Hillary Garcia is being honored in Category 1: Building a Customer Focused Culture for transforming physician recruitment across the Department of Veterans Affairs through a customer-centered approach that improves access to care for Veterans while supporting healthcare leaders and recruiting teams nationwide. As a National Healthcare Recruitment Consultant, she has redefined the hiring experience by providing responsive guidance, streamlining recruitment processes, and ensuring that physicians and hiring managers receive the support they need to navigate the federal hiring system successfully.

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Hillary co-leads the Physician Provider Recruiter Community of Practice, hosts biweekly office hours, and serves as the primary recruitment consultant for Primary Care, the National Emergency Medicine Office, and Women's Health, supporting more than 160 VA field HR offices. She works directly with high-need facilities to identify recruitment barriers, improve hiring strategies, optimize compensation, and simplify onboarding for physician candidates. Through personalized communication, practical coaching, and enterprise-wide mentoring, she has fostered a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement that strengthens recruitment efforts across the VA.

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The impact of Hillary's leadership has been substantial. At the Hampton VA Medical Center, her efforts resulted in 12 physician hires within five months, including 22 primary care physician referrals, while avoiding an estimated $360,000 in recruitment costs. She also helped facilities address critical emergency department staffing shortages by accelerating hiring timelines to approximately 20 days, ensuring Veterans maintained access to essential emergency care. By empowering recruiters, supporting healthcare leaders, and improving the candidate experience, Hillary has strengthened the VA's ability to recruit and retain top clinical talent, ultimately enhancing care for Veterans nationwide.