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 Veterans Health Administration’s Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning is honored to have U.S. Army Veteran Shoshana Johnson as one of the keynote speakers for the 2024 VHA Innovation Experience (iEX) Conference Oct. 29-30 in Chicago.
During Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, Ms. Johnson was in a convoy that was ambushed. She and five members of her unit were taken prisoner. The ambush and its aftermath made world news. Hear the Bronze Star recipient’s story at iEX as part of two days of speakers, panel discussions, and presentations focused on improving Veteran health care and “Collaborating for Change.” Also join us for the 10th VHA Shark Tank Competition.
iEX is open to anyone and provides an opportunity to experience and celebrate how innovation, collaboration, and technology are forging the future of Veteran care.
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Join us this Thursday, August 15 from 3-4 PM ET for the August installment of The Exchange, VHA Innovation Ecosystem's monthly call for VA employees to learn more about innovations changing and saving Veteran lives.
This month will be a unique panel discussion featuring leaders from across VHA IE's National Centers for Innovaiton to Impact (NCi2I). NCi2I fosters collaboration between partners and select VA medical centers to address VHA's most pressing health care challenges. While each Center is designed to have a unique "sweet spot," the tie that binds these Centers together is the collective objective to bridge VHA strategic priorities with frontline solutions that are transformational, scalable, and responsive to Veterans' needs.
In this session, attendees will gain insights into the latest work of each NCi2I, discover how data is transforming health care delivery for Veterans, and connect with experts dedicated to advancing Veterans health care and management.
Panelists:
 From August 1-5, 2024, VHA IE Entrepreneur in Residence Lori Murphy, and Innovation Specialists Brent Aguilar and Dr. Megan Rumzie joined fellow VHA Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning (OHIL) staff and attended the 102nd Disabled Americans Veterans (DAV) National Convention in Phoenix, AZ. The convention is a five-day gathering of thousands of DAV and Auxiliary delegates representing the organization’s more than 1 million members, Veteran advocates, and Government Leaders, come together to expand their knowledge and training on important issues affecting Veterans and finalize DAV’s priorities.
While at the convention, Mr. Aguilar, focused on outreach for VA Intrapreneurial Product Marketplace (VAIPM) and awareness of the role of VHA Innovators Network and Innovation Specialists. DAV members from across the country were excited to hear about VAIPM as well as the opportunity to collaborate on healthcare solutions with IE. Many Veterans said, “I had no idea this existed at the VA. I can’t wait to tell my DAV chapter about these programs”.
Ms. Murphy focused on suicide prevention by addressing social isolation by talking with Veterans and distributing materials, highlighting her Fellowship work developing and scaling Compassionate Contact Corps, a volunteer service that connects Veterans to weekly conversations aimed at reducing loneliness. Veterans were encouraged to learn about this program and were eager to share the information with their chapter members and get involved.
During the convention, OHIL staffed an Innovation Booth, where Dr. Rumzie was able to demonstrate the latest Immersive Technology that the VA is using in medical centers. Dr. Rumzie highlighted Honor Everywhere- which gives Veterans immersive tours of US Veteran Memorials using VR headsets. Women Veterans were deeply moved by the Women Veteran Memorials tour; one Veteran shared, “I have always wanted to visit but because of my health, am not able to travel far; this allowed me to feel connected and like I had spent time at the memorial”.
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July was Innovation Month at VA Augusta! Led by iNET Innovation Specialists Kelsey Shull and Chris Ndeti, VA Augusta celebrated the innovative work of their employees over the past few weeks, culminating in an inaugural Innovation Summit.
Collaboration and community engagement was a theme at the Innovation Summit, which showcased incredible innovations from frontline employees. “Our Veterans have been part of the early feedback and beta testing of their technology as [these innovations] evolve,” Shull explained to local news covering the event. At the Summit, participants got to dive hands-on into prototyping using human-centered design principles. From Veteran feedback to prototype creation and industry connections, frontline innovators at VA Augusta focus on designing inclusively and iterating with purpose.
Standout products at the regional event include Alex Westner’s XanderGlasses, developed with support from the VHA Innovators Network Greenhouse Initiative, which converts speech to text in real time, and Ebony Dillard’s Device for Enhancing Balance (DEB). These are just two of the many innovations that have a direct impact on Veterans and their caregivers. Again, Shull credits collaboration as key: “That is what we are here to do to truly create a revolutionary new future for our Veterans and their health.”
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