 2024 FLORIDA VETERAN HEALTH HEROES PAGE | 08 5,288 On average, MQA issued licenses to qualified military applicants in just 1.38 days. This swift turnaround reflects the Department’s dedication to ensuring that those who have served our country can quickly transition into Florida’s health care workforce, helping to meet the state’s needs while honoring the service of military practitioners. In FY 2023-24, the majority of the 5,288 applications received came from veterans, with 82% submitted through the VALOR program. Fee waiver applications accounted for 13% of the total, while a smaller share came from military spouses (5%) and temporary platform applications (0.1%). This distribution highlights the overwhelming participation of veterans in the application process compared to other groups. A total of 23,722 military health care practitioners, representing 87 different professions, have collectively saved $2.7 million in licensing fees thanks to MQA’s expedited and reduced-cost licensure services. By offering these benefits to military members and their families, MQA has not only simplified the licensure process but also delivered substantial financial relief. This initiative underscores MQA’s dedication to supporting military practitioners as they integrate into Florida’s health care workforce, ensuring they can continue their essential work with minimal delays and costs. The majority of vocational referrals made for military health care practitioners were primarily for assistance with job applications (62%), followed by help with interview preparation (31%) and resume support (8%). Most of these referrals originated from applicants seeking fee waivers (62%) and participants in the VALOR program (23%). Notably, the highest number of referrals came from military applicants in the fields of speech-language pathology and audiology (38%) and clinical laboratory personnel (23%). In contrast, referrals were equally distributed among military allopathic and osteopathic medicine practitioners (15%), with fewer referrals made for military nursing practitioners (8%). Referrals Made Million Achieved in Cost Savings Average Days to Issue a License to a Qualified Military Health Care Practitioner Applications Received 1.38 $2.7 13

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