NBC's "THE NIGHT SHIFT" COLLABORATES WITH FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA, DR. JILL BIDEN AND JOINING FORCES

Cast and Producers of "The Night Shift" Join the First Lady and Dr. Biden at Local Vet Center for a Discussion of the Portrayal of Veteran's Health and Wellness in Popular Media

SILVER SPRING, Md. - April 17, 2015 - First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's Joining Forces initiative and "The Night Shift," NBC's hit medical drama from Sony Pictures Television, came together today in an effort to highlight and amplify veteran's health initiatives, spotlighting veterans' strength and resilience and the many resources that are available to vets and their families through local Vet Centers.

The First Lady and Dr. Jill Biden were joined by Gabe Sachs, executive producer of "The Night Shift," along with director Eriq La Salle and cast members Eoin Macken, Jill Flint and Robert Bailey Jr. this afternoon as they visited the Silver Spring Vet Center in Silver Spring, Md. They met with staff and clients of the Center before sitting down with key medical personnel for a roundtable discussion to inform the accurate and impactful integration of these topics into upcoming episodes of the series. Since its inception, "The Night Shift" has honestly and compassionately portrayed a highly skilled ER team made up of veterans, active duty servicemen and women, and civilians, mirroring some of the issues and topics that Joining Forces seeks to address.

The culmination of this collaboration will air on Monday, May 4 (10 p.m. ET/PT) when NBC presents a very special episode of "The Night Shift" that will illustrate the healing, resilience and sense of purpose that veterans, such as San Antonio Memorial's own TC Callahan (played by Eoin Macken), have found when they get the support they need. The First Lady and Dr. Biden will also appear in the episode.

Additionally, in conjunction with the episode, a public service announcement furthering the conversation around veterans' mental health featuring the First Lady, Dr. Biden and stars of "The Night Shift" - Eoin Macken, Jill Flint and Robert Bailey Jr. - will be unveiled on NBC.com.

ABOUT JOINING FORCES

In 2011, Mrs. Obama and Dr. Jill Biden came together to launch Joining Forces, a nationwide initiative calling all Americans to rally around service members, veterans, and their families and support them through wellness, education, and employment opportunities. Joining Forces works hand in hand with the public and private sectors to ensure that service members, veterans and their families have the tools they need to succeed throughout their lives.

ABOUT THE NIGHT SHIFT

Welcome to The Night Shift where the toughest and craziest cases come through the doors of San Antonio Memorial Hospital's emergency room. Former Army doctor TC Callahan leads the highly skilled ER team of veterans, active duty servicemen and civilians. With one of the most diverse casts on television, this irreverent group of night shift doctors, surgeons and nurses go to heroic lengths to save their patients' lives in their underfunded city hospital while always helping one another through their own personal struggles.

The Night Shift airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC. The Night Shift is produced by Sachs/Judah Productions in association with Sony Pictures Television. Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah (TV's Freaks and Geeks, Diary of a Wimpy Kid) serve as executive producers and writers.