The National Center for Innovation 2 Impact

Collaborating Across Industries to Improve Veteran Healthcare

Our Mission

National Centers for Innovation to Impact (NCI2I) fosters collaboration between partners and select VA Medical Centers to address VHA’s most pressing healthcare challenges. While each Center is designed to have a unique “sweet spot,” the tie that binds these Centers together is the collective objective to bridge VHA strategic priorities with frontline solutions that are transformational, scalable, and responsive to Veterans’ needs. This vision can only be realized through frontline-lead incubation, co-development, and testing of solutions with Veterans themselves and support from a diverse cadre of internal and external partners from academia, industry, nonprofits, and other government agencies. These partners can serve as force multipliers and will help build both the culture and capacity for innovation across VHA.

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Our National Centers

VA Rideshare Program

Transportation is a major barrier for Veterans to receive the care and services they need. NECIE is committed to removing this barrier. The NECIE Rideshare Project not only gives Veterans easier access to VA facilities, but to resources for housing, employment, food, and community services. Lack of transportation has traditionally left Veterans experiencing homelessness at the greatest risk for missed appointments, which extends to impact VHA staff, operations, and other Veterans. This program has been rolled out at over 160 VA Medical Centers nationwide for various use cases. This Program simultaneously provides VHA Staff with a resource to be more efficient in delivering whole health support for the Veterans.

Featured Successes
Augmented Reality and 5G

Project Convergence brings “science fiction to life” through its cutting-edge 5G and augmented reality program. NCCHI has created one of the first 5G-enabled hospitals in the world at our home base at VA Palo Alto Healthcare System. This partnership brings cutting-edge wireless health care solutions, including augmented reality for clinical training, presurgical planning and operative guidance. The partnership includes 5G wireless connectivity from Verizon, clinical augmented reality software from Medivis, and HoloLens 2 headsets from Microsoft.

News and Events

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Silicon Valley VA hospital gets taste of ‘mixed reality’ through Project Convergence

VA is building out an emerging technology program at a medical facility in Palo Alto, California, that has already put the VA on the map with its first “5G hospital.”

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One continuing characteristic of VA medical care is the embrace and application of innovative technologies to support the personalized healthcare of America’s Veterans.

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VA’s new collaborative health care innovation center is initially focusing on the creation of prevention tools that predict disease and improve patient safety.

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The journey of Thomas Osborne, MD, into medicine was not a straight line, but it was a path that seems strangely appropriate considering his role now as Director of VA’s brand new National Center for Collaborative Healthcare Innovation.

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Business Analytics capstone project finds better outcomes for COVID-19 patients on a low dose aspirin regimen

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It’s all about people for Kalyn Essex. Whether they be her fellow airmen, fellow Veterans, fellow employees, or her students, it’s the connection she makes with people that she has always enjoyed – that human connection that led her to VA and eventually to becoming an Innovation Specialist at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System (HCS).

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With the goal of taking advantage of emerging technology to improve veteran care, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently established the National Center for Collaborative Healthcare Innovation (NCCHI) within the Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) in California.

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VA recently established the National Center for Collaborative Healthcare Innovation (NCCHI) within the VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) in California as part of the department’s strategy to advance Veteran health care services with cutting edge technology.

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To honor the late Under Secretary for Health Dr. Robert Jesse, the Department of Veterans Affairs named an annual award for Excellence in Innovation in his name. This year, the award went to Dr. Thomas Osborne, director of the VA National Center for Collaborative Healthcare Innovation.

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VA and Palarum, LLC, announced that they have entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement Program (CRADA) to evaluate Palarum’s innovative e-wearable technology which is designed to reduce inpatient falls.

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VA announced that it has partnered with the XPRIZE Foundation’s Pandemic Alliance as part of a public and private coalition to help develop ways to address the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and subsequent global outbreaks.

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Thomas Osborne, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor (Affiliated) of Neuroimaging at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS), was presented the inaugural Under Secretary for Health Robert L. Jesse Award for Excellence in Innovation from VA. This award recognizes and honors VA employees who have demonstrated excellence and enabled the discovery and spread of health care innovation that exceeds expectations, restores hope and builds trust

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Legacy, the leading digital male fertility clinic, announced its CRADA with VA to shed light on infertility in the military

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Boston VA's Charles Franklin worked with Innovators Network and New England Center for Innovation Excellence to design and implement a rideshare program to meet Veteran housing and employment needs.

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Researchers announce plans for a new study to discover reasons why veterans from the recent wars are more likely to struggle with infertility than their civilian peers.

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Studies have found that access to reliable transportation is one of the biggest factors when it comes to escaping from poverty. To meet the needs of unsheltered veterans and those at risk of homelessness, VA has launched a nationwide rideshare program to streamline vulnerable veterans’ access to critically needed services.

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Despite trying to find employment near her apartment, Peters found no positions that could leverage her skillset that were within walking distance from her home. Although she preferred accomplishing tasks on her own, she was willing to work with VA on one thing: a ride to her “graveyard” shift.

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The National Center for Innovation 2 Impact

Collaborating Across Industries to Improve Veteran Healthcare

Our Mission

National Center for Collaborative Healthcare

Collaborating across VHA and VA Palo Alto to improve Veteran healthcare

New England Center for Innovation Excellence

Serving as the premier, integrated academic healthcare system at VA

Richmond Center

Serving as the premier, integrated academic healthcare system at VA

Our National Centers