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VHA Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning is recognizing the outstanding contributions of VA employees through two national awards: the Dr. Robert L. Jesse Award for Excellence in Innovation and the new Garry J. Augustine Veteran Service Organizations (VSO) Collaboration Award.
The Dr. Robert L. Jesse Award for Excellence in Innovation was established in 2019 in honor of the late Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health and Acting Under Secretary for Health. The Dr. Robert L. Jesse Award celebrates VHA employees and teams who embrace the spirit of innovation and work to improve standards of care for all Veterans. Previous award recipients include Dr. Mark Holodniy, who won the clinical award in 2023 for developing robust predictive models which generate proactive responses VA can use when addressing emerging outbreaks or climate change-related health concerns faced by Veterans. Awardees are selected from three categories - clinical, non-clinical, and team. Dr. Robert L. Jesse Award nominees must be VHA employees that promote innovation at a VA facility, VISN, or VHA Program Office. VHA employees may view nomination requirements, information session details, FAQ, and submission instructions here.
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The Garry J. Augustine VSO Collaboration Award, established this year, is designed to recognize collaborations between VHA and Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) that harness innovation to impact the care, services, or experiences at a VA facility. This award honors Garry J. Augustine, a Vietnam Veteran, 50-year legendary VSO leader, and fierce Veteran advocate. The award will celebrate VA employees who have demonstrated a commitment to engaging VSOs as they work to deliver high-quality, world-class care for Veterans, their families, and caregivers. VA collaborating with VSOs to advance the future of Veterans health helps to foster Veteran trust and increases their engagement with VA care. VA employees may view the award overview video here, and view nomination requirements, information session details, FAQ, and submission instructions here.
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Nominations for both awards are open now until August 14, 2024, at 11:59 PM PT. Register for an information session, learn more about nomination requirements, and submit your nomination for either award on their respective application portal. For questions, VA employees can email VHAInnovation@va.gov.
The latest installment of VHA Innovation Ecosystem's "The Exchange" series focused on advancements in LGBTQ+ Veteran health. The event brought together experts to discuss care delivery, policymaking, research, and data analytics regarding LGBTQ+ health care in VA.
Michelle Wilcox, LCSW, LASUDC, the LGBTQ+ Veteran care coordinator for VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, was the first panelist to speak. With over 23 years of experience as a clinical social worker, Wilcox has played a significant role in identifying gaps in care and developing innovative practices for Veterans, such as the VA Pride In All Who Served program, a National Practice with VHA's Diffusion of Excellence. She detailed her extensive work, which ranges from direct care and therapy to organizing outreach events and implementing national policies. Wilcox also discussed the inclusive activities she coordinates, such as adaptive recreation programs and social events for LGBTQ+ Veterans.
Next was Dr. Lexi Matza, who serves as the Associate Director for Data and Analytics for the LGBTQ+ Health Program in Patient Care Services at VHA. With a background in feminist medical anthropology, Dr. Matza's duties include overseeing electronic health record research and ensuring policies are inclusive and affirming for LGBTQ+ Veterans. Dr. Matza shared their experiences with policy development and program management, highlighting the importance of language in creating inclusive health care environments.
The third panelist, Shane Lamba, MPH, Health System Specialist at VHA Office of Health Equity, joined the conversation. Lamba focuses on data and analytics, examining health disparities among Veteran populations. He shared his journey of developing the LGBTQ Patient Centered Care Tool (PCC tool) and his dedication to understanding and addressing the social determinants of health impacting LGBTQ+ Veterans. Lamba emphasized the crucial role of data in driving meaningful change and improving patient experiences.
The panelists identified several key areas for innovation in LGBTQ+ Veteran care, including the importance of leveraging data to create better interventions and improve care, the need for continuous education and training for providers to enhance patient experiences and quality of care for LGBTQ+ Veterans, and the urgency of addressing social determinants like housing and loneliness, which disproportionately affect LGBTQ+ Veterans
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The Diffusion Marketplace newsletter, published by VHA Diffusion of Excellence, provides a monthly update on innovation stories and happenings across the innovation community. With a new and improved design, each edition highlights new innovations on the Marketplace, top pages last month, a featured innovation, and current news and events.
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