VA has a long history of innovation powered by employees who demonstrate dedication to their work and resilience in the face of adversity, ultimately building solutions that exceed expectations and enable better Veteran care.
At the 2023 Innovation Experience (iEX) event, hosted by VHA’s Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning (OHIL), several employees were recognized for their innovative efforts and impact on Veteran care.
Dr. Robert L. Jesse Award for Excellence in Innovation
VA’s Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning honors three categories of innovators with the Dr. Robert L. Jesse Award for Excellence in Innovation. The award gives distinction to VA employees who have demonstrated brilliance, enabling the discovery and spread of health care innovation that exceeds expectations, restores hope and builds trust within VA.
Dr. Mark Holodniy is the director of VA’s Public Health Program Office and winner of the clinical category. Holodniy uses cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning to create robust predictive models which generate proactive responses VA can use when addressing emerging outbreaks or climate change-related health concerns faced by Veterans.
Dr. Indra Sandal is the chief of Innovation at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, FL, lead for the VHA-Uber Health Connect Initiative (VUHC), and winner of the non-clinical category. What started as a pilot project at 10 VA medical centers, VUHC has expanded to 68 new facilities across 18 states, providing eligible Veterans with supplemental transportation options to and from their medical care.
The Care, Treatment, Rehabilitative Service (CTRS) members Alan Trinh, Chanin Santini, John Kuhn, Matthew McGahran, Sally Hammitt and Dr. Steven Braverman are winners of the team category. The CTRS team provided wraparound health care and supportive services for Veterans experiencing homelessness in the Los Angeles area, resulting in over 50% of Veterans advancing to transitional or permanent housing.
VA Innovators Network award winners
The VHA Innovators Network (iNET) is a community of 43 VA medical centers across the country united in empowering employees to design new solutions. iNET delivers awards in three categories.
The “Tanked” Award celebrates the idea of agile innovation, ability to pivot a solution or the incredible dedication to solving a problem no matter what obstacles arise. The 2023 Tanked awardee is Elizabeth Townsend, vestibular audiologist at the Charlie Norwood VA in Augusta, GA, whose unwavering commitment to Veterans led her away from her original idea toward a more collaborative one.
The iNET Investee of the Year is awarded to a VA employee who has received an investment through iNET’s Spark-Seed-Spread program and gone above and beyond on their journey to innovator. The 2023 awardee, Suzanne Zerwin, has been providing bedside nursing care to patients for over 31 years, most recently in the post-anesthesia care unit. Her Air Pillow on a Roll is featured on the VA Intrapreneurial Product Marketplace.
The Innovation Specialist of the Year Award represents the accomplishments of an incredible iNET leader selected by their peers. This year’s winner is Kelsey Shull, an Innovation Specialist at Charlie Norwood VA in Augusta, GA.
Want to learn more about innovation at VA? Visit our website, scan Diffusion Marketplace, subscribe to our weekly newsletter, and explore VA Pathfinder to learn more about our opportunities.
Topics in this story
Link Disclaimer
This page includes links to other websites outside our control and jurisdiction. VA is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of non-VA Web sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy or terms and conditions of those sites to fully understand what information is collected and how it is used.
More Stories
Medical center executives join in keeping Dallas VA clean and welcoming for Veterans.
Fisher House offers complimentary lodging for families navigating the complexities of extended medical care.
Veteran and social worker Gordon Roberts received the Medal of Honor for “Gallantry in Action” in Vietnam.
I found the articles enlightening and uplifting to know that so many employees and supporters of the VA are dedicated to serving the needs of so many diverse groups of veterans. However, I have been sadden to discover by my own experience that there does not appear to be much help or innovation for serving the needs of formerly incarcerated veterans who may have, like me, to be recently paroled. I was paroled on 11/2/2023 and after 41 years behind bars am in an alien techno world struggling to grasp the simple concepts of computers and smart phones. I tell people that I am a functional illiterate of computer speak. Try not to allow those like me to become invisible. After all, we have served our time and paid the cost of poor life choices and should deserve the same rights and benefits of our veteran brethren who made good solid life choices. Just a thought
Don’t you think ALL employees should be getting awards for improving Veterans visits to the VA?
It’d be cool if the VA could find my medical/dental records they lost since 2014. Then maybe I could make my claims.
This Comment Rebuttal is Not to Demean, Degrade, Condemn, Blame, or in Any Other Way Image-Bash Any Governmental Institutions that So Diligently, Honestly, Compassionately, Whole-heartedly, and Unselfishly Engage Themselves in providing All the Much-Needed Veterans Affairs Governmental Services Needed by All Veterans, and through Non-Governmental Third Party Entities that are Willing to Embrace Ethical and Honest Human Services for All Our Veterans Over Monetary Business Greediness Agendas.
Most United States Citizens through Their Experiences, Deprived and Unnecessary Sufferings, and the Undetached Abandonment of Many Governmental and Community Based Emergency Interventions for Fending-Off Unscrupulous, Heartless, and Vicious Entities of All Sorts in Destroying All Their Hopes and their American Dream of Being an United, Self-Reliant, and Independent United States Citizen, for the Greater Good of All Americans, Has Extremely-Eroded the Very Democracy that We Hold So Dear as True Americans.
As So Obviously-Apparent to All, Our American Society has Deeply Descended into Irrational, Self-Justified, Immoral, Heinous Criminal Lawlessness of All Sorts, and Without-Conscious, Placed their Selfish Mortal, Diluted, Self-Surviving Agendas by Any-Means, and their Callous, Mindless, Blatant, Total-Disregards for Anyone But Themselves, No-Matter the Circumstances Involved, Has So Horribly Imbedded-Itself Into Our Once Honorable National Community Structures as to have Tragically-Reduced All of Us to a Diminished 3rd World Nation as We Know It.
All This Being Said, Leads Me to This:
Congratulations to All Veterans Affairs Governmental Agencies and Employees.
It is Definitely-Astounding, How Much Veterans Affairs Governmental Services to Veterans Has So-Miraculous Improved By Rightly-Implementing the Appropriate Federal Oversight Agencies and Their Increased Federal Interventions Into All of the Veterans Affairs Governmental Accountability Issues That Extremely-Hinder All Whom Honorably, Conscientiously, and Diligently-Strive to Provide Exceptional, Much-Needed Veterans Affairs Governmental Services to All Our Wonderful Veterans.
They Serve So-Bravely and So-Honorably for All of Our Freedoms and Liberties by Their Unselfish Sacrifices for Our Great Country that We Love and Cherish So Dearly.
Never Abandon and Never Forget.
And, A Big Thank-You To;
Uncle Sam for All The Much-Needed and Various Governmental Revitalization Actions and Interventions Concerning Our Veterans Needs.
And, To All At The Office Of The Inspector General for Their Professional, Constant, and Thorough-Oversight Interventions For Justice In Governmental Actions and Governmental Systems Financial Accountability Issues Concerning All Of Our Veterans.
May The 2023 Holiday Season Be Joyous, Meaningful, and a Pleasant Heartfelt Experience For All.
I find it hard for anyone to complain about the VA health care or any service provided by the VA. Thank all of you who have fixed me up and made certain I was healthy. Ann Arbor Michigan VA Hospital.
The veterans, I for one, thank you for your service. If it wasn’t for the VA it is possible, I and other Veterans’ would not be alive to enjoy the 2023 holiday season. Thank you!!