VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System

A recent VA Houston study published in Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics found that hepatitis C positive organs are a safe and effective option for most transplant candidates. Newer antiviral drugs have made it possible for patients to be successfully treated for hepatitis C infections transmitted via organ transplant.

More than a year ago, a staff member spotted a vulnerable area on those doors that patients could use to try to hang themselves. The hospital responded by installing a device that would make it virtually impossible for someone to do so.

It’s yet another example of ingenuity on the part of the Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL), a collaborative effort between the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System and the University of Pittsburgh. HERL researches, develops, and tests a variety of technologies, including wheelchairs, and uses 3D printers with advanced manufacturing to design and create prostheses and other assistive devices.

Every piece of research done at HERL has the potential to improve the lives of Veterans and other people with disabilities. But the top priority is always on those who have served

Tauna Perenovich started as a clerk-stenographer. She was recently honored for her remarkable work ethic and accomplishments.

A survey of more than 400 Veteran users of upper-limb prostheses found little difference in satisfaction based on device type. Overall rankings fell just shy of "satisfied."

Air Force Veteran Nadine Stanford became the first Community Living Center resident at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System to receive battlefield acupuncture, which is performed entirely on the ears.

Josh Marino, an Army Veteran, is an education and outreach coordinator and a Veteran peer mentor at the Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL), a joint project between the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System and the University of Pittsburgh.

The Technology Transfer Assistance Project (TTAP), an initiative of the VA Technology Transfer Program, aims to bring worthy VA discoveries closer to public use by supporting the creation of a working prototype and by consulting on pathways for commercialization.