VA has a long history of innovation powered by employees who demonstrate dedication to their work and resilience in the face of adversity, ultimately building solutions that exceed expectations and enable better Veteran care.
At the 2023 Innovation Experience (iEX) event, hosted by VHA’s Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning (OHIL), several employees were recognized for their innovative efforts and impact on Veteran care.
Dr. Robert L. Jesse Award for Excellence in Innovation
VA’s Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning honors three categories of innovators with the Dr. Robert L. Jesse Award for Excellence in Innovation. The award gives distinction to VA employees who have demonstrated brilliance, enabling the discovery and spread of health care innovation that exceeds expectations, restores hope and builds trust within VA.
Dr. Mark Holodniy is the director of VA’s Public Health Program Office and winner of the clinical category. Holodniy uses cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning to create robust predictive models which generate proactive responses VA can use when addressing emerging outbreaks or climate change-related health concerns faced by Veterans.
Dr. Indra Sandal is the chief of Innovation at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, FL, lead for the VHA-Uber Health Connect Initiative (VUHC), and winner of the non-clinical category. What started as a pilot project at 10 VA medical centers, VUHC has expanded to 68 new facilities across 18 states, providing eligible Veterans with supplemental transportation options to and from their medical care.
The Care, Treatment, Rehabilitative Service (CTRS) members Alan Trinh, Chanin Santini, John Kuhn, Matthew McGahran, Sally Hammitt and Dr. Steven Braverman are winners of the team category. The CTRS team provided wraparound health care and supportive services for Veterans experiencing homelessness in the Los Angeles area, resulting in over 50% of Veterans advancing to transitional or permanent housing.
VA Innovators Network award winners
The VHA Innovators Network (iNET) is a community of 43 VA medical centers across the country united in empowering employees to design new solutions. iNET delivers awards in three categories.
The “Tanked” Award celebrates the idea of agile innovation, ability to pivot a solution or the incredible dedication to solving a problem no matter what obstacles arise. The 2023 Tanked awardee is Elizabeth Townsend, vestibular audiologist at the Charlie Norwood VA in Augusta, GA, whose unwavering commitment to Veterans led her away from her original idea toward a more collaborative one.
The iNET Investee of the Year is awarded to a VA employee who has received an investment through iNET’s Spark-Seed-Spread program and gone above and beyond on their journey to innovator. The 2023 awardee, Suzanne Zerwin, has been providing bedside nursing care to patients for over 31 years, most recently in the post-anesthesia care unit. Her Air Pillow on a Roll is featured on the VA Intrapreneurial Product Marketplace.
The Innovation Specialist of the Year Award represents the accomplishments of an incredible iNET leader selected by their peers. This year’s winner is Kelsey Shull, an Innovation Specialist at Charlie Norwood VA in Augusta, GA.
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