WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today it received the highest level of distinction within the Gears of Government President’s Award program for three innovations that have greatly improved services for Veterans at VA hospitals across the country.
The award recognized Veterans Health Administration Innovation Ecosystem (VHA IE) staff responsible for curating, funding and expanding in-house innovations, which include practices to de-prescribe unnecessary medicine to Veterans, prevent hospital acquired pneumonia and reduce opioid overdose deaths at VA campuses.
“The VHA IE team has transformed the way VA employees view the culture of innovation in our organization,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “VHA IE truly empowers frontline employees to help improve services for Veterans by investing in the infrastructure necessary to adopt cutting edge solutions in collaboration with academic and industry partners. By providing staff with proper resources to develop their ideas, we are now able to turn those ideas into real, workable concepts.”
Since its reconfiguration in 2018, VHA IE has helped reshape employees’ ability to discover and spread their innovations throughout the VA health care system. To date, VHA IE innovation projects have improved care for more than 1 million Veterans, lowered costs for taxpayers by over $40 million, saved lives from opioid overdoses and advanced care for the entire field of medicine.
VHA IE was selected from over 200 teams and individuals for outstanding mission results, customer service and accountable stewardship.
Learn more about VHA IE.
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Reporters and media outlets with questions or comments should contact the Office of Media Relations at vapublicaffairs@va.gov
Veterans with questions about their health care and benefits (including GI Bill). Questions, updates and documents can be submitted online.
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