STATE OF INNOVATION VHAOCTOBER 2019 REPORT INNOVATION IS CHANGING AND SAVING VETERAN LIVES THE STATE OF VHA INNOVATION IS STRONG ABOUT VHA VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION 04 Did you ever imagine that your smartphone would connect you to your health care provider, or A BRIEF TIMELINE OF INNOVATION AT VHA that you’d be able to track key health metrics on your wrist? For generations, innovation has been a REPORT DEDICATION conduit for imagining a new world, and in health care, redefining excellence. This sentiment has long permeated the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Innovation enables us to execute our mission and deliver health care to Veterans in exceptional ways. Innovative VHA solutions like 3D Printing are CULTURE & CAPACITY FOR CHANGE improving the delivery of customized solutions to Veterans and enabling the exploration of future THOUGHT PIECE: CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE health care solutions like 3D bioprinting to generate living, vascularized tissue. VHA INNOVATORS NETWORK 10 SPOTLIGHT: JOHN A. BRANDECKER So, how do we do it? The answer lies in creating a culture that harnesses a willingness to experiment. VHA OFFICE OF ACADEMIC AFFILIATIONS Innovation enables frontline staff to take calculated risks, fail early and smart, and methodically test VHA OFFICE OF SYSTEMS REDESIGN AND IMPROVEMENT assumptions. These principles create a culture of agility and team learning aligned with VHA’s goal of VHA INNOVATION EXPERIENCE becoming a learning organization. By embracing this mindset, we’ve delivered landmark solutions such as the cardiac pacemaker in 1960s to 3D printed organ models for surgical planning today. Building solutions that meet unique Veteran challenges have not only redefined Veteran-care, but CATALYZING INNOVATION health care around the globe. It is precisely this ability to continually innovate that allows VHA to THOUGHT PIECE: INNOVATION FOR IMPACT remain the preferred choice of Veterans. VHA DIFFUSION OF EXCELLENCE 22 SPOTLIGHT: ANGELA GANT-CURTIS Throughout this report, you will learn about innovation across VHA today as we showcase our VHA Innovation Community, composed of changemakers, who are relentless in creating new experiences VHA DIFFUSION MARKETPLACE for Veterans. This report is both a celebration of our trailblazers and a call to action to think more VHA RAPID boldly. Most of all, it’s a testament to the value built when we shed our fear of failure and dare to ask, VHA HUMAN FACTORS ENGINEERING “What If?” VHA OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT VHA CENTER FOR COMPASSIONATE CARE INNOVATION ---- Richard Stone, MD Executive in Charge, Veterans Health Administration (VHA) INVESTMENT TO IMPACT THOUGHT PIECE: INNOVATION ROADMAP VHA OFFICE OF NURSING SERVICES 34 ---- Carolyn Clancy, MD Deputy Under Secretary for Discovery, VHA OFFICE OF RURAL HEALTH Education and Affiliate Networks (10X), VHA OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION Veterans Health Administration (VHA) VA VETERANS EXPERIENCE OFFICE VHA OFFICE OF PATIENT CENTERED CARE AND CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION VHA NATIONAL CENTER FOR PATIENT SAFETY DELIVERING MORE, TOGETHER VA OFFICE OF INFORMATION & TECHNOLOGY VHA CARE & TRANSFORMATIONAL INITIATIVES 50 SPOTLIGHT: SHANE ELLIOTT VHA OFFICE OF CONNECTED CARE THOUGHT PIECE: THIS IS HOW WE DO IT THE FUTURE IS NOW SPOTLIGHT: BETH RIPLEY 60 3D PRINTING AT VHA NATIONAL CENTER FOR COLLABORATIVE CARE INNOVATION 3 4 “THE TRUE SIGN OF INTELLIGENCE AT A GLANCE IS NOT KNOWLEDGE BUT VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION 9M IMAGINATION.” ENROLLED VHA MISSION: Honor America’s VETERANS Veterans by providing exceptional -ALBERT EINSTEIN health care that improves their health and well-being. VHA has evolved into the largest integrated health care system in the United States, delivering primary care with a lens focused on >2/3 Veteran specialty care needs, including spinal cord injury, polytrauma, prosthetics and rehabilitation, traumatic brain injury, and PTSD OF MEDICAL RESIDENTS treatment. Frontline staff and clinicians are dedicated to quality care, OBTAIN A PORTION OF and continually improve the delivery of care to Veterans through research, partnerships, training, and the application of innovative THEIR TRAINING AT VA solutions. VHA continues to be a leader in training. Today, VHA is cultivating dynamic partnerships with federal agencies, nonprofits, HOSPITALS and private industries, as well as collaborating with academic affiliates to test innovative solutions through research. These innovations range from virtual reality for the treatment of PTSD, to telehealth, which vastly improves the accessibility of clinical services to Veterans. Focusing on Veterans and understanding the physical, psychological, and economic determinants contributing