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There are several ways to get involved with the AI work happening at VA!

We are building communities for AI professionals, scientists, clinicians, and others interested in AI to learn about and share about artificial intelligence. From individuals just learning about AI all the way to AI experts, we encourage you to join us in building the future of AI at VA and beyond.​

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AI Tech Sprints

AI Tech Sprints are three-month competitive engagements that foster collaboration between industry, academia, nonprofit organizations, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Teams compete to create AI-enabled tools that leverage federal data to address specific Veteran health care issues. AI Tech Sprints accelerate VA innovations and expand VA’s ability to work with many different partners within academia and industry.  

 

152 team competed in the most recent tech sprints, making them some of the most comprehensive to date. Participants were allowed to apply for one or both tracks: 

  • Track One, “Ambient Dictation for Clinical Encounter Notes,” sought AI- enabled solutions for generating transcripts and key details from ambient recordings of patient encounters in primary care, mental health, and specialty care settings with the Department of Veterans Affairs. 
  • Track Two, “Community Care Document Processing,” sought AI-powered systems capable of ingesting a diverse range of records from community providers such as patient encounters and complex medical documents, for the purposes of sharing key points with VA providers and increasing continuity of care for Veterans. 

     

    Both tracks aim to create AI solutions that reduce provider burnout by automating administrative tasks. Winners were selected on May 21, 2024. NAII is beginning to pilot these solutions at VA facilities across the nation. 

United States Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health Dr. Shareef Elnahal announces AI tech sprint award winners.
United States Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Health Dr. Shareef Elnahal announces AI tech sprint award winners.

NAII makes federal data available and incentivizes collaboration through the Government Innovation Framework, Challenge.Gov. All participants iteratively designed an intervention using federal and private data. Teams received access to: 

  • Large unique federal data sources (e.g., clinical trials, patents, experimental therapeutics, patients) 
  • Synthetic VA datasets 
  • Veteran and expert perspectives 
  • Technical AI and machine learning support 
  • Feedback on demos and from users 
  • Longer-term partnership and/or funding opportunities
Graphic showing AI Tech Sprints Four Principles: Access to Data Partnership Collaboration Collective Good

AI Summit Series

NAII launched the AI Summit Series in 2022 as a forum for AI professionals and stakeholders to address AI’s role in improving health outcomes and health care services for Veterans.  

More than 500 attendees gathered for the inaugural Brain Health and Rehabilitation through Artificial Intelligence Network (BRAIN) Summit, which highlighted how AI is impacting three areas of critical importance to Veteran health: brain cancer, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and rehabilitation, and mental health. 

 

Nearly twice as many participants gathered in 2023 for the International Summit for AI in Health Care. Leaders in AI and health care from international governments, academia, and industry from around the world addressed how trustworthy AI – AI that is ethical, secure, and mitigates bias – can innovate and solve prevalent Veteran health issues prevalent and overcome pressing healthcare delivery challenges.  

In 2024, this series has evolved into field summits at individual VA facilities. Facilities in the following cities have hosted AI summits this year, with more to come: 

 

Location Date Topics Tampa Bay Mar 7 AI in pathology, radiology, surgery, and dermatology, trustworthy AI Kansas City Jun 25 Cloud computing and implications, generative AI & ambient dictation, AI workforce models South Central Region (Online) Jul 24 AI in healthcare, data and large language models, AI in patient education, CNN model for predicting pneumonia, National AI Institute trustworthy AI framework, AI model analysis South West (Online) Aug 22 Leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve the health of Veterans and support our workforce Sierra Pacific Region (Online) Nov 7-8 Digital Health and state of AI in VHA, leveraging AI for the radiology workforce, trustworthy AI, ambient dictation, hands-on AI experience Minneapolis Oct TBD

 

For more information, visit the AI Summit Series website. 

 

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