CHC Radio

How VA Innovation Affects the Entire Health Care System

The U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs operates the nation’s largest integrated health care system. But how much do you know about how well VA Medical Centers and clinics identify innovative therapies, practices and policies and then diffuse them across a large footprint?

Ryan Vega, MD, MSHA, leads the Innovation Ecosystem within the Veterans Health Administration. This initiative focuses on being the catalyst for enabling the discovery and spread of mission-driven health care innovation to advance care delivery and service.

Dr. Vega highlights point-of-care manufacturing and its 3D Printing Network that were essential during the early days of COVID and the VA’s history of deploying the first cardiac pacemaker.

Conversations on Health Care hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter talk to Dr. Vega about these breakthroughs, how they help the entire health care sector and where the VA is partnering with Federally Qualified Health Centers.

Sofia Dupi

Share
Published by
Sofia Dupi

Recent Posts

KFF Health News Covers $50 Billion Rural Health Transformation: Latest Details

The new Rural Health Transformation Program aims to improve “healthcare access, quality, and outcomes” with…

2 days ago

Happy, Healthy New Year: What the Future Holds

New research. New technology. New possibilities. On this special 2025 Rewind and Look Ahead episode…

2 weeks ago

2025 Rewind: Our guests recount the promises and hurdles

Health care policy faced major upheavals during the past 12 months and the effects are…

3 weeks ago

“Unbearable: Five Women and the Perils of Pregnancy in America”: Author Conversation

Eighty percent of maternal deaths in the United States are considered preventable. So why do…

3 weeks ago

Congress Races to Find Obamacare Subsidy Solution: Reporters Examine the Efforts

Originally broadcast December 11, 2025 Congress is scrambling to find a solution to the enhanced…

4 weeks ago

Flu Cases Rising: “It’s Not Good,” Says Former CDC Dir. Dr. Tom Frieden

Originally broadcast December 4, 2025 The doctor who once led the Centers for Disease Control…

4 weeks ago