to their health uniquely 1/3 positions VHA to deliver not just health care, but comprehensive Veteran care. VA STAFF ARE Veterans choose VA for the Veteran-centric model of care and expertise VETERANS in service-connected health issues. Veterans stay with VHA for the community, resources, and support it builds around them. 1255 3 322K 170 VA MEDICAL CENTERS NOBEL PRIZE FULL-TIME 1074 OUTPATIENT WINNERS HEALTH CARE FACILITIES PROFESSIONALS 5 6 A BRIEF TIMELINE OF INNOVATION AT VHA 1960 1970 1990 2002 2011 2016 Dr. William Chardack of the Buffalo VA Alongside the Public Health Service, VA Endocrinologist John Eng, of the James Medical Center teams with engineers VA and NIH publishes ALLHAT study VA embarks on a mission to build the ReachVet, which enables VA staff to identify begins planning for what would become J. Peters VA Medical Center, discovers a largest medical database by collecting Wilson Greatbatch and Dr. Andrew Gage the nation’s first electronic health record which finds that thiazide-type diuretics Veterans with risk factors for mental health peptide in venom from the Gila Monster voluntary health information from one crisis, wins FedHealthIt Innovation Award. to invent the first clinically successful im- system, drastically disrupting the health that would eventually serve as the basis should be the initial hypertension plantable cardiac pacemaker. treatment in most patients. million Veterans, to gain insights on landscape for years to come. for a widely used diabetes drug. genomic health and disease management. Dr. Thomas Starzyl of the Denver VA Two decades after the 1964 Surgeon The VHA National Surgical Quality VA unveils the first powered ankle-foot VA and IBM Watson announce, ‘Cancer Interested in learning about today’s Medical Center performs the world’s General’s Report on Smoking and Health, Improvement Program measures and prosthetic, which yields a faster walking- Moonshot’ Partnership, focused on using ground-breaking solutions? Turn the first successful liver transplant, a VA researchers develop the nicotine patch improves the quality of surgical care pace and ultimately introduces a new era artificial intelligence to recommend page to see how we are continuing to ground-breaking success that has and other therapies to combat cigarette and has accounted for significant drops of innovation in prosthesis. tailored treatments for advanced- stage use innovation to drive improved health paved the way for several medical in- addiction. in surgical mortality and morbidity cancer patients. delivery. novations today. nationwide. 1967 1984 1995 2007 2016 2019 Dr. Rosalyn Yalow, the second Dr. Andrew V. Schally, the head of Dr. Ferid Murad shared the woman ever to earn a Nobel the Endocrine, Polypeptide and 1998 the Nobel Prize in Prize, received the Nobel Prize Cancer Institute, Veterans Affairs Physiology or Medicine with in Physiology or Medicine for Medical Center, in Miami, Florida, Robert F. Furchgott and Louis her work in discovering the received the Nobel Prize in J. Ignarro, for their discovery NOBEL PRIZE role of radioimmunoassay in Physiology or Medicine in 1977. regarding the natural insulin production, which led His research has more recently production of nitric oxide - to major advances in diabetes helped understand and treat helping widen blood vessels research. endocrine-related diseases such to regulate blood pressure, as breast and prostate cancer. prevent the formation of TRIFECTA blood clots, and much more. 7 8 REPORT DEDICATION ABOUT ROBERT JESSE, M.D., PH.D. Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health Administration Dr. Robert Jesse had a clear ‘why’- delivering exceptional care to Veterans. Throughout his roles at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as Chief of Cardiology at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, Chief of Academic Affiliations, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health, and Acting Under Secretary for Health, Dr. Jesse never lost sight of this purpose and ultimately dedicated over 30 years to advancing health care for Veterans. Known as an early adopter, Dr. Jesse invested in digital technologies in the mid-2000s and advocated for a VA National Simulation Program in 2010, equipped with immersive, simulation-based training for medical professionals. As the son of a Veteran, and life-long learner, Dr. Jesse used his visionary leadership and expertise to advocate for new perspectives and helped set the tone for a culture of innovation where ideas and people can thrive. HOW TO INNOVATE LIKE DR. ROBERT JESSE EMBRACE POSSIBILITY Dr. Robert Jesse pursued the “what if?” and pushed for VA to predict and create the future. As part of his many accolades, he pioneered research in cardiac biomarkers, expedited cardiac catherization for acute DR. heart attack patients, and led the modernization of emergency