Announcing the 2024 VHA Shark Tank Competition Semifinalists

Veterans Health Administration sent this bulletin at 06/18/2024 12:32 PM EDT

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2024 VHA Shark Tank Competition Semifinalists Announced

VHA Innovation Ecosystem’s Diffusion of Excellence is proud to announce the semifinalists for the 2024 VHA Shark Tank Competition! The competition empowers frontline innovators to spread their health care solutions by providing exposure to all levels of leadership and an opportunity to replicate their practices to new VA facilities. This year’s competition brought in 224 applications from VHA frontline employees across the country looking to participate in the event’s 10th cycle.

Semifinalist practices will undergo a second round of evaluation by program office leaders and the Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) team to select finalists. Finalists will present their innovations to a national audience at the 2024 VHA Innovation Experience (iEX) this fall.

To learn more about the competition and view the full list of semifinalists, visit the VHA Shark Tank page on Diffusion Marketplace. Stay tuned for the finalist announcement on Tuesday, August 6.

View Semifinalists Here

VHA IE Fellow Dr. Jay Gorman Featured on American Legion's Tango Alpha Lima Podcast

Dr. Jay Gorman is a Clinical Research Psychologist at VA Bedford Healthcare System and a 2024 VHA Innovation Ecosystem Entrepreneur in Residence Fellow. Dr. Gorman leads the Veteran Socials program and was featured last week on American Legion’s weekly podcast, Tango Alpha Lima. Dr. Gorman spoke with the hosts on the impact of loneliness and social isolation among Veterans, saying “Leveraging the power of the veteran-to-veteran connections is part of the solution.” Giving Veterans a non-clinical setting to interact with other people who have shared experiences strengthens the peer-to-peer relationships that have been shown to reduce suicide risks. You can listen to the podcast recording here or view the video interview here.

Listen Here

Join VHA IE For a Panel on 'VA Pride: LGBTQ+ Health Care and Innovation'

The Exchange is a monthly gathering hosted by the VHA Innovation Ecosystem and led each month by a different team of individuals who are disrupting existing models of care to build the future, using the principles and tools of innovation. Each month features a new topic and panel, curated for VA's innovation community. This month's Exchange will be hosted at 3PM on Thursday June 20 and the topic is VA Pride: LGBTQ+ Health Care and Innovation. These professionals are at the forefront of care delivery, policy making, research, and data analytics, creating an inclusive and affirming environment where LGBTQ+ Veterans receive the care they have earned and deserve. Our panelists will share their insights and experiences in developing innovative tools, programs, and policies that enhance the quality of care for LGBTQ+ Veterans. This event will provide a platform to ask questions, share ideas, and engage in thoughtful discussions on how to continually improve health care services for LGBTQ+ Veterans.

Register Here

Note: The Exchange is available to VA Employees only

VA Innovators Recognized with 2024 Service to the Citizen Award

The Service to the Citizen Award recognizes government employees and industry partners who have demonstrated excellence in their services that positively impact the lives of the public and build trust in government. Each year, Service to the Citizen recognizes these individuals through the Service to the Citizen Awards: Champions of Change Program. VHA is proud to recognize several individuals across Innovation Ecosystem (IE) and the Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning (OHIL) who were awarded Service to the Citizen Awards.

Three team members from the Office of Geriatrics & Extended Care (GEC), Age-Friendly Health Systems were recognized for their work in improving VA health systems for Veteran patients over the age of 65, as part of the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement:

Kimberly Wozneak, National Lead for Age-Friendly Health Systems
Kayla Lalande, Age-Friendly Program Analyst
Ines Valencia-Mendoza, Age-Friendly Program Analyst

Four VHA IE Fellows were also awarded Service to the Citizen Awards:

Nichol Salvo, DPM, Chief of Podiatry and Limb Preservation Program Director at Atlanta VA Health Care System, and 2024 Senior Innovation Fellow, for her work as Director of the High-Risk Eye and Limb Preservation Program (HELPP).
Lori Murphy, MSW, LISW-S, Caregiver Support Program Senior Social Worker at Central Ohio VA Healthcare System, and 2024 Entrepreneur in Residence, for her work leading the Compassionate Contact Corps.
Mary Julius, RDN, LD, CDCES, Quality Manager at the National VA-DOD Virtual Diabetes Self-Management Education Program, Program Coordinator for Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support at VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, and 2024 Senior Innovation Fellow, for work expanding both programs.
Kevin Carroll, Ph.D., a Clinical Neuropsychologist within VA Northern California Health Care System and 2024 Entrepreneur in Residence, for his Virtual Rehabilitation Game Development, Testing, and Improvement project.

A team representing VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System's Employee Engagement Center:

Katie Braun, Chief, Employee Engagement Center and Innovation Specialist
Julie Appolonia, Employee Whole Health Coordinator
Jody Clark, Employee Engagement Specialist
Melissa Mossburg, Employee Engagement Specialist
Ryan Uber, Systems Redesign Specialist
Nicole Walsh, Employee Whole Health Coordinator
Cody Ziegler, Program Support Assistant
Olivia Awad, Systems Redesign Specialist
Earl Brown, Employee Engagement Specialist
Anna Hamett, Systems Redesign Specialist
Patrick Hickey, Employee Engagement Specialist
Katelyn Krauss, Employee Whole Health Coordinator
Gelasia Megarry, Systems Redesign Specialist

While these winners, and more, were announced today, they will be recognized at an awards ceremony on September 13.

View All Winners Here

VHA IE Fellows Present at Society of General Internal Medicine Conference

From May 15 – 18, 2024, the 2024 Society of General Internal Medicine (SGIM) Annual Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, showcased the exceptional contributions of the Division of General Internal Medicine as evidenced by the 60+ posters, 30+ workshops, panels, and interest groups, as well as the numerous awardees at the conference.

VHA IE Entrepreneurs in Residence, Dr. Beth Dinges, from VA Illiana Healthcare System, and Dr. Minh Ho from VA Orlando Healthcare System, presented their Fellowship project, the Delivery of Harm Reduction Supplies and Services program, known as Harm Reduction. They were joined in collaboration by Dr. Tessa L. Rife-Pennington from San Francisco VA Health Care System.

Drs. Dinges and Ho discussed how people who use drugs (PWUD) face severe stigma in medical settings and how the only alternative that is frequently offered to them is abstinence. However, research supports harm reduction tactics to aid those struggling with substance use. Drs. Dinges and Ho presented the objectives of their Fellowship project: recognize stigma, alleviate institutional barriers, and improve lack of inclusive options in healthcare for PWUD. They also described harm reduction strategies that can be incorporated into health care for improved patient outcomes.

Learn More Here

News and Announcements

In case you missed it, view some recent innovation stories:

Want to learn more about innovation at VA? Visit our website, scan Diffusion Marketplace, and explore VA Pathfinder to learn more about our opportunities.

Keep updated & let us know how we're doing.


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