VA’s cutting-edge technology helps physicians provide top-notch Veteran care

Using technology developed right here at VA, our physicians deliver cutting-edge care to Veterans every day. We lead the nation in healthcare innovation — from delivering virtual diagnosis and treatment via telehealth to pioneering the use of genetics for cancer care to building the next generation of robotic prosthetics.

Telehealth

Physicians who treat Veterans in rural areas widely use telehealth services. Secure video links connect VA providers with Veterans who may find it difficult to visit their local VA clinics. Providers can meet with patients who might otherwise have to travel hours for a single appointment. For example, a Veteran who is living with posttraumatic stress disorder and may be particularly affected by the burden of travel can use telehealth to attend regular sessions with a VA provider.

Telehealth isn’t just for treatment. VA pioneered a method to diagnose sleep apnea on the web. This means sleep doctors can diagnose and monitor Veterans at their local medical centers rather than requiring travel to VA’s specialized sleep centers. The Remote Veteran Apnea Management Platform (REVAMP) program helps VA physicians deliver care to more than 270,000 Veterans with obstructive sleep apnea.

Genetics & Precision Medicine

The latest advances in cancer care harnesses genetics to treat cancer tumors with the best, most effective treatments. The VA Precision Oncology Program provides VA physicians and patients nationwide with genetic analysis of their tumors. This helps VA’s cancer doctors to match patients with targeted therapies. The program also helps VA physicians identify applicable clinical trials, within and outside of VA. These physicians are able to offer their patients more options in their fight against cancer.

Precision cancer care leverages genetics to treat disease. But VA researchers and physicians are also looking at genetics to prevent and predict illness. The Million Veteran Program is a national research initiative to learn how genes, lifestyle and military exposure affect health and illness. More than 800,000 Veterans participate in one of the world’s largest, forward-looking initiatives on the relationship between genetics and health. VA physicians participate in dozens of ongoing research projects to predict disease, match treatments and help Veterans understand their personal genetic analysis.

Prosthetics

For those who are living with the loss of a limb, VA leads the world in developing advanced prosthetics designed to optimize a Veteran’s health and independence. VA physicians and biomedical engineers create, develop and pair Veterans with the newest cutting-edge technologies available in the field. The LUKE arm (called DEKA while in development) won approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2015. The LUKE arm uses motors and an innovative control system to create natural movements with battery powered joints.

VA’s Mobility Enhancement Robotic Wheelchair (MEBot) won the 2016 Blackwood Design Award for Best New Concept. VA engineers designed this motorized wheelchair to do what others can’t: climb curbs, handle off-road terrain, and automatically adjust seat position to keep the operator comfortable and secure. A sensor array and computer algorithm automate these processes. And the chair easily converts to standing height so operators can adjust to reach high places and social situations.

Explore a rewarding career

At VA, you can explore a medical career that enjoys the support of a nationwide team of innovators working to provide your patients with a spectrum of cutting-edge treatment options.

Take a look at our total rewards package, including a generous leave policy and free liability coverage as part of federal service. As a VA physician, you may also qualify for higher education support through the Education Debt Reduction Program and various other scholarship opportunities.

VA also offers you the chance to work by the beach, in a city or in the countryside, and take your benefits with you. With one active U.S. license, you can apply for an open position at VA facilities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa and the Philippines.

Other perks that come with choosing a VA career as a physician include:

• Flexible work schedules and shifts.
• Diversity and inclusion policies and programs.
• Low patient-provider ratios.
• Leadership development and mentoring programs.
• Career training and enhancement opportunities.
• Dining options and a tax-free retail store.
• A smoke/drug-free workplace.

Choose VA today

• EXPLORE a VA career as a physician.
• SEARCH by keyword for an open position near you or view careers by location.
• GET career-related flyers.
• LEARN about the benefits of a VA career.
• CHOOSE VA for your physician career at www.VAcareers.va.gov.