Today, VA announced the launch of the Center for Compassionate Innovation (CCI), which will explore emerging therapies that may enhance Veterans’ physical and mental well-being.

In addition, VA is accepting proposals to fulfill CCI’s mission of finding innovative approaches to health care, which may support those Veterans who are unsuccessful with conventional treatment. Proposals may be submitted through https://www.va.gov/healthpartnerships/ and will be evaluated through a rigorous algorithm that critically assesses the safety and efficacy of the innovation.

“VA is unique in our approach to health care,” said Veterans Affairs Secretary Dr. David J. Shulkin. “We are committed to offering Veterans cutting-edge and innovative care. That means carefully exploring every avenue that will promote well-being.”

CCI explores innovations in the health-care industry as well as innovative practices currently being piloted on a small scale within the Veterans Health Administration. CCI is primarily interested in innovations that address post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, chronic pain and suicidality. However, CCI will explore any safe and ethical innovation intended to improve Veterans’ health and well-being.

CCI is not an implementation office intended to conduct research, clinical treatment or establish a vendor relationship. CCI is strategically positioned to spotlight cutting-edge therapies and treatment modalities emerging in private industry. CCI is an example of VA’s quest to continue as a leader in providing innovative and effective treatments for Veterans.

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3 Comments

  1. gordon churukian April 21, 2017 at 09:29

    I AM A 8YEAR POST STROKE SURVIVOR..STILL IN THERAPYWITHVERYSLOW IMPROVEMENT FROM LEFT SIDE HEMIPARESIS.I DO A CONSIDERALE AMOUNT OF RESEARCH TO FACILITATE MY RECOVERY AND FEEL THAT MY VATHERAPISTS ARE NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH LATEST ADVANCES,AND PROCEEDURES AS THEY SHOULD BE.MORECONTINUING EDUCATION SHOULD BE MANDANTORY IN ADDITION TO ENROLLING PATIENTS INTO APPROPRIATE CLINICAL TRIALS MY OPINION ON THIS ARE BASED ON INTERACTION WITH DOZENS OF THERAPISTSAND NUMEROU SHOURSOF REPETITIVE TRADITIONAL THERAPY….GC

    • Penny Stillway April 21, 2017 at 23:46

      You are so right, the Doctors are not up to date on new therapies. My husband was also paralyzed on his left side, and after eight months he was dismissed from therapy because according to the Doctors he reached as far as he would recover. We were forced to seek therapies outside the VA. I cannot knock the therapists but the Doctors in charge.

  2. Gretchen Reinhardt April 19, 2017 at 21:09

    Why bother with the new VA programs, when VA can’t even manage the current programs proficiently. In the case of Veteran-centered, as mentioned in VA “Core Values: Advocacy – Being Veteran-centered; identifying and advancing the interests of Veterans.

    In the case of veterans like me who have made a complaint to their VA provider and embarrassed VA; veterans like me are treated like dog shit in and out of VA because of fantasy criminal lies about me generated by the DBC, as part of VA’s SOP for retaliation. With no “due process” available within VA, a veteran is declared and treated as a violent criminal just because VA chooses to say so, with no chance of ever being vindicated. How about fixing this problem?

    Hey Dr. David J. Shulkin; you should recognize my email. I’ve been emailing you since July 2015.

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