Veterans Affairs pilots health care center seeking innovative tech breakthroughs
The Department of Veterans Affairs is piloting its first collaborative health care innovation center in Palo Alto, California, seeking breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and clinical decision support.
Based within the VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS), the National Center for Collaborative Healthcare Innovation (NCCHI) opened July 25 and is developing technology for use across the department.
NCCHI plans to partner with Silicon Valley-based tech companies that make up the Veterans Health Administration Innovation System empowering VA employees, as well as other government agencies.
“The NCCHI is an important part of our strategy to be leaders in health care innovation and quality,” said Robert Wilkie, VA secretary, in the announcement. “The center is particularly exciting because it is uniquely designed as a catalyst to combine strengths from non-health care fields.”
VA also wants to improve agency workflow using the center to build out communication infrastructure.
VAPAHCS consists of three inpatient facilities in Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Livermore, California, as well as seven outpatient clinics in San José, Capitola, Monterey, Stockton, Modesto, Sonora and Fremont. Together with academic affiliate Stanford University School of Medicine the system totals more than 6,200 staff and volunteers operating 900 beds for 85,000 enrolled veterans.
