VA Secretary Shulkin to keynote health-care and technology Demo Day at Georgetown University

100 presenters will show how innovations improve Veterans’ lives

WASHINGTON — VA Secretary Dr. David J. Shulkin will be the featured speaker at VA’s annual health-care and technology Innovation Demo Day, to be held Aug. 8 at Georgetown University’s Lohrfink Auditorium.

Organized by VA’s Center for Innovation (VACI), Demo Day will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and provides a platform for 100 innovators to share highlights about projects they have created to improve the lives of Veterans.

“This forum is essential to finding new ways to improve the lives of those who have served, and why it’s critical to tap into the remarkable wealth of creative and technological ideas of our VA employees,” Dr. Shulkin said. “Innovations that have transformed health care, such as the implantable cardiac pacemaker, the nicotine patch and the first successful liver transplant, were developed by employees and inspired by the needs of our Veterans.”

This year’s Demo Day presentations include: a Self-Leveling Walker that will help Veterans with orthopedic injuries or movement difficulties independently and safely negotiate stairs and inclines; a 3-D-Printed Upper Extremity Orthotics (Braces and Splints) project; and an Opioid Buyback Program, which offers financial reimbursement to Veterans who return unused medication to a VA pharmacy for proper disposal.

So far, 21 of 33 projects from the 2016 Demo Day have been successfully implemented. Of those, six innovators will return this year to share results from their original presentation, as well as unveil the next phase in their plans.

Demo Day will take place at booths on site and also will be live-streamed. To register for the event, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/va-innovation-demo-day-tickets-35514096619.