Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning

For decades, innovation has fueled VA’s mission to deliver exceptional health care to Veterans. Early inventions, like the cardiac pacemaker, and recent innovations, like the radiotherapy bolus that helps protect cancer patients’ healthy tissue during treatment, serve as a testament to VA’s dedication to delivering high-quality health care.

Since 2019, VHA’s Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning has published an annual report, the State of Innovation (SOI) report, that highlights notable VA innovations that are advancing the care delivery and experiences for Veterans.

The 2024 SOI report is now available online, demonstrating VA’s leadership in health care innovation and ensuring that Veterans are informed about the latest advancements we have to offer. The theme of this year’s report is “From Promise to Progress: Evolving Veteran Health Care.” The report contains 25 feature stories across four core sections. Each section of the report calls attention to the innovative programs and products that support the advancement of Veteran care, such as PACT PT’s same-day access to physical therapy, community building through Veterans Socials and Virtual Reality, and personalized 3D printed dentures.

To help connect Veterans to these innovations, the report’s Index of Innovative Care lists the 25 innovations and gives Veteran readers a better understanding of the scale of the program, where it may be available and where to find more information online. The Index also encourages Veterans to learn more and apply for VA health care.

You can read the full 2024 State of Innovation report at the link in this post to learn more about these innovations and the VA employees who brought them to life. Eligible Veterans are encouraged to talk with their VA care teams to connect with the programs and products that are relevant to their health care journeys, where available.

VA excels when Veterans are at the center of our care, playing an active role in shaping the future of innovation by providing feedback on new programs and embracing novel approaches. If you learned about an innovative project in this report that is already available at your local VA medical center, we encourage you to use it. If you read about an innovation that is not yet available at your local VA facility, we urge you to discuss it with your provider. Thank you for taking the time to read this report and learn about the impactful innovations coming from VA.