Sixteen Finalists entered the waters for the 2021 VHA Shark Tank Competition and, after the thrilling dwell Veterans Well being Administration (VHA) Innovation Expertise (iEX) occasion, 10 have emerged as the subsequent cohort of Promising Practices for the VHA Innovation Ecosystem Diffusion of Excellence. These 10 Promising Practices affect all points of Veteran care from a easy, standardized strategy to VA working room preparations to a high-tech strategy to most cancers care.
Throughout iEX the sixteen Finalists introduced their practices to VHA Sharks, who then made unimaginable bids to take a chunk of innovation and implement the apply of their facility. As with earlier cohorts, the successful Finalists, known as Diffusion of Excellence Fellows (DFs), will work with counterparts from every Implementing Facility, generally known as Implementing Facility Fellows (IFFs). Every IFF will champion the implementation of the Promising Follow at their facility, working with the DF and the Diffusion of Excellence Staff to efficiently adapt and replicate their mission over six to 12 months. Every part kicks off when the DF and IFF meet for the primary time on the upcoming Diffusion of Excellence Base Camp.
These 10 Promising Practices will be a part of the 69 earlier winners in impacting Veteran lives throughout VHA. Earlier VHA Shark Tank Competitors successful Promising Practices have been replicated greater than 830 instances throughout the nation with 13 of them shifting into Nationwide Diffusion, breaking boundaries and forging the way forward for Veteran care.
2021 VHA Shark Tank Winners
Implementation of a Billing Decision Heart
Originating Website: VISN 10 VA Central Ohio Healthcare System (HCS)
Implementing Website: VISN 7 Central Alabama Veterans Healthcare System
Starting July 2020, we started a course of to resolve billing considerations leading to over $2.5 million {dollars} in inaccurate claims corrected for over 300 Veterans so far. Our decision group instituted month-to-month conferences with our prime 5 (by disbursed quantity) distributors and inspired utilization of accessible assets, together with Well being Share Referral Administration (HSRM). We established weekly conferences with all employees concerned in billing to make sure decision of points and addressing of inaccurate billing conditions. The group employed a billing decision specialist as AMSA (Superior Medical Assist Specialist) to fulfill with Veterans in-person. Consolidated Affected person Account Heart (CPAC) employees at the moment are imbedded and targeted on VA copayment schooling and reimbursement choices. By reaching out to our distributors in the neighborhood, we’re re-establishing belief and constructing relationships which might be instrumental as we navigate new neighborhood care wants. We now have seen our Survey of Healthcare Experiences of Sufferers (SHEP) scores associated to neighborhood care billing enhance in virtually all areas to exceed nationwide requirements since implementation of the Billing Decision Heart.
Most cancers Prevention at Your Fingertips, Empowering Veterans By means of Cellular Software
Originating Website: VISN 16 Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Heart (VAMC)
Implementing Website: VISN 12 Captain James A. Lovell Federal Well being Care Heart
In america, colorectal most cancers (CRC) is the third main reason for cancer-related deaths in women and men, and the second most typical reason for most cancers deaths when women and men are mixed. As a “digital entrance door” to deal with this phenomenon, the “Annie” app makes use of a sequence of navigational reminders for optimum efficiency with colonoscopies, devising an inclusive technique of combating the rising burden of most cancers via early detection and prevention. Now, the group has in place the elements of an efficient no-show mitigation technique – driving our strategic priorities as a Excessive-Reliability Group (HRO) – as Annie empowers, educates and engages every Veteran from the comfort of their dwelling.
Colorectal Most cancers Screening with Programmatic Mailed Fecal Immunochemical Take a look at
Originating Website: VISN 21 and Nationwide Gastroenterology Program Workplace
Implementing Website: VISN 17 Amarillo VA Well being Care System
Screening is confirmed to cut back mortality from colorectal most cancers (CRC), the second main reason for most cancers loss of life in america. Sadly, tons of of 1000’s of Veterans are unscreened, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this drawback, with roughly 1.6 million Veterans due for screening in 2021. To handle this still-growing backlog, now we have initiated a program to mail fecal immunochemical take a look at (FIT) kits for CRC screening on to our Veterans to make use of of their houses and mail again for evaluation. Veteran and supplier acceptance has been very constructive.
We consider our FIT-first strategy, modeled after the profitable Kaiser Permanente program, will enhance CRC screening adherence, cut back general prices, enhance colonoscopy entry for Veterans with the very best threat for CRC and in the end save lives.
Compassionate Contact Corps
Originating Facility/Website: VISN 10 VA Central Ohio HCS
Implementing Websites: VISN 8 VA Sunshine Healthcare Community and VISN 16 Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System
The Compassionate Contact Corps is a social prescription program that gives pleasant cellphone and video visits between skilled volunteers and Veterans. The volunteer calls their matched Veteran as soon as per week to offer compassionate dialog and companionship. This program has confirmed to cut back loneliness and enhance general well-being in Veterans.
Inpatient Fall Prevention Actual-Time Monitoring
Originating Website: VISN 21 and The Nationwide Heart for Collaborative Healthcare Innovation (NCCHI)
Implementing Websites: VISN 2 Bathtub VA Medical Heart and VISN 4 VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
Falls amongst hospital inpatients are widespread, typically starting from 2.3 to 7 falls per 1,000 affected person days. Roughly 30 % of inpatient falls end in damage, with 4 % to six % leading to severe damage. These severe fall-related accidents can embrace fractures, subdural hematomas, extreme bleeding and even loss of life.
The prevention of falls within the hospital setting is necessary for affected person security and public well being. NCCHI is working to evaluate, combine and quantify novel fall prevention know-how – particularly, a system validated for our Veteran inhabitants, VA Infrastructure and medical and operational workflows.
Wielding these applied sciences, NCCHI is collaborating with a medical firm on an thrilling mission that makes use of its sensible built-in sock sensor system to alert nurses when a fall-risk affected person makes an attempt to get off the bed. The design is optimized for environment friendly medical response, and nurses are empowered to be in the fitting place on the proper time.
Implementation of Syringe Service Packages
Originating Website: VA Illiana Well being Care System
Implementing Website: VISN 1 VA Boston Healthcare System
Syringe Service Packages (SSPs) have been created to raised apply hurt discount methods in VA. We intention to embody individuals who use medicine (PWUD), encompassing injection and non-injection strategies (i.e., snorting, smoking) and opioids and non-opioids (e.g., methamphetamine, cocaine). Materials objects will embrace sterile gear, provides, naloxone and affected person schooling, however the hyperlinks to basic well being care, together with major and specialty care, might maintain the best potential. Total, SSPs serve to interact a stigmatized and susceptible inhabitants and enhance their long-term well being and well-being.
We now have escalated this mission from the native degree and a smaller, rural-serving website in Danville, IL (closest Syringe Service Packages >1 hour away), to 1 that has nationwide help with the Workplace of Psychological Well being and Suicide Prevention, the Workplace of Basic Counsel and the HIV, Hepatitis, and Associated Circumstances Packages. With many amenities nationwide rolling out, we’re concerned in a VA-funded analysis examine to judge SSP and Hurt Discount implementation in VA. This can be a important alternative to deliver tradition change to VA and for VA to function a mannequin for different giant, federal establishments to comply with our lead.
Mini-Cog© Screening Instrument: Early Identification of Affected person with Cognitive Impairment
Originating Website: VISN 8 The Villages Outpatient Clinic
Implementing Website: VISN 23 Iowa Metropolis VA Well being Care System
The Mini-Cog© is a three-minute use instrument that may enhance the detection of cognitive impairment in older adults. It may be used successfully after a short coaching in each well being care and neighborhood settings.
The aim of screening for cognitive impairment in major care is to seek out sufferers whose cognitive deficits have gone unnoticed or unrecorded in routine medical encounters. Signs could also be extreme sufficient to intervene with the affected person’s self-care and medical administration.
Nursing implementation of the Mini-Cog© device gives a simple and constant course of for early recognition of cognitive impairment. This ends in the suitable referrals to offer early analysis, differential and therapy. Early therapy can present improved affected person outcomes by slowing or delaying illness development, which has been proven to enhance the standard of life for each the affected person and their household whereas permitting further time for necessary decision-making and planning.
THRIVE: Remodeling Well being and Resiliency via Integration of Values-based Experiences
Originating Website: VISN 8 James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital
Implementing Website: VISN 7 Central Alabama Veterans Well being Care System
THRIVE is a 14-week curriculum-based Shared Medical Appointment for Veterans developed from evidence-based rules of Entire Well being, Optimistic Psychology and Acceptance & Dedication Remedy. THRIVE is a Entire Well being medical providing that improves Veterans’ well being, well-being and well being care expertise; enhances worker satisfaction and retention; and improves the power’s backside line. In a 100-percent digital platform, THRIVE permits extra Veterans to expertise the advantages of an efficient program that builds resilience, improves well being and creates neighborhood.
VA Working Room Preparation Standardization
Originating Website: VISN 9 Lexington VAMC
Implementing Website: VISN 8 VA Sunshine Healthcare Community
Working Room setups have been discovered to be practically 100% variable and inefficient, creating frustration amongst employees when switching for lunches, breaks and shifts. By working with key stakeholders, our group of consultants created normal working procedures using the main theories in visible administration. This decreased variation to almost zero and elevated effectivity by practically 50%.
Digital Actuality for Ache and Anxiousness Administration
Originating Website: VISN 6 Charles George VA Medical Heart
Originating Website: Western North Carolina VA HCS
Implementing Website: VISN 5 Beckley VA Medical Heart
Digital Actuality as a distraction modality makes use of three-dimensional, computer-generated environments and 360-degree video footage in an immersive head-mounted show to move Veterans to a world the place their unfavorable stressors don’t exist. This functionality permits licensed medical employees to help Veterans with ache and nervousness administration, enhance rest and enhance the expertise of being in a well being care facility. Digital environments embrace interactive video games, peaceable pure environments, and even footage acquainted to our Veterans—together with Western North Carolina’s well-known mountain tops to make our Veterans really feel extra at dwelling inside our partitions. Since mission planning started in late 2017, over 300 periods have been accomplished in a number of affected person areas; 58.3% of taking part Veterans skilled a lower in acute and/or continual ache, and 92.5% of Veterans skilled a lower in stress/nervousness ranges.
