VA Announces Award of First Industry Innovation Competition Projects

Projects Advance Health Information Technology to Improve Care for Veterans

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki recently announced the first VA Innovation Initiative (VAi2) awards under the agency’s Industry Innovation Competition, its third competition since it began in early 2010.  These four projects will use innovative new technologies in VA facilities to improve the quality of patient care for Veterans.  They represent the first of nearly two-dozen more awards to be made in the coming months.

“The President made clear in his State of the Union Address that America’s economy is strongest when we are our most innovative,” said Secretary Shinseki.  “These investments reflect our continued commitment to transforming VA into a 21st Century department that leads the Nation in high quality health care.”

“VA is proud to do its part by supporting these entrepreneurial companies while they help VA improve the care and services we provide to our Veterans,” said VAi2 Director Jonah Czerwinski.

The first award is to mVisum, Inc., based in Camden, N.J.  It funds a pilot project at the Washington DC VA Medical Center that enables health care providers to wirelessly review, share, and respond to cardiology data on mobile devices, increasing the ability to respond more quickly to patient needs.

The second award, made to Agilex Technologies, Inc of Chantilly, Va., funds an alternative pilot project at the same Washington DC VA Medical Center.  This pilot intends to explore the ability for extending elements of VA’s Electronic Medical Record to electronic devices.  The pilot will allow patient search, demographics, laboratory data, medications, allergies, appointments, and problem lists to be displayed.
Agilex will also integrate clinic schedules and secure messaging onto the device.

MedRed, LLC, based in Washington, D.C., was awarded a project that VA will implement at the McGuire VA Medical Center’s Polytrauma Clinic in Richmond, Va.  The project will field test a software tool that helps healthcare providers to more easily share new and innovative treatment strategies to improve the care of Veterans being treated for traumatic brain injury.

The fourth award, made to Venture Gain, LLC of Naperville, Ill., funds a project at the George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.  The project will pilot a next generation system of wearable sensors combined with software analytics to predict and prevent complications for patients diagnosed with heart failure.

VAi2 identifies, funds, and evaluates new ideas from VA employees, academia, and the private sector.  The Industry Innovation Competition was the third competition launched by VAi2 and is the first to involve the private sector.  More awards will be announced as contracting for selected innovations is completed.