Conference Day Two: July 24, 2024

TECHNOLOGY APPROACHES

The pandemic has forced the VA to shift the way that it provides patient experience and care. Day 2 will address a full spectrum overview of how to provide the best care for our nation’s veterans.

7:30 am - 8:30 am REGISTRATION AND NETWORKING

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James Gfrerer

CEO; Federal Business LLC;
Former CIO, Department of Veterans Affairs

9:00 am - 9:30 am EQUIPPING PHYSICIANS FOR VETERAN CARE: SUPPORTING MISSION ACT DIRECTIVES THROUGH AMA SUPPORT

Dr. Bruce Scott MD - President, American Medical Association
  • How the AMA is equipping physicians to better treat veterans 
  • Unique factors that impact veterans as a care group 
  • Impact of MISSION ACT on physicians  
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Dr. Bruce Scott MD

President
American Medical Association

·      Insight into how VISN Network Directors, CMOs and VAMC Directors engage into coordination for developing stakeholder support and resourcing to meet the networks programs and objectives

·      Evaluating strategies for improving medical care and administrative and operational support across the VISN and within the VAMC

·      How VISN leaders and VAMC directors work to determining funding across various VISN care services and various VAMCs

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Tiel Keltner

Deputy Network Director, VISN 20 (Northwest)
Veterans Health Administration

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James Gfrerer

CEO; Federal Business LLC;
Former CIO, Department of Veterans Affairs

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Dr. Thomas Ferguson MD

Chief of Staff, Memphis VA Medical Center
Veterans Health Administration

10:30 am - 11:00 am NETWORKING COFFEE BREAK




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Ric Nannini, PharmD, MBA

National Oncology Account Director, Veterans Affairs
AstraZeneca

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Dr. Jennifer Martin PharmD

Deputy Chief Consultant, Pharmacy Benefits Management Services
Department of Veterans Affairs

The panel will discuss how VA is modernizing and integrating its financial and acquisition environments through the Financial Management Business Transformation (FMBT) program and its deployment of the Integrated Financial and Acquisition Management System (iFAMS). This is the largest transformation effort in VA history and represents a comprehensive improvement in business processes, decision-making, and services, which will in turn enhance the Veteran experience. The panel will also discuss how FMBT collaborates with VA’s Supply Chain Modernization initiative to avoid impacts to patient care and delivery of services

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Dr. Ronald Miller DM

Deputy Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Support
Department of Veterans Affairs

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Terry Riffel SES

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Financial Management Business Transformation Service
Department of Veterans Affairs

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Laura Duke

Chief Financial Officer
Veterans Health Administration

12:15 pm - 1:30 pm LUNCH AND NETWORKING BREAK

Track Bloc

TRACK A: MENTAL HEALTH, PTSD AND SUICIDE PREVENTION BLOC

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm THE RAPID MOOD SCREENER: A VALIDATED SCREENING TOOL FOR BIPOLAR I DISORDER
  • Clinical Impact of Misdiagnosis of Bipolar I Disorder
  • Challenges in Differentiating Depressive Episodes
  • Development and Validation of the RMS Tool




TRACK A: MENTAL HEALTH, PTSD AND SUICIDE PREVENTION BLOC

2:00 pm - 2:30 pm EVOLVING CONTINUUM OF MENTAL HEALTHCARE WITHIN THE VA
Marsden McGuire M.D., M.B.A. (SES-EQV) - Director, Continuum of Care and General Mental Health, Office of Mental Health, Department of Veterans Affairs

·      Exploring how the continuum of care fits within the overall mission of mental health and whole health in VHA

·      How care provided in the continuum of care goes hand in hand with suicide prevention and in mental health and (increasingly) in integrated care settings

·      Use of tools (e.g. AI, predictive analytics) to identify people at risk and create protocols for early identification

·      Importance of technology (e.g. self-care apps, increased use of telehealth) to improve Veteran mental health care

·      Challenges - for hiring, reaching underserved areas, community care

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Marsden McGuire M.D., M.B.A. (SES-EQV)

Director, Continuum of Care and General Mental Health, Office of Mental Health
Department of Veterans Affairs

TRACK A: MENTAL HEALTH, PTSD AND SUICIDE PREVENTION BLOC

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm EVERAGING AI, BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE AND COACHING TO BUILD THE MINDSETS AND BEHAVIORS THAT PROTECT AGAINST SUICIDE RISK & ENABLE PEAK PERFORMANCE IN WORK AND LIFE
Marissa Berman Psy.D - Senior Behavioral Scientist, BetterUp

The resilience and readiness of our veterans and VA employees are critical to meeting the VA mission. Central to this effort is ensuring that Veterans and VA employees alike are proactively building the skills and capabilities that help them to navigate challenges, build strong mental health and wellbeing and peak performance skills in work and in life. BetterUp's platform leverages a combination of behavioral science, human coaching and AI-enabled technology to provide a scalable, personalized approach capable of meeting the unique needs of Veterans and VA employees.



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Marissa Berman Psy.D

Senior Behavioral Scientist
BetterUp

TRACK A: MENTAL HEALTH, PTSD AND SUICIDE PREVENTION BLOC

3:00 pm - 3:30 pm NETWORKING AND COFFEE BREAK IN EXHIBITION HALL & WOMEN IN HEALTHCARE NETWORKING CONVERSATION IN PRIVATE MEETING ROOM

TRACK B: INNOVATION BLOC

1:30 pm - 2:00 pm PANEL DISCUSSION: MAXIMIZING PATIENT SAFETY AND QUALITY THROUGH GENERATIVE AI
David Bowers - Senior Product Manager, Solventum
Dr. Adam Rothschild MD, MA - Clinical Informaticist, Solventum

1.) Understanding Generative AI: Explain the concept of generative artificial intelligence, its applications, and how it differs from traditional predictive models.

2) Identifying Patient Safety Challenges: Explore existing patient safety issues in healthcare, such as medical errors, adverse events, and communication gaps.

3.) Exploring AI Solutions: Discuss how generative AI can address patient safety challenges, including documentation support, clinical decision-making, and patient engagement.

4.) Measuring Impact: Define metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of generative AI solutions in improving patient safety and quality outcomes as well as improving physician satisfaction



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David Bowers

Senior Product Manager
Solventum

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Dr. Adam Rothschild MD, MA

Clinical Informaticist
Solventum

TRACK B: INNOVATION BLOC

1:45 pm - 2:15 pm ONCOLOGY INDUSTRY INSIGHT SESSION HOSTED BY WREN LABORATORIES - A NOVEL PCR-BASED BLOOD ASSAY FOR THE DETECTION AND MONITORING OF PROSTATE CANCER
Dr. Mark Kidd PhD - Scientific and Laboratory Director, Wren Laboratories

The PROSTest, a proprietary, patented liquid biopsy assay for the detection of prostate cancer (PCa), is one of a series of tests developed by Wren for precision oncology. It uses machine learning algorithms to convert cancer-related gene expression in blood into a single readout to differentiate patients with PCa from those with non-cancerous symptomatic patients. The algorithm output is a score ranging from 0-100, with a cut-off of 50, where patients with scores ≥50 were shown to have PCa. The assay was analytically validated under CLIA and clinically qualified in a multiple clinical studies.  



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Dr. Mark Kidd PhD

Scientific and Laboratory Director
Wren Laboratories

TRACK B: INNOVATION BLOC

2:30 pm - 3:00 pm TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT: TRANSFORMING CARE FOR AORTIC STENOSIS IN US VETERANS
Dr. Allison Tsao MD - Interventional Cardiologist, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
  • Severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (sSAS) is prevalent in the older American population and has significant morbidity and mortality
  • Veterans represent a high proportion of Americans with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis
  • Though transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a safe, cost-effective treatment option for sSAS, there are limited VA TAVR centers for the number of veterans with sSAS
  • The VA Healthcare System is uniquely poised to build on its integrated care model to improve TAVR access for veterans with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis




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Dr. Allison Tsao MD

Interventional Cardiologist
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

TRACK B: INNOVATION BLOC

3:00 pm - 3:30 pm NETWORKING AND COFFEE BREAK IN EXHIBITION HALL & WOMEN IN HEALTHCARE NETWORKING CONVERSATION IN PRIVATE MEETING ROOM

  • assessment of the VA supply chain with the goal of selecting new information systems and business processes for use 
  • Supply chain impacts of electronic health record and financial management systems as part of VA Modernization 
  • Integration platforms for VA supply chains 
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David Sloniker MBA, MSS, CRMP, DML

Executive Director, VA Logistics Redesign Program Office (VALOR)
Department of Veterans Affairs

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Dr. Aaron Drew

Senior Enterprise Solutions Architect, Office of Information & Technology (OI&T)
Department of Veterans Affairs

TRACK A: SUPPLY CHAIN BLOC

4:15 pm - 4:45 pm HIGHLIGHTING THE EFFORTS OF OPERATION GENUINE VALOR

In partnership with the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPRC), we have created Operation Genuine Valor (OGV). 

OGV is aimed at safeguarding the VA's supply chain from counterfeit medical products, incorporates a significant training component to enhance the effectiveness of the program

TRACK A: SUPPLY CHAIN BLOC

4:45 pm - 4:50 pm CHAIRMAN’S CLOSING REMARKS & END OF CONFERENCE
James Gfrerer - CEO; Federal Business LLC;, Former CIO, Department of Veterans Affairs
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James Gfrerer

CEO; Federal Business LLC;
Former CIO, Department of Veterans Affairs

·      Supporting and coordinating efforts to understand and reduce disparities in health and health care affecting veterans

·      Diversity efforts within the VHA, access to rural health opportunities

  • ·      Managing continued options for reducing disparities among rural populations


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Dr. Edo Paz

SVP, Medical Affairs
Hello Heart

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Dr. Ernest Moy MD, MPH

Executive Director, Office of Health Equity, VHA
Department of Veterans Affairs

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Sabrina Clark

Director, VA Center for Development & Civic Engagement
Department of Veterans Affairs

TRACK B: PHYSICIANS AND CLINICIANS BLOC (Cont.)

4:45 pm - 4:50 pm CHAIRMAN’S CLOSING REMARKS & END OF CONFERENCE
James Gfrerer - CEO; Federal Business LLC;, Former CIO, Department of Veterans Affairs
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James Gfrerer

CEO; Federal Business LLC;
Former CIO, Department of Veterans Affairs