From Ideas to Action: How VA Employees are Advancing Veteran Healthcare Innovation
By Chris Arbino, Communications Chief (Acting)
Michael Felkey, a Navy Veteran and Transportation Specialist at VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, participated in an innovative program where he was able to combine his dedication to public service with his passion for transforming the way we care for our nation’s Veterans.
Mike participated in the 2025 Veterans Health Hackathon at VA Tampa Healthcare System, where he and a cross-functional team of VA employees and Veterans designed Veteran Acuity and Nursing Task Application for Greater Efficiency, or VANTAGE.
VANTAGE addresses a critical challenge in VA healthcare, aligning nurse staffing with both real-time and anticipated patient care demands. The goal is to ensure the right nurse is in the right place at the right time. The program is designed to improve safety, reduce nurse turnover, and enhance the Veteran experience. Early modeling suggests that VANTAGE could help the VA recoup up to $80 million in labor costs, while also improving staff morale and increasing CMS STAR ratings across VA healthcare systems.
The team designed VANTAGE to leverage the Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, which integrates Azure AI and other Microsoft technologies to forecast staffing needs and recommend nurse-patient matches that optimally meet the needs of each patient. It draws from historical data, patient acuity, staffing overtime trends, and operational inputs such as surgery schedules, ER demand, and clinic flow.
With a degree in Cognitive Science, an MBA from the University of Michigan, and a career in IT consulting specializing in emerging digital technologies, Mike has long been passionate about leveraging technology to solve complex problems. “I’m very interested in AI and innovation. I’ve been involved in innovation for most of my professional life.” he said.
When the opportunity arose to participate in the 2025 Veterans Health Hackathon, he saw it as a unique opportunity to contribute to innovative solutions aimed at solving challenges facing Veteran healthcare.
The Hackathon is a high-energy, three-day event that brought together over 200 participants. Teams were formed based on participant idea pitches. Mike’s team was tasked with addressing how to optimize enterprise-wide costs and operational efficiency.
Mike said communication flowed effortlessly, and there was always a deep sense of respect for one another’s contributions. The collaborative environment within the team was something that far exceeded his expectations.
Believing in the project’s potential value, Mike and the team then presented their work to leadership at VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System through the All Employee Innovation Program. Program evaluators are now in the early stages of assessing the idea. The team is excited to see where it may lead.