Empathy in Discharge: Virtual Reality Transforms Veteran Care

Empathy is taking center stage at the West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System as staff use virtual reality (VR) simulation to experience the patient journey from hospitalization to discharge. The immersive training places employees directly into the Veteran’s perspective, highlighting how care can feel fragmented, instructions unclear, and transitions confusing.

The goal is simple: strengthen empathy and turn insight into action; improving coordination, communication, and trust.

A day in the life of discharge

In the simulation, staff encounter real-world discharge scenarios that can leave Veterans overwhelmed, including unclear next steps, gaps in communication, and long wait times for answers.

By design, the experience is not just educational, it is emotional.

That emotional connection is intentional. It encourages staff to translate what they feel into meaningful changes in how they communicate and coordinate care.

After the headset comes off, facilitated discussions begin. Teams reflect on their experience and identify practical improvements, such as slowing down during key interactions, confirming patient understanding, using consistent language across disciplines, and ensuring no Veteran leaves with unanswered questions.

These efforts align with broader VA initiatives focused on improving the Veteran experience.

From toolkit to training 

The program’s local champion, Brandon Bryant, Veterans Experience Officer, first discovered the VR toolkit through VA Central Office customer experience innovation efforts and worked to bring it to the West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System.

The rollout is structured as a pilot, with designated unit champions, train-the-trainer support, and a long-term goal of integrating VR into routine inpatient training. Expansion into outpatient settings is planned as teams build familiarity and capacity.

A key focus has been sustainability. Sessions are scheduled to align with staffing needs, facilitation guides ensure consistency, and processes are in place to safely and efficiently clean equipment between uses.

Why empathy matters

For Brandon, a Veteran himself, the mission is deeply personal.

“Empathy is the foundation of trust, the element that transforms clinical care into a meaningful human experience. When Veterans feel seen, heard, and understood, they are more likely to return for care, follow discharge instructions, and recommend VA services to others.”

The initiative supports the West Palm Beach VA Healthcare Systems’ broader culture of innovation by giving frontline teams a practical tool that connects everyday behaviors, like communication and responsiveness, to outcomes Veterans can feel.

What’s next

With expanded staff training and live demonstrations planned, the West Palm Beach VA Healthcare Systems is positioning VR simulation as a sustainable, repeatable approach to improving care.

By embedding empathy into the discharge process, the facility is advancing high reliability principles and strengthening one of the most critical moments in a Veteran’s health care journey, the transition from hospital to home.

Learn more about how VA is enhancing care through innovation on the Inpatient Discharge Experience Training webpage.