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- Paul Singleton once supervised 300 soldiers,
but after retiring from the military,
he had trouble finding a job that paid minimum wage.
- A lot of anger, you know,
just the bouncing around
just trying to get myself in a focus
where I can just go back and be employee and just work.
- Although he was an Army medic
and senior noncommissioned officer,
Paul returned home from Bosnia, and his life fell apart.
- How you doing? - All right. How are you?
- Homeless for years, he finally found his way
to the VA Community Clinic in Harlem...
- Hi. - Hi.
- where social worker Ruth Batista
helped him find a job and a place to live.
He was looking for employment. I said, "Great.
"I just got this e-mail, this national e-mail
"about this great program called
Intermediate Care Technician Program."
One of the pilot hospitals was the Bronx VA,
and that was his base hospital.
That's where he got his medical services,
and so it was just a perfect situation.
- What we'll do, we'll take some vital signs on you.
- OK.
- The pilot program for ICTs, Intermediate Care Technicians,
enables medics like Paul to use their skills.
- You on any medication for high blood pressure, cholesterol?
- Nope.
- They are trained to be the medical provider
in combat conditions in the field
when there's no one else around.
So when they come out of the service highly trained,
there's no role in the private sector
for someone without some sort of certification or title
that can be licensed.
- I was in Marine Corps. - Marine Corps.
You guys for the Navy corpsmen. - Yeah.
- We did pretty good.
- The Department of Veterans Affairs
understands medics like Paul add value to an emergency room.
- Hello. Ruthie Speaking.
- Ruth Batista helped Paul apply for one of 3 ICT positions
in the Bronx.
- After the interview, about two weeks later,
they called me.
I was selected.
I'm still like, "Wow." Ha ha!
- You're gonna have a transcript review.
- Yes.
- Paul is now working in the James J. Peters
Emergency Room under the supervision
of Nurse Maxine Lindsay-Shillingford.
- He's been here 6 months, and he's doing very, very well.
He's able to relate to the patients.
He's a very, very good team player.
- I do blood draws and place IV locks in.
I'm responsible for the stocking,
the resupplying of the supplies in any kind of clinic or ward,
IV placement, doing EKGs, and it's going well.
I'm happy because those are my veteran brothers and sisters.
So what branch you served in? - I was in the Coast Guard.
- Coast Guard? All right. That's cool.
- For VA and this Army medic, it's a win-win situation.
- Hope you feel better. - Thank you.
- Having the ICTs in the Emergency Department
enhances our efficiency and allows our nurses
to focus on patient care,
and that helps the veteran ultimately
because they get their care done more effectively.
- So not only is he employed now with the ICT program,
but he's also in a VA-funded shelter.
So it's giving him an opportunity
to get his finances in order.
- And Paul's goals do not end there.
- He's gonna be enrolling in school.
He wants to become a nurse.
I admire him because he had the tenacity
to really rise above his circumstances,
and I think he's a great example for other veterans
who are struggling.