VA pilots first collaborative health care innovation center in Palo Alto

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently established the National Center for Collaborative Healthcare Innovation (NCCHI) within the VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) in California as part of the department’s strategy to advance Veteran health care services with cutting edge technology.

The new center — established July 25 and formed in partnership with the Veterans Health Administration Innovation Ecosystem (VHA IE) — will help VA achieve its broader mission of developing impactful health care solutions that are efficiently shared throughout the VA enterprise.

“The NCCHI is an important part of our strategy to be leaders in health care innovation and quality” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “The center is particularly exciting because it is uniquely designed as a catalyst to combine strengths from non-health care fields.”

Strategically located in Silicon Valley, an area internationally known for groundbreaking innovations, NCCHI will build on a foundation of existing collaborations between VAPAHCS, VHA IE leading technology companies and other government agencies.

Immediate priorities for the center include fine-tuning work being done in artificial intelligence, clinical decision support and workflow efficiencies, with the goal of sharing successful solutions broadly for the benefit of many more patients. In parallel, an infrastructure is being built for efficient communication, collaboration and engagement to support current and future development work throughout the organization. VA’s vision is that the process, procedures and operational tools developed at NCCHI will be a foundation to efficiently support similar work throughout the enterprise.

About VA Palo Alto Health Care System

The VA Palo Alto Health Care System consists of three inpatient facilities located at Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Livermore, California. There are also seven outpatient clinics in San Jose, Capitola, Monterey, Stockton, Modesto, Sonora and Fremont. These nationally-recognized facilities provide award-winning medical care and cutting-edge technology. Along with its academic affiliate at the Stanford University School of Medicine, the more than 6,200 staff and volunteers operate nearly 900 beds, including three nursing homes and a 100-bed homeless domiciliary, showing its more than 85,000 enrolled Veterans that they are “serving those who served.”  To learn more about the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, visit www.paloalto.va.gov.

About VHA Innovation Ecosystem

VHA Innovation Ecosystem is the catalyst for the advancement of care delivery and service through mission-driven innovation. The Ecosystem includes Innovators Network, Diffusion of Excellence and Strategic Initiatives, three portfolios that aim to identify and scale innovations and best practices across VA by empowering front-line employees.