VA Program Rewards Innovators and Best Practices

In December 2016, Federal Practitioner sat down with Shereef M. Elnahal, MD, MBA, VHA chief quality & safety officer, to discuss the VA Diffusion of Excellence (VADOE) program, which seeks to change VA culture and reward employees who have developed innovative programs that increase patient satisfaction, access to care, and clinical results, among other VA priorities. A recent JAMA article by Dr. Elnahal, VA Secretary Nominee David Shulkin, MD, and Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Organizational Excellence Carolyn Clancy, MD, highlights how VADOE can be a model for excellence at other large-scale health care systems.

According to Dr. Elnahal, in 1 year, more than 400 VADOE programs have been submitted, more than 20 have been replicated at multiple sites, and 8 are targeted nationally, including a virtual tumor board and clinical pharmacy best practices. