 In September, the Innovation, Development, Education, Advanced Implementation, Solutions Center for Innovation (IDEAS) at Central Virginia VA held its annual demo day, showcasing over 35 innovative projects aimed at improving Veteran care.
The IDEAS demo day is designed to celebrate the work of VA’s employee innovators, engage local Veterans in providing feedback on their innovations and bring together the local innovation community.
Over 200 VA employee innovators and Veterans, as well as industry and academic collaborators, attended the event. The IDEAS Center is one of VHA Innovation Ecosystem’s four National Centers for Innovation to Impact, which foster collaboration across industries to address VA’s most pressing health care challenges.
Kicking off the event, Mr. J. Ronald Johnson, Executive Director of CVHCS, praised the collaborative work being done. “Here at Central Virginia, we have cultivated a genuine culture of innovation. This culture may be supported by me and the other executive leadership team members, but it's being driven by frontline employees who have recognized opportunities to improve care for Veterans and have taken the initiative to develop innovative solutions.”
Providing CVHCS employees with the skills and resources to innovate is central to the IDEAS Center’s mission. VA employees are encouraged to identify problems or opportunities within the health care system and seek support to develop solutions. “We’ve built this rich culture of innovation aimed at empowering our workforce to develop innovations that drive better outcomes and experiences for Veterans,” said Kathryn Beckner, Director of the IDEAS Center.
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Herman, a U.S. Navy Veteran, expressed after exploring the exhibits, "It’s important to see these advancements—whether it's technology for mobility or 3D imaging—it gives Veterans hope for a better future." The event, open to Veterans, provided a platform for many like Herman to engage with these innovations firsthand.
Want to learn more about the IDEAS Center? View a recently published video on the VHA YouTube channel here.
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VHA Innovation Ecosystem’s Incubator Series continues this Thursday, November 14, with a session on cultivating resources to grow an innovation across a nationwide network. Such an endeavor requires a thoughtful strategy for acquiring resources to avoid burnout and achieve the full potential of your idea. Led by a team of innovation experts, this session will discuss resource plans, identifying risks, and securing material and personnel resources.
If you missed the Incubator’s last session on identifying stakeholders and learning to listen, you can watch the recording here. Panelists discussed how to hone interview and discovery skills to gain a better understanding of stakeholder needs and perspectives. The Incubator series runs through January, each session focusing on a different aspect of the innovation lifecycle, from designing a solution to scaling your innovation. All classes also qualify for TMS credit.
Sign up for any or all classes in the series to join us in creating innovative change across VA to help better the lives of Veterans!
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 The 2024 VHA State of Innovation report is available online! With the theme “From Promise to Progress: Evolving Veterans Healthcare,” the 2024 SOI Report has a clear mission: educate Veterans on the ways in which VHA OHIL is advancing and redefining VA health care, and empower them to access these resources. This year’s report is divided into four sections—access to care and services; mental health and social connection; collaboration to deliver innovation; and the future of Veteran health care. The State of Innovation Report feature series will share sneak peaks inside the 2024 SOI Report to explore each of the core sections. This week’s newsletter features projects included in the “Helping Veterans Thrive: Resiliency Through Mental Health” section of the report.
Preventing suicide among Veterans is VA’s top clinical priority. In 2022, VHA Innovation Ecosystem and VA’s Office of Suicide Prevention launched Mission Daybreak, a $20 million grand challenge designed to help VA develop new suicide prevention strategies for Veterans. The challenge received over 1,300 submissions, and a multidisciplinary panel of experts awarded $8.5 million to 40 teams during Phase One and $11.5 million to 10 winners in Phase Two. Promising solutions are already beginning to make an impact for Veterans; in fact, six of the most developed solutions have been implemented with Veterans or service members. These innovations include a smart gun safe that is opened via a mobile application, an AI program for simulated crisis line scenarios used to train Veteran Crisis Line employees, and a web-based platform that promotes connection and community healing for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Veterans and Tribal communities. Read more on pages 29-24 of the report.
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To help combat social isolation among Veterans, Dr. Jay Gorman, Clinical Researcher at the VISN 1 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center at VA Bedford Healthcare System, has been supporting the scaling of a social connection program called Veterans Socials nationwide. Veterans Socials evolved from a weekly meeting that began in 2012 when a group of Veterans at VA Bedford Healthcare System recognized the positive impact the social gatherings had on combatting loneliness. Veterans Socials operates on a peer-led model with Veterans or VA Veteran Peer Specialists hosting each gathering. The presence of VA Peer Specialists helps to reduce the stigma many Veterans feel in seeking help and promotes access to VA health care resources. Gatherings can be co-hosted with local organizations and customized to meet local needs. Read more on page 37 of the report.
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Firearm suicide deaths made up 72% of overall Veteran suicides in 2021; however, increasing the time and distance between a person with thoughts of suicide and their access to lethal means can reduce their suicide risk and potentially save their life. The My Reasons for Living Lockbox, developed by U.S. Army Veteran and VA Hudson Valley Community Engagement and Partnership Coordinator Carl LoFaro, leverages Veterans’ often-cited reasons for living as a preferred lethal means safety device. This unique storage case uses personalized reminders targeting all five senses of a Veteran’s reasons for living to inject hope into moments when a Veteran is in crisis. Veterans may also use the effort of personalizing their Lockboxes as an opportunity to engage with loved ones and have meaningful conversations about mental health. Read more on page 41 of the report.
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