Current Competitions
VA's third Industry Innovation Competition was open from March 29–May 29, 2012. Four challenge areas were outlined, with a potential for up to $50 million in funding. We received 249 initial concept papers in the four categories below, and invited 56 innovators to submit full proposals for further consideration. Those selected will work with VACI to design a pilot implementation based on their proposals.
Topics/Challenge Areas
Maternity Continuity of Care (Presentation | Q&A) The number of women Veterans is growing rapidly, and the increase is largely made up of younger Veterans. In order to provide accessible, quality maternity and obstetric care, VA frequently relies on clinicians outside of the VA system to provide fee-based treatment. Proposals were accepted that enhanced care coordination for maternity patients and their care providers—especially those who offer a means of transferring VA patient information between private obstetricians and VA systems.
Redesign of the PTSD Treatment Experience (Presentation | Q&A) Due to the symptoms and stigma associated with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), many patients are reluctant to participate in mental health treatment even when they are diagnosed with, or identified as being at risk for, PTSD. Proposals explored innovative methods of improving the likelihood that Veterans with PTSD will seek and complete evidence-based treatment. Of particular focus were comprehensive solutions that redesign the experience for Veterans at all phases of the treatment process.
Mobile Applications for eBenefits (Presentation | Q&A) VA is heavily reliant on national call centers to interact with Veterans, their families, and beneficiaries. At peak times, these information and service requests put stress on VA systems that can often result in dropped calls or online error messages. Proposals looked for innovations that utilize mobile technology to connect Veterans with timely, accurate, and convenient access to benefits and services.
Innovations in Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers (Presentation | Q&A) Pressure ulcers are a cause of significant morbidity and mortality among hospitalized, institutionalized, and mobility-compromised individuals. "Getting to zero" for pressure ulcers is a top priority for VA. Proposals were requested that provide innovative methods for both the prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers. Proposals might address training for staff and patients, tracking of individual wounds, the availability of specialized care, and analytics for continuous improvement of care.
VACI hosted an informational webinar on April 10, 2012, covering the topic areas and the process for submission and selection. View the presentation slide decks and Q&A using the links above. (Also see the introductory presentation and list of attendees.) Full details for each topic, including suggested use cases and constraints, can be found in the official solicitation.
