IDGA's 19th Annual Veterans Affairs Healthcare Summit
July 22-23, 2025
| MGM Hotel and Casino, National Harbor, MD
Conference Day One: July 23, 2024
CLINICAL APPROACHES OVERVIEW
Supply chain disruptions and new software are changing the way that the VA provides the tools, equipment, medicine and technology to its providers and patients. Day 1 will address the modernization initiatives of the VA in tackling these challenges.
7:30 am - 8:30 am
REGISTRATION AND NETWORKING
9:05 am - 9:15 am
CHAIRMAN’S OPENING REMARKS
James Gfrerer -
CEO; Federal Business LLC;,
Former CIO, Department of Veterans Affairs
9:15 am - 9:45 am
OVERVIEW OF SECRETARY’S GOALS AND THE FUTURE OF THE VA
Christopher Saslo -
Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Patient Care Services; Chief Nursing Officer,
Department of Veterans Affairs
- Overview of how the VA is approaching how best to support nurses across VAMCs, along with integrating feedback from nurses on how best to approach care challenges, burnout and other factors on the job
- Expanding communication across and between providers so that veterans can receive quality care
- Increased focus on patient centered care across the VHA
Christopher Saslo
Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Patient Care Services; Chief Nursing OfficerDepartment of Veterans Affairs
9:45 am - 10:15 am
INNOVATION AND LEARNING ACROSS THE VA ENTERPRISE FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Dr. Mark Zhang DO, MMSc, FAMIA -
Chief Innovation Officer, Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning (OHIL), O,
Department of Veterans Affairs
· Looking at the future of Integrated Veteran Care and Community Care and what it means for access to care for veterans
· Looking at specific high-visibility transformation initiatives and implementations for healthcare payers, providers, and integrated delivery systems
· Working through current challenges on implementation and future opportunities
Dr. Mark Zhang DO, MMSc, FAMIA
Chief Innovation Officer, Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning (OHIL), ODepartment of Veterans Affairs
10:00 am - 11:30 am
COFFEE AND NETWORKING BREAK
11:00 am - 11:45 am
LEADING THE WAY ON TACKLING EHRM-IO CHALLENGES FOR THE VA: LESSONS LEARNED FROM VA AND DHA EHRM IMPLEMENTATION
William Tinston -
Director,
Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization Office
Dr. Neil Evans MD - Acting Program Executive Director, Electronic Health Record Modernization Integration Office, Department of Veterans Affairs
Dr. Yvette Weber - Program Executive Officer, Defense Healthcare Management Systems, Department of Defense
· Update of current status of the Oracle-Cerner Electronic Health Record Modernization roll out at various VAMC’s
· Working through challenges, highlighting successes
· Perspectives on the ongoing rollout, including areas like training and interoperability
· Overview of how EHRM impacts data
· Continued rollout of new programs over the course of the year
· Lessons learned from the 5 live sites and working through enhancements
· Eyes on training and metrics, change management, lessons learned
· Restarting pre-deployment in 2025
Dr. Neil Evans MD
Acting Program Executive Director, Electronic Health Record Modernization Integration OfficeDepartment of Veterans Affairs
Dr. Yvette Weber
Program Executive Officer, Defense Healthcare Management SystemsDepartment of Defense
11:45 am - 12:15 pm
EXPLORING VIRTUAL CARE: DISCOVER HOW VIRTUAL CARE SOLUTIONS ARE IMPACTING HEALTHCARE DELIVERY WITHIN VA HOSPITALS
Jacenta Best -
Chief Nurse, Acute Care, Salisbury, North Carolina VA Health Care System,
Department of Veterans Affairs
Erin Griffes MSN, RN, NE-BC - Customer Success Advisor, Veterans Affairs/Department of Defense, AvaSure
· Understanding the Role of Virtual Care: Gain insights into virtual care platforms that are being successfully implemented within VA hospitals to enhance patient care and operational efficiency.
· Impact on Patient Outcomes: Learn about specific case studies, such as virtual sitting, and see data demonstrating the positive impact of virtual care solutions.
· Strategies for Implementation: Acquire practical strategies and best practices for integrating virtual care into existing workflows, including considerations for staff training, patient education, and technological infrastructure.
Sponsored by: AvaSure
Jacenta Best
Chief Nurse, Acute Care, Salisbury, North Carolina VA Health Care SystemDepartment of Veterans Affairs
Erin Griffes MSN, RN, NE-BC
Customer Success Advisor, Veterans Affairs/Department of DefenseAvaSure
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm
LUNCH AND NETWORKING
TRACK BLOC
TRACK ONE: PATIENT EXPERIENCE AND TELEHEALTH
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm PANEL DISCUSSION: PATIENT SAFETY—HIDDEN RISK OF PROCEDURES: DAY SURGERIES AND HOSPITAL PROCEDURES Dr. Benjamin Pollock Ph.D., M.S.P.H - Assistant Professor of Health Services Research; Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Scientific Director, Science of Quality Measurement program, Mayo ClinicDr. Sandeep Wadhwa MD, MBA - Global Chief Medical Officer, Solventum
Dr. Rick May MD - Senior Principal, Vizient Consulting Solutions
Sponsored by: Solventum
Dr. Benjamin Pollock Ph.D., M.S.P.H
Assistant Professor of Health Services Research; Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Scientific Director, Science of Quality Measurement programMayo Clinic
TRACK ONE: PATIENT EXPERIENCE AND TELEHEALTH
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm PANEL DISCUSSION: LEVERAGING DATA FOR PATIENT EXPERIENCE OPTIMIZATION Don Prisby - Founder and President, NorthPoint AdvocatesDonna Richardson - Customer Experience (CX) Outcomes Supervisor, Tools & Implementation (T&I) Directorate, Veterans Experience Office (VEO), Department of Veterans Affairs
Joe Bush - General Counsel, AvaSure
- How the Veterans Experience Office is integrating new technologies for PX
- Maximizing feedback from patients to optimize systems
- Success stories from across various VHA facilities that have improved PX results
Sponsored by: AvaSure
Donna Richardson
Customer Experience (CX) Outcomes Supervisor, Tools & Implementation (T&I) Directorate, Veterans Experience Office (VEO)Department of Veterans Affairs
TRACK ONE: PATIENT EXPERIENCE AND TELEHEALTH
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm IMPROVING VETERAN CARE: ENDO PHARMACEUTICALS Matt Jason - Associate Director, Commercial Development and Professional Relations, Endo PharmaceuticalsJim Bradley - Director, Commercial Development and Professional Relations, Endo Pharmaceuticals
- An introduction to Endo Pharmaceuticals, who we are, and what we do
- Overview of appropriate identification and diagnosis of patients with Dupuytren's Contracture or Peyronie's Disease
- Available Endo resources for ALL VA Healthcare Providers treating patients in Upper Extremity/Hand Surgery and Men's Sexual Medicine/Urology
Matt Jason
Associate Director, Commercial Development and Professional RelationsEndo Pharmaceuticals
Jim Bradley
Director, Commercial Development and Professional RelationsEndo Pharmaceuticals
TRACK ONE: PATIENT EXPERIENCE AND TELEHEALTH
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm NETWORKING AND COFFEE BREAK IN EXHIBITION HALL & WOMEN IN HEALTHCARE NETWORKING CONVERSATION IN PRIVATE MEETING ROOMTRACK TWO: RECOVERY, PROSTHETICS AND PAIN MANAGEMENT
1:30 pm - 2:00 pm REDUCING AMPUTATIONS AND IMPROVING PAVE OUTCOMES FOR ALL VETERANS UTILIZING CYCLICALLY PRESSURIZED TOPICAL WOUND OXYGEN (TWO2) THERAPY Dr. Matthew Garoufalis DPM, FASPS, FACPM, CWS, FFPM RCPS (Glasg), FRSM - Chief Medical Officer, Advanced Oxygen Therapy Inc.Major and Minor DFU related amputations continue to rise globally. The Veterans Administration’s PAVE program is intended to prevent or delay amputations for veterans at risk of limb loss. Evidence based wound care therapeutics proven to heal DFUs more durably are now available. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) awarded topical oxygen therapy an “A” grade treatment recommendation in their 2023 and 2024 Standards of Care. Additionally, the International Working Group on the Diabetic Foot (IWGDF) and Wound Healing Society (WHS) has also recommended its use in their latest clinical practice guidelines. Multiple RCT & RWE studies conducted within the Veterans Administration have demonstrated that AOTI’s unique cyclically pressurized patient applied at home TWO2 therapy heals DFUs more sustainably. These studies showed TWO2 healed DFUs with a six-fold reduction in recurrence, resulting in an 88% reduction in hospitalizations & 71% reduction in amputations over 12 months.
Sponsored by: Advanced Oxygen Therapy Inc.
Dr. Matthew Garoufalis DPM, FASPS, FACPM, CWS, FFPM RCPS (Glasg), FRSM
Chief Medical OfficerAdvanced Oxygen Therapy Inc.
