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Shark Tank Brilliance: Unveiling Healthcare Pioneers

Emily Mendell, one of the six semifinalist innovators delivered dignity bags to the St. Augustine VA Clinic to help assist Veterans with incontinence.
Emily Mendell, one of the six semifinalist innovators delivered dignity bags to the St. Augustine CBOC to help assist Veterans with incontinence.
By Katie Hollingsworth, Public Affairs Specialist

The North Florida/South Georgia VA Health System is leading the way with the number of Veterans Health Administration Diffusion of Excellence Shark Tank applicants who will be advancing to the semifinals.

The North Florida/South Georgia VA Health System is leading the way with the number of Veterans Health Administration Diffusion of Excellence Shark Tank applicants who will be advancing to the semifinals. 

The VHA Shark Tank Competition was created to allow employees who are passionate about solving some of the challenges across VHA to have a platform to present their innovative ideas. This competition is one way for the VA to continue elevating the care provided to Veterans.

To be eligible, the project must be implemented in at least one VA facility and must have three months of post-implementation data. Once this requirement is met, the frontline innovators are able to share their projects with all levels of leadership for judging and if chosen will be used as a best practice for other health systems. Medical Center Directors are appointed as the “Sharks” and will judge and submit bids on the practices that they want to implement out of those presented.

Jennifer Rossi, an innovation specialist at the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center assists the employees with the implementation of their innovation and improvement projects. Rossi also assists in tracking the data and outcomes that demonstrate the value of the project to the health system.

NF/SGVHS produced six different semifinalists for the Shark Tank Competition accounting for 75% of the VISN 8 total. Some of the priorities these projects focus on will be to accelerate the VA’s journey to a high-reliability organization and to connect Veterans with the soonest and best care. 

“Our North Florida/South Georgia VA employees are committed to improving Veteran care and experience,” said Rossi. “It is truly incredible to have six semifinalists in the national Diffusion of Excellence Shark Tank Competition and have them all come from the work of one health system.”

NF/SGVHS is so proud of the frontline innovators for their dedication and hard work leading these projects. This year is the 10th VHA Shark Tank Competition and since its debut, the competition has recognized over 90 employee-led healthcare solutions that have been implemented throughout different health care systems. 

In August the finalists of the competition will be chosen. NF/SGVHS cheers on the frontline innovators to impress the Sharks and in the end, promote positive outcomes and improve experiences for the Veterans we serve. 

For more information on the Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, please visit https://www.va.gov/north-florida-health-care/locations/malcom-randall-department-of-veterans-affairs-medical-center/