More than 18 million veterans — approximately 6% of American adults — live in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which administers federal benefits to veterans in areas such as education and healthcare.
When it comes to the latter, veterans typically are quite happy. In 2023, for example, a national survey by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services found that veterans rated VA hospitals higher than private healthcare facilities in 10 different categories of patient satisfaction, NPR reported last year.
Still, there’s always room for improvement. As the government continues to raise the bar on veterans healthcare, it’s turning to a new frontier in VA healthcare innovation: smart technology.
From artificial intelligence to electronic implants, VA teams around the country are using digital tools to solve practical problems that impact millions. With a strong push from R&D, these VA technology initiatives could improve the lives of veterans and the millions of civilians who comprise the nation they served.
A World of VA Smart Technology
Among those driving VA healthcare innovation is the National Artificial Intelligence Institute (NAII), which leads regular AI Tech Sprints within the VA. Each three-month sprint is a competitive engagement that nurtures collaboration between industry, academia and government, all of whom work together to solve pressing issues using a combination of AI and federal data.
The latest sprint focuses on reducing healthcare worker burnout. One track seeks speech-to-text solutions for medical appointments. Another is developing AI-powered systems to process documents and improve continuity of care for veterans.
“The department believes that AI represents a generational shift in how our computer systems will work, and what they will be capable of. If used well, AI has the potential to empower VA employees to provide better healthcare, faster benefits decisions and more secure systems,” VA Chief Technology Officer Charles Worthington told Congress in a February 2024 appearance before the House VA Committee. Worthington said the VA has identified more than 100 AI use cases, 40 of which already are in an “operational phase.”
It’s not just AI, however. Take the VA’s Advanced Platform Technology (APT) Center, whose R&D and translation programs encompass projects within prosthetics and orthotics, health monitoring and maintenance, neural interfaces, and enabling technology.
One project of note addresses chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which impacts about one in six veterans. APT Center investigators developed artificial lung technology to enhance gas transfer performance, extend device lifetime and increase portability. This smart technology could eventually lead to the first implantable artificial lung for semi-permanent support.
Or take University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, which is conducting a feasibility study on the ReHAB System, intended for people with extensive arm paralysis. By implanting small electrodes in regions of the brain that control movement and sensation, as well as in the upper arm and shoulder to activate paralyzed muscles, the system allows patients to “touch” and “feel” objects that they otherwise couldn’t.
VA Healthcare Innovation Through Collaboration
The Veterans Health MIT Hacking Medicine events bring together scientists, medical professionals, engineers, researchers and healthcare futurists to reimagine veterans’ healthcare.
A recent hackathon in Tampa divided more than 200 participants into teams. They used generative AI tools and de-identified VA data to address major VA healthcare priorities, including connecting veterans to more immediate, quality care; hiring faster and more competitively; and preventing suicide.
One team developed an AI algorithm for automated triage and scheduling. Another used generative AI and natural language processing to rate and rank resumes. A mental health-focused team developed multi-modal AI analysis to help non-mental health staff with suicide prevention conversations.
Office of Integrated Veteran Care Senior Nurse Advisor Traci Solt, DNP, served as a judge and said the latter is especially important in VA healthcare innovation.
“As prevention of veteran suicide is a No. 1 clinical priority at VA, an app surrounding early intervention related to veterans at risk for suicide prevention was my favorite,” Solt said.
The app required participants to water and feed plants.
“Caring for a plant offered a purpose, and connecting with a community provided value,” Solt continued. “Nurturing a plant can help nurture the soul.”
Delivering a Better Veterans Healthcare Experience
Developing treatments and solutions is one piece of the puzzle. Enhancing care for veterans is another. As of December 2023, the VA’s new Referral Coordination Initiative has streamlined IT operations, improving scheduling internal consultations by 24%. The average wait time has dropped from 10.4 to 7.9 days.
Its operational improvements have helped the VA in the past several months extend veterans’ healthcare to night and weekend clinics via “Access Sprints.” From October 2023 to February 2024, new patient appointments increased by 11% compared to the same timeframe a year earlier. Likewise, 81% of VA Medical Centers received more new patients, and 12% fewer new patients had to wait more than 20 or 28 days for an appointment.
More than 1.5 million veterans and survivors received $163 billion in earned benefits in 2023, according to the VA. It’s an all-time record for the agency.
Bringing Smart Tech to the World
While many VA technology initiatives aim to improve veterans’ lives, their work can also benefit civilians across the country and around the world.
Marine Corps veteran and entrepreneur Derek Herrera founded Habit Camera for people at risk of chronic wounds, foot ulcers and other skin conditions that require daily monitoring. The VA’s Minneapolis Adaptive Design & Engineering Program invented a flexible wand that includes a high-definition wireless and WiFi-connected camera to easily record conditions and remotely share photos and videos with healthcare professionals.
To share this device with a broader market, Herrera received a patent license from the VA’s Technology Transfer Program. This agreement allowed the technology to be commercialized.
“There are people at universities, hospitals and the VA where their whole job is just to help get this technology out,” Herrera told CBS Audio’s Eye On Veterans.
“There are thousands and thousands of researchers who are all doing amazing and incredible research, but there aren’t as many entrepreneurs who are willing to take that technology and bring it to market.”
VA Technology Transfer Program Director John Kaplan said thousands of technologies are available, from wearables to prosthetics to diagnostic devices.
“It’s imperative to take VA research and get it to industry partners who can build on that research and create healthcare solutions to serve both veterans and the American public,” Kaplan noted. “Tech transfer helps make that happen.”
For example, more than 1.5 million Americans require oxygen therapy, which is commonly used in hospitals and home-care settings. Scientists at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center invented the Smart Bolo to facilitate the safe usage of this therapy by patients.
Another example is blindness: To the benefit of more than 39 million people around the world who are legally blind, VA researchers have developed a cane that incorporates sensors and processors for navigation and walking. The cane uses LIDAR and ultrasound sensors to identify objects and can follow a GPS-predetermined course. If it detects an object, an audio cue or handle vibration alerts the user.
“The concepts have already been tested, and companies are guided through evaluation and licensing opportunities at no cost,” Kaplan said.
From the Military to IT
It’s not just about technology helping veterans. It’s also about getting veterans to work on innovative technologies.
Air Force veteran Aaron Simonds is a talent acquisition partner at hybrid multicloud software company Nutanix. He has spent his entire career in IT, more recently working with distributed systems and hyperconverged infrastructure. While serving in the Air Force, his team manages compute, network, storage and more for 800 users in a single section of a singular rack in a small server room.
“Most people don’t realize that technology is even out there — that you can take data, networking, and processing and compile it into one box,” Simonds said. “That’s what we do at Nutanix. We simplify infrastructure.”
Simonds was Nutanix’s first employee in the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) SkillBridge program, which creates opportunities and resources for service members as they transition from military to civilian life. To date, the program has enrolled 17 members at Nutanix, six of whom have received offers for full-time employment.
The program connects military members with Nutanix employees in roles within IT, systems engineers, talent acquisition, HR and more. Members can earn technical certifications, such as Nutanix Certified Associate (NCA) or Nutanix Certified Professional-Multi Cloud Infrastructure (NCP-MCI). Employee resource groups like Project Victory help veterans network and advance their careers.
Simonds has seen great enthusiasm from enrolled members.
“They’re sharing resources and encouraging introductions, keeping themselves well-informed and staying active.”
He sees the future of healthcare benefiting from having more veterans involved in the world of tech.
