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 This year’s 2024 VHA Innovation Experience (iEX) discussed this topic and the future of innovation during an panel discussion featuring key VHA leadership. The interactive panel discussion, entitled, “Future Forward: Harnessing Innovation and Technology for Collaborative Change,” featured Deputy Assistant Under Secretary for Health for the Office of Discovery, Education and Affiliate Networks, Dr. Susan Kirsh, Chief Innovation Officer, Dr. Mark Zhang, Acting Chief Digital Health Officer Nadia Smith, and Deputy Chief Technology Officer for Innovation and Emerging Technologies, Angela Gant-Curtis.
“One of the things we want to do at the VHA Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning is ensure that folks in the field can reach out to innovation. If you have an idea, we want to help you, listen to you, connect you to resources and give you advice,” said Dr. Zhang.
During the discussion, panelists illustrated how they create and foster an environment of innovation within VHA that enhances processes and improves care for Veterans. Moderated by Director of Clinical Tech Innovation, Caitlin Rawlins, innovators in the audience engaged panelists with their own questions, prompting discussions of the history of innovation within VHA.
“It takes that level of collaboration to ensure that immersive technology is the baseline for how we do business at VA. Small collaborations, even when chatting over coffee, can lead to incredible impact for Veterans,” explained Dr. Kirsh, punctuating the importance of all levels of collaboration for innovation at VA.
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Improving Communication in Home Based Primary Care began at James H Quillen VA Medical Center in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, reaching 41 counties located in four states and currently serving 544 Veterans and their caregivers. Their mission is to provide Veterans with more timely access to care and effective communication; which can be challenging due to remote working, staffing shortages, employee and Veteran stress, and fragmentation in workflow processes.
The AAHCM conference had 500 home-care practitioners in attendance from four different countries along with a subset of attendees from VHA. Ms. Jones presented the practice in one of four breakout sessions with approximately 50 participants in attendance.
To learn more about Improving Communication in Home Based Primary Care, visit Diffusion Marketplace here.
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The symposium series engaged nearly 500 VA clinicians, leaders, and police officers, with over 150 attendees at each session. VA staff represented a variety of programs, such as Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Care Management and Social Work Services, and Veterans Justice Outreach Program.
“VA's top clinical priority is preventing suicide. We know a majority of Veterans who commit suicide are not connected to VHA care,” said Carl McCoy, Diffusion Specialist for VMET. “These programs reach those Veterans and the symposiums show a desire among VA front line staff to try new approaches like these, I hope those in leadership positions will give them the opportunity.”
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