HIMSS 2022: Veteran health care takes center stage at global health IT conference

VA is constantly enhancing the ways it can improve Veteran care. An important part of that growth is engaging directly with the greater health care community to share ideas, innovations and best practices. With that in mind, VA employees attended the 2022 HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition, or HIMSS22, held on March 15, 2022, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orange County, FL.

Team members from the Simulation Learning, Evaluation, Assessment and Research Network (SimLEARN), Emerging Healthcare Technology Integration (EHTI), and other organizations within the Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning (OHIL) attended HIMSS22 to expose Veterans as well as current and potential collaborators to the innovative initiatives happening at VHA.

During the conference, SimLEARN had the opportunity to experience the more than 1,000 exhibiting companies that displayed innovative technology products and services, and to educate attendees on EHTI capabilities.

“The HIMSS22 conference presented an opportunity to build stronger relationships and a steadier footprint with its VA and current or potential industry partners, and to demonstrate the growing value SimLEARN and other VA programs, including Center for Care and Payment Innovation (CCPI) and Pathfinder, deliver to Veterans, providers, and health care industry overall,” said Brian Stevenson, associate director, EHTI.

SimLEARN Executive Director Eric Bruns also added his perspective for a panel discussion on how the innovative work being done at VA is changing Veteran lives. He, and other leaders, shared how innovators at VA are optimizing clinical outcomes for all Veterans, lowering the cost of health care, leveraging information and technology, creating a culture of innovation, and changing Veteran health care innovation and learning.

SimLEARN is amplifying outcomes, reimagining learning, transforming simulation and enhancing Veteran health. Collaboration and making connections have been instrumental in SimLEARN and VA’s ability to improve Veteran care. Connecting with internal and external collaborators enables SimLEARN to build even stronger training tools and techniques to educate clinicians across the Veterans Health Administration. Through events like HIMSS, SimLEARN will continue its efforts to evolve healthcare learning to enhance Veteran care and wellness.