Updated: June 26, 2026
A legacy of service and care
Kaiser Permanente has actively hired veterans in all capacities since World War II.
Pictured in 1959 are military veterans Lee Dawson (center) and Ben Ilian (right) who were among Redwood City Medical Center’s leading lab technicians.
Since the beginning, Kaiser Permanente has stood by our military members and veterans.
Our health plan supported America’s defense industry workforce during World War II. We cared for thousands of men and women who built the United States’ Liberty and Victory ships at Kaiser shipyards.
The ships carried supplies and military personnel throughout the war.
In a 1944 speech, before World War II ended, Henry J. Kaiser promised to support troops returning home.
“On this one fact, there is unanimous agreement: Every man in the American forces has the right to come home not only to a job, but to peace. Anything less would be a denial of the true American way of life. … Jobs for all could well be the first slogan for a just and lasting peace.”
Supporting veterans is in our DNA
One member of the returning troops was Raymond Kay, MD. He joined Kaiser Permanente in 1949 after serving in the Army Medical Corps during World War II. In 1953, he established the Southern California Permanente Medical Group and expanded Kaiser Permanente across Southern California.
During World War II, Dr. Kay served as the chief of medicine at the 232nd General Hospital near Chabua, India.
Also, in the 1950s, our Oakland Medical Center offered an approved residency program for veterans using the GI Bill. The medical center also offered clinical training for military recruits through the Armed Forces In-Service Training Program.
By the late 1960s it was projected that the country would have a shortage of health care professionals.
In 1969, the government launched the Military Experience Directed Into Health Careers program, known as MEDIHC.
MEDIHC helped veterans turn military skills into health care careers. It connected them to academic and health training programs.
MEDHIC graphic from a 1972 Kaiser Permanente training presentation.
Kaiser Permanente took part in MEDIHC when it launched in California in 1970.
Kaiser believed that military service and health care shared a common purpose: protecting people’s lives: “If we can build ships, planes, tanks, guns, and bullets to protect our national security, can we not build hospitals and clinics to protect the lives of our people?”
In 1972, a MEDIHC participant praised the program. “It has made me realize that the time I spent in the service was not wasted.”
Where service meets care
Welcoming different perspectives and experiences helps us innovate, solve challenges, and deliver on our mission.
We continue to have programs that benefit veterans. Our efforts recognize veterans and the unique contributions they bring.
