10th VHA Shark Tank Competition
This year, the competition received 224 applications from VHA staff across program offices and all Veteran Integrated Service Networks (VISNs). Thank you to all innovators who applied. View the full list of 2024 semifinalists below.
Visit the VHA Shark Tank Landing Page to view all 2024 application submissions. Please note that this page is internal to VA.
About VHA Shark Tank
VHA Shark Tank identifies VHA frontline employee innovations that promote positive outcomes and improved experiences for Veterans and VHA community. The competition shines a spotlight on employees who are passionate about solving some of the toughest challenges across VHA. This year, Diffusion of Excellence is celebrating its 10th competition. For questions, please contact the VA Diffusion Support Team.
Eligibility
All VHA employees that have implemented an innovation in at least one VHA facility (parent facility counts) and have collected three months of post-implementation data proving their practice’s effectiveness.
Benefits
Engage with leadership at every level, replicate your practice at another VHA facility, and tap into a diverse network of fellow innovators.
Highlights
Over the past nine years, the competition has identified 99 employee-led health care solutions and replicated them over 1,500 times across VHA.
2024 Competition Timeline
Resources for Applicants
Explore answers to common questions about the application and competition.
VHA Shark Tank Overview and Innovator Testimonials (Public Access)
Explore testimonials from innovators of previous winning practices on VHA's YouTube Channel.
C20 VHA Innovation Ecosystem Episode (VA Access)
Learn more about VHA Innovation Ecosystem opportunities by watching a recent C20 episode.
Shark Recruitment
VISN and VA medical center directors can register as Sharks until August 23, 2024. Sharks bid resources in September to support the implementation of finalists’ practices in their VISN or facility.
VHA Shark Tank Priorities
Nominated practices address one or more of the below VA health care priorities.
Hire faster and more competitively
- Onboarding employees faster
- Accelerating HR Specialist training and readiness (HR STAR)
- Investing in VA employees
Connect Veterans to the soonest and best care
- Access initiatives
- Care coordination
- Referral Coordination Initiative (RCI)
Serve Veterans with military environmental exposure
- Veterans’ exposure resources
- Treating Veterans’ whole health
- PACT Act
Accelerate VA’s journey to a High Reliability Organization
- Ensuring Veteran access
- Enhancing Veteran care
- Recognizing employee commitment to HRO
Support Veterans’ whole health, their caregivers, and survivors
- The Homeless Programs Office (HPO)
- Veterans Canteen Service (VCS)
- The Whole Health approach to Long COVID
Prevent Veteran suicide
- Enhancing Veteran access
- Enhancing Veteran care
- Making progress
Promotional Materials
At the 2023 VHA Shark Tank Competition, held during VHA Innovation Experience (iEX), 15 finalists competed for the chance to replicate their innovations at a new VA facility. Check out the 2023 finalist pitches through the video below.
2023 VHA Shark Tank Competition Winners
CREW: Carbohydrate Reduction Empowering Wellness (formerly Therapeutic Carbohydrate Reduction (TCR) Aspire)
Improved metabolic health, weight loss, and decreased medications in DM2
From Resistance to Resilience - A Veteran's Renewal with Ketamine
“Ketamine therapy is a NEW HOPE to Veterans that had NO HOPE.”
One View - Streamlining Healthcare Operations with a Unified Dashboard for Multi-Facility View Alerts
Quickly see view alerts from all sites of patient care in one spot.
RAVEE: Reaching All Veterans @ Every Encounter
RAVEE with Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale to achieve P2A goals.
SCOUTS (Supporting Community Outpatient, Urgent care & Telehealth Services)
SCOUTS ICTs provide post Emergency Department care to Older Veterans
SHRIMPS Surgical Intraoperative Handoff Initiative: Standardization of Surgical Technician Handoffs
Standardization of surgical tech handoff for improved OR communication.