North Florida South Georgia Veteran Health System Employees Named Winners of National VHA Shark Tank Competition
Innovation in VA is fueled by frontline employees dedicated to identifying better ways of delivering care for Veterans.
North Florida South Georgia Veterans Health System employees Emily Mendell and Kristina Kniffen are leading the way in improving Veteran care as 2024 VHA Shark Tank Competition winners.
From a pool of 225 submissions, NF/SG VHS employees Mendell and Kniffen have been selected as one of the 2024 VHA Shark Tank Competition winners for their practice called “Dignity Bags for Veterans.”
The VHA Shark Tank Competition empowers frontline innovators to spread their health care solutions by providing exposure to all levels of leadership and an opportunity to replicate their practices in new VA facilities. Over the last nine competitions, VHA Shark Tank has received nearly 4,000 applications from frontline employees and replicated over 100 winning practices to new VA facilities.
At the VHA Innovation Experience held in Chicago on October 29, 2024, Mendell and Kniffen presented to a live audience of over 700 people. Presented with various bids to replicate their practice to new VA facilities, VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System chose to replicate their practice across eight Community Based Outpatient Clinics and their main facility.
“I was nervous and excited to present to the national VHA Innovation Ecosystem,” said Mendell. “Above all, we are so proud that Dignity Bags was selected as a Diffusion of Excellence promising practice, and we are motivated by the difference that it is making in Veteran lives. What an honor to be recognized by the VHA Innovation community.”
Mendell, and Kniffen developed “Dignity Bags for Veterans” to aid Veterans with incontinence. Dignity Bags were developed to address Veteran's incontinence quickly, discretely, and compassionately in the outpatient clinic setting. Veterans experiencing incontinence in the clinic often felt anxious and embarrassed, with some even leaving the clinic without being seen.
Jennifer Rossi, an innovation specialist at the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, plays a vital role in assisting employees with the implementation of their innovation and improvement projects.
“Emily and Kristina have demonstrated what commitment to Veteran experience really looks like. We are so fortunate to have such passionate and innovative nurses among our workforce in the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System,” said Rossi.
“We were able to work together as a team and we proudly selected the Sierra Nevada VA Healthcare System,” said Kniffen. “We are so excited to see where our project will take us in the future.”
Over the course of this year, Mendell and Kniffen will work with employees at VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System, also receiving dedicated project management support from Diffusion of Excellence.
For more information about the 2024 VHA Shark Tank Competition and to view the full list of winners, visit the VHA Shark Tank page on Diffusion Marketplace.