So … what does it really mean to “innovate”? The term is thrown around a lot. It can sometimes feel like a simple task. Just come up with good ideas, right?
Eh … not quite.
Those bold enough to really roll up sleeves and dig in know how hard this thing called “innovation” can be. Those who have tried to start a new business or change an embedded process will tell you, innovation is far more than just coming up with an idea. It’s often a long hard slog through deeply understanding your customer’s needs, designing within constraints, testing and changing your design based on feedback, and implementing new products or services within an existing machine (and hitting major roadblocks along the way.). And sometimes the obstacles within the federal government are even more compounded (VA is no exception). VA innovators face challenges operating in a complex health care system all the while making sure that Veterans across America are truly getting the best care anywhere.
Innovation is not a “nice to have.” It is a critical aspect of VA’s ability to continue to modernize and evolve to best serve Veterans.
With this in mind, the VA’s Center for Innovation began the VA Innovators Network to create a place for VA to develop new ideas in collaboration with Veteran communities. In an effort to equip VA employees with the best tools for innovation, VA Center for Innovation started an annual accelerator. The ultimate goal of the accelerator is to provide pathways for VA employees to tangibly re-imagine the way VA serves Veterans.
An accelerator is a method of innovation often used in the tech and business start-up community, and refers to a focused and concentrated effort over a 3-to- 6-month period intended to jump start innovation to launch a project to serve customers. In VA’s case, that’s Veterans health, compensation, and benefits. Accelerators have enabled the development of innovative businesses such as Airbnb and Dropbox. Accelerators equip employees with the skills, resources, and mindsets to launch, develop, and scale new products and services. They also help people cut through dreaded “red tape” and roadblocks to get to an innovative solution off the ground.
The Center for Innovation launched its’ second accelerator as a part of the VA Innovators Network. With more than 100 VA innovators gathering, they shared their ideas and swapped notes on how to best implement them. Diverse ideas flooded in, ranging from a cane clip for motorized wheelchairs to entirely new ways to schedule patients as well as a universal symbol that indicates where mental health support is located.
The VA Innovators Network is a part of a larger effort to modernize the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Our goal is to help enhance the customer experience for Veterans and their families by fostering Department-wide innovations that can quickly spread from idea to incubation and evaluation, and ultimately implementation nationwide. New approaches to serve Veterans are sourced directly through the Innovators Network, transformed into reality by the accelerator and distributed throughout the VA network by the VA Diffusion of Excellence Initiative.
Extending a network of support, instruction on the power of co-design, and bureaucracy busting techniques: this is what the VA Innovators Network Accelerator is all about.
Check out the full list of the accelerator innovations here.
Wander the full story here.
Andrea Ippolito is the VA Innovators Network Lead at VA Center for Innovation, Department of Veterans Affairs
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There is also something VA should look at NOW. 911-every time a vet calls about anything they say call 911 if need doctor now. DON’T DO IT. VA WILL NOT PAY YOUR BILL! I know it is in the process with me now. 100% DAV and they have rules any regs. in place to deny your claim. Can’t depend on the VA who in the hell should we turn to. As the man said above case civil unrest. That’s OK VA someday you will need us WE THE PEOPLE to do your dirty work KILL AND BE KILLED which I have done my share. You sorry people should hang your head in shame. And if you think denying a claim is your little part helping people you are in bad shape. How many of you know what the red stands for on the flag. My blood all of others blood anyone who ever fought for the OLE GLORY USA flag. So don’t think think you can rise above us THE COMBAT VET. Keep your seat at your desk and let others die for your freedom. FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.
Shouldn’t a “note on the table” exist in one or two of these “innovative” meetings that address the fact Veterans of African descent have not received the consideration from the Department of Veterans Affairs other ethnic groups have received and a “special needs” category should be established for Black Veterans who have received reduced benefits each time, if ever approved, upon application and/or DENIED benefit altogether or, the benefit application process is so lengthy, most Black Veterans either give up or die..! Also, a Veterans Outreach Center in the Black Community is a good idea and a good thing and, we promise not to “burn it down” in the event of more civil unrest; in fact, most of us Black Veterans will undoubtedly go out of our way to protect any facility intended for our benefit and maybe, if there were more programs, jobs and earned benefits for deserving Veterans in the Black community, there would be no need for “civil unrest” or “riots” as some people like to say to place a negative connotation on a natural scream for help when our back is against the wall…!