Hendrick Health is recognizing four employees who served in the U.S. military, including Nick Sanders, an employee wellness nurse at Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood, as part of its Veterans Day observance.
The health system’s Nov. 10, 2026, feature highlights how the employees’ military experiences shaped their work in healthcare. Hendrick Health said the veterans bring “a unique perspective” to its healthcare mission and thanked them for their commitment to the country.
Brownwood nurse transitioned from military medicine
Sanders, identified by Hendrick Health as a BSN, RN employee wellness nurse at Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood, is responsible for onboarding every new employee at the hospital. His duties include making sure employees are current on vaccines and mask fittings and conducting wellness screenings that can qualify employees for insurance discounts.
He also organizes employee events, including a softball tournament and trunk-or-treat activities for employees’ families.
Before entering nursing, Sanders served in the U.S. Army as a combat medic. Hendrick Health said he was responsible for the health and well-being of every soldier in his unit, with assignments that included serving on the front line in Afghanistan with a unit based at U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz in Baumholder, Germany. His final duty station was White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
Sanders said his military service made nursing a natural next step after he left the Army. He studied at Texas Christian University, earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing and becoming a registered nurse.
“After being a medic, it was an easy transition to go to nursing school once I left the military.”
Sanders returned to his hometown of Comanche with his family in 2024 and later joined Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood. He said the hospital’s close-knit environment is a key part of his experience there.
“Everyone is close, and people take the time to get to know you.”
Four military backgrounds across Hendrick Health
The Veterans Day feature also profiles Joseph Johnston, Kelsey Sewell and Kevin Silvestri, whose current roles range from hospital admissions and blood-center operations to centralized scheduling.
Johnston is the admissions manager for Hendrick Medical Center South and Lancaster Plaza. He served in the U.S. Army and Texas Army National Guard for a little more than 10 years. His assignments included serving as an infantryman at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, from 2011 to 2016; a fire direction center chief and section sergeant with the 2nd Battalion, 142nd Infantry, in Lubbock, from 2018 to 2021; and a senior recruiting and retention noncommissioned officer for West Texas, based in Abilene, from 2021 to 2024.
Johnston said he pursued a master’s degree in business administration in healthcare because he expected the field to be fast-paced and continually evolving. He joined Hendrick because it is a large, growing system that affects the community.
Sewell is a technical supervisor and technical consultant at Hendrick Regional Blood Center. Her work includes overseeing blood-center and mobile blood-drive operations, maintaining regulatory compliance and supporting staff development. She joined the U.S. Air Force in 2019 and has served at locations in Texas, Alaska and Hawaii. She currently serves in the Air Force Reserve as the noncommissioned officer in charge of the 489th Aerospace Medical Diagnostic Flight at Dyess Air Force Base, holding the rank of technical sergeant.
Sewell said her military service, including joining during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, helped her discover an interest in laboratory medicine and its role in patient care, diagnosis and treatment.
Silvestri, admissions supervisor for centralized and operating-room scheduling at Hendrick Service Center, leads a team that helps patients access diagnostic testing. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 2004 to 2008 and was trained in food service, fitness, lodging and mortuary affairs. He also served as a physical training leader in his squadron.
Silvestri joined Hendrick as a security officer in December 2018, later worked in Patient Relations and moved into his current position. He said his interest in healthcare grew after his son spent 40 days in Cook Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Fort Worth following a traumatic brain injury.
Service continues through healthcare work
Across the four profiles, Hendrick Health emphasizes a continuing connection between military service and healthcare work. The employees described supporting patients, developing colleagues, maintaining safety and regulatory standards, and serving their communities.
For Brownwood employees and patients, Sanders’ story offers a local example: military medical experience led him to nursing and eventually to an employee wellness role at Hendrick Medical Center Brownwood.