Rachel Ceria’s 8,500-Mile Journey to 2025 Veterans Health Hackathon to Enhance Veteran Care

The 2025 Veterans Health Hackathon, hosted by James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in collaboration with The American Legion National Convention, the VHA Innovation Ecosystem, MIT Hacking Medicine, and powered by Microsoft Artificial Intelligence Technology, brought together over 400 participants from across the country. These interdisciplinary teams united with one goal: to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing Veteran health care today. Among the 51 teams competing, nine were selected as winners to advance their innovative solutions through the Veterans Health Venture Studio pipeline.

One of these remarkable winners is Rachel Ceria, Nurse Manager at VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (VAPIHCS), whose journey to the Hackathon was as inspiring as the innovation she helped foster.

Serving Veterans Across the Pacific

Rachel Ceria has dedicated over ten years to serving Veterans through her nursing career at with VA. As Nurse Manager of the Case Management Nursing Department, she oversees nursing staff across a vast and diverse region encompassing the Hawaiian Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, and other Pacific Island locations. Despite the geographic isolation, time zone differences, and limited local resources, Rachel remains steadfast in her mission to improve timely access and quality of care for Veterans in this unique health care environment.

VAPIHCS, while lacking a local VA Medical Center, operates through several Community-Based Outpatient Clinics and extensive telehealth services to ensure Veterans in remote areas receive comprehensive care. Rachel’s leadership role in this expansive system places her on the frontlines of addressing systemic challenges faced by Veterans across the Pacific.

Facing Real-World Challenges in Community Care

A significant challenge Rachel has focused on is the inefficient and fragmented management of community care records—a problem that recent Office of Inspector General findings have highlighted as a barrier delaying Veterans’ access to care. The current system relies heavily on manual processing of electronic and physical faxes or paper documents, which can slow treatment decisions and increase wait times.

This pressing issue fueled Rachel’s desire to participate fully in the Hackathon, where she could apply her frontline experience to help develop practical solutions.

The Long Road to Tampa and the Hackathon Experience

Living in Guam, Rachel embarked on an remarkable 8,500-mile journey to Tampa, Florida, involving multiple flights and time zone adjustments that totaled approximately 24 hours of travel. Despite the physical demands of the trip, her passion for improving Veteran care and her commitment to her role kept her energized throughout the event.

Originally invited to mentor, Rachel chose to fully immerse herself as a “hacker,” gaining firsthand experience in an intense, fast-paced environment where teams worked non-stop for over two days. The Hackathon was unlike any conference or training she had previously attended. Participants collaborated across disciplines, tackling problems with urgency and creativity.

“I truly admire Dr. Indra Sandal’s (Founder, Veterans Health Venture Studio, Chief of Innovation, Tampa VAMC) passion for inclusivity and her commitment to ensuring that every voice across the VA is heard. Her support and determination created space for participation in the Hackathon regardless of distance or time zone, allowing diverse perspectives to come together in the spirit of innovation and collaboration — all united by one mission: to improve Veteran care.”

Her ability to bring real patient stories and frontline insights to her team helped shape their approach to addressing delays in community care documentation and its impact on Veterans.

A Well-Deserved Recognition Among Many

Rachel’s team, Mission Fax Possible, was honored as one of nine first-place winners selected from a competitive field. While this feature highlights Rachel’s journey and contributions, each winning team played a crucial role by delivering innovative solutions across multiple aspects of Veteran care challenges.

As a winner, Rachel’s project will receive ongoing mentorship and resources through Veterans Health Venture Studio to further develop and pilot the solution, continuing the journey from concept to impact.

Leadership, Resilience, and Dedication

Rachel’s story is a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of VA frontline leaders. Managing nursing staff across an area as vast and complex as the Pacific region requires balancing logistical challenges alongside the mission to deliver exceptional care.

“I live in Guam but manage registered nurses from across the Pacific,” Rachel explained. “Participating in the Hackathon gave me the opportunity to learn from others facing similar challenges and to bring back innovative ideas to benefit our Veterans.”

Rachel Ceria’s journey—from Guam to a national innovation platform—illustrates how dedication and collaboration can spark meaningful change for Veterans everywhere.

Dr. Sandal commented, "It takes a lot of courage and commitment to join an event like the Veterans Health Hackathon—one of its kind and the first time ever done in the VA. Flying in from so far just to help enhance Veteran care shows the kind of dedication that makes these employees the true pillars of the VA."

Looking Forward

Mission Fax Possible is one of 17 teams advancing to the Veterans Health Make-a-thon (Dec 2025-March 2026), where they will receive expert mentoring from Microsoft and VA experts in technology with targeted training to further develop their project.  As they progress, their vision for streamlined community care documentation management holds great promise to reduce administrative burdens, enhance provider workflows, and ultimately ensure Veterans receive timely