At VA medical centers nationwide, the commitment to cutting-edge innovation is more robust than ever before. Thanks to employees who aren’t content to just maintain the status quo, we’re able to find new ways to deliver on our mission of providing the best care to Veterans.
“Connecting those who see the real problem with people who have the skills to solve those problems is core to our success,” said Dr. Amanda Lineau, director of data and analytics innovation in VA’s Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning (OHIL).
Innovation at work
As we work to improve Veterans’ lives through health care discovery, VA’s commitment to innovation is often the channel for new technologies to be introduced, federally approved, and brought to clinical environments around the country.
Over the years, our work has developed effective treatments for tuberculosis and invented the CT scan. VA doctors also were the first to ever perform a liver transplant. Today, we’ve reached the milestone of enrolling 1 million Veterans in our Million Veteran Program (MVP), the largest research effort at VA and one of the largest research programs in the world studying genes and health.
MVP researchers are looking at how genes, lifestyle, military experiences, and exposures affect Veterans. This can also help health care providers offer better preventative care and treatments of illnesses and disease.
Then, now, and in the future, the work we do—and the change we implement at the ground level—means significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease and disability, and your innovations can play a vital role in the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective care for the nation’s Veterans.
Investing in people
None of this would be possible without the people throughout VA who see a problem and are willing to offer a solution. These innovations come from 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.
“Everyone has a challenge, and these are wildly different people from very different backgrounds. That’s what makes us strong. The who is the community and the where is everywhere,” said Allison Amrhein, director of the VHA Innovators Network.
That VA empowers members of our team to tackle these problems shows that we recognize solutions can come from anywhere. Not only are we recruiting those who offer the best Veteran health care experience each and every day, we’re invested in finding people who want to take that experience to the next level.
“We need you thinking big about Veteran-centric care so we can do even better, ensuring Veterans have access to the highest quality, world-class, evidence-based care,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough.
Innovation and you
At VA, change starts with a focus on the everyday health needs and concerns of the more than 9 million Veterans we serve. In consultation with national and regional VA clinical leaders, we identify challenges, and set to work finding solutions that will improve Veterans’ lives through discovery and innovation.
If you have a passion for researching solutions with a real-world impact on the lives of others, you’d fit right in on our team.
“Stay curious,” said Dr. Carolyn Clancy, assistant undersecretary for health for discovery, education, and affiliate networks. “I encourage you to apply what you’ve learned in seeking new ways of envisioning care and services for Veterans. Ask questions and feed your passion for learning and innovation.”
Work at VA
VA has a long history of innovation, and you can be the one to make the next great contribution to patient care as part of our team.
- LEARN more about innovation at VA.
- DISCOVER the benefits of a career at VA.
- FIND answers to frequently asked questions.
- EXPLORE job opportunities near you.