TRACK TWO: RECOVERY, PROSTHETICS AND PAIN MANAGEMENT
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm PANEL DISCUSSION: LEADING THE WAY ON VA CORE COMPETENCIES IN PROSTHETICS AND REHAB Alison Cormier - Field Operations Manager, Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service, Department of Veterans Affairs- Overview of full range of equipment and services to available to veterans
- Options for veterans impacted by the PACT Act
- Ongoing partnerships at the VA PSAS office
Alison Cormier
Field Operations Manager, Prosthetic and Sensory Aids ServiceDepartment of Veterans Affairs
TRACK TWO: RECOVERY, PROSTHETICS AND PAIN MANAGEMENT
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm SUBSTANCE ABUSE MITIGATION APPROACHES FOR VETERAN HEALTH Amanda Doreson - Senior Public Health Advisor, Office of the Chief Medical Officer, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)Dr. Friedhelm Sandbrink MD - National Program Executive Director for Pain Management, Opioid Safety, and PDMP, Department of Veterans Affairs
- Exploring various VA primary care options for substance abuse
- Maximizing access to substance abuse treatment services
- Identifying new and innovative treatment options
Amanda Doreson
Senior Public Health Advisor, Office of the Chief Medical Officer, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Dr. Friedhelm Sandbrink MD
National Program Executive Director for Pain Management, Opioid Safety, and PDMPDepartment of Veterans Affairs
TRACK TWO: RECOVERY, PROSTHETICS AND PAIN MANAGEMENT
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm NETWORKING AND COFFEE BREAK IN EXHIBITION HALL & WOMEN IN HEALTHCARE NETWORKING CONVERSATION IN PRIVATE MEETING ROOMTRACK ONE: DATA AND CLOUD
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm HOW AI IS MAKING HEALTHCARE MORE HUMAN: IMPROVING SAFETY, EXPERIENCE AND OUTCOMES WITH AUTOMATION Patrick Winter - SVP of Commercial Operations, Commure/Athelas· Explore macro-AI trends impacting success at VA hospitals and health systems
· Identify opportunities for technology to solve our biggest challenges, including maximizing reimbursements, retaining staff, keeping healthcare safer, and improving care outcomes
· See how augmenting existing clinical, operational, and financial workflows with AI is helping organizations today do more with less
Sponsored by: Commure
TRACK ONE: DATA AND CLOUD
4:00 pm - 4:30 pm FIRESIDE CHAT: OVERVIEW OF IT STRATEGY FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF THE VA Paul Brubaker - Deputy Chief Information Officer, Business Integration and Outcomes Service, Department of Veterans AffairsBill James - President, Federal Business LLC
- Look into key priorities, including the PACT Act IT implementation, zero trust security, low-code agility, the VA's new mobile app, technology application sourcing, AI approaches
- Improving execution as a modality for the VA's operational excellence
- Road map for resource allocation across the department and future plan
Paul Brubaker
Deputy Chief Information Officer, Business Integration and Outcomes ServiceDepartment of Veterans Affairs
TRACK ONE: DATA AND CLOUD
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm CLOSING FIRESIDE CHAT: EXPLORING HOW CLOUD POLICIES IMPACTS CLINICIANS AND ADMINISTRATORS Dave Catanoso - Director (A), Application Hosting, Cloud and Edge Solutions, Department of Veterans AffairsBill James - President, Federal Business LLC
- Leveraging data as a strategic asset
- Maintaining privacy controls for infrastructure architecture platforms and tools that enable effective data management and security
- Celebrating the shift of VistA into the cloud
- Reorganization of IT focused programs into a new digital health office
Dave Catanoso
Director (A), Application Hosting, Cloud and Edge SolutionsDepartment of Veterans Affairs
TRACK ONE: DATA AND CLOUD
5:00 pm - 5:00 pm CHAIRMAN'S CLOSING REMARKS AND END OF CONFERENCE DAY ONETRACK TWO: CYBER AND AI
3:30 pm - 4:00 pm FIRESIDE CHAT: CYBER IMPLICATIONS FOR VA CLOUD COMPUTING STRATEGY Amber Pearson - Deputy Chief Information Security Officer and Executive Director of Information Security Policy and Strategy, Department of Veterans AffairsDon Prisby - Founder and President, NorthPoint Advocates
- How VA is moving at the speed of innovation to provide new services for Veterans without sacrificing security and privacy
- How VA is working to securely implement cloud enhancements for storage, computing, automation, and tiered storage
- Why traditional cybersecurity tools and strategies are inadequate in protecting against threats presented by advanced medical devices, and what best cybersecurity protocols VA is using to ensure data is encrypted both at rest and in transit while managing medical and specialty devices
Amber Pearson
Deputy Chief Information Security Officer and Executive Director of Information Security Policy and StrategyDepartment of Veterans Affairs
TRACK TWO: CYBER AND AI
4:00 pm - 4:30 pm DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION @ MAYO CLINIC: EXAMPLES OF PROCESS AND PLATFORM ADOPTION Keith Whitby - Director of Healthcare Technology Management, Mayo Clinic- Micro-segmentation identifying Ordr as a key component of a larger integrated network platform.
- Optimal integrations to achieve automate onboarding, inventory reconciliation, and operations and segmentation policy enforcement.
- Ordr Software Inventory Collector (OSIC) which was originally developed as the SMAK replacement tool for the VA.
Sponsored by: Ordr
TRACK TWO: CYBER AND AI
4:30 pm - 5:00 pm CLOSING PANEL DISCUSSION: EXPLORING VA EFFORTS IN AI INNOVATION James Gfrerer - CEO; Federal Business LLC;, Former CIO, Department of Veterans AffairsDr. Kaeli Yuen MD - Data & AI Health Product Lead, Office of the Chief Technology Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
Chris Robinson - Associate Partner, IBM Consulting, Automation and Data Platforms, IBM
- Overview of current AI programs across the VA and VHA enterprises
- Successes in handling veteran’s claims using Content Classification Predictive Service (CCPS)
- Implications of the VA Artificial Intelligence Tech Sprint encouraging innovators across America to create AI-enabled tools
Dr. Kaeli Yuen MD
Data & AI Health Product Lead, Office of the Chief Technology OfficerDepartment of Veterans Affairs
