VA opens $80 million innovation competition

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced an $80 million competition Monday that asks the private sector to address some of the department's biggest challenges.

Secretary Eric Shinseki said the competition, part of the VA's department-wide Innovation Initiative (VAi2), will attempt to encourage advancements in areas as diverse as housing technology for homeless veterans, telehealth solutions for veterans needing home care, and new technologies to prevent renal disease.

"At VA, we are continually looking for new ways to improve the care and services we deliver," said Shinseki. "Engaging the private sector to tap its expertise and find ways to leverage private-sector innovations, we can improve the quality, access and transparency in service to our Nation's Veterans."

Renal disease is a particular challenge for the department, which provides dialysis to over 10,000 veterans every year. VA hopes new dialysis technologies can extend and improve the quality of life for those patients suffering chronic kidney failure.

"Creativity in the private sector generates a wealth of technology capability that can help drive VA forward," said Peter Levin, senior advisor to the secretary and VA's chief technology officer. "By targeting innovations that are nearing commercialization, the Industry Innovation Competition provides a bridge between creative ideas in the private sector and real-world deployments that improve the services we deliver."

Other areas where VA is looking to improve include reducing adverse drug reactions and improving rehab for service men and women with multiple injuries.

"Innovation is more than simply a collection of ideas," said Jared Cohon, president of Carnegie Mellon University. "It requires close collaboration between academia, industry and government to produce solutions that make a meaningful impact on society. VAi2's programs bring about exactly that kind of fruitful collaboration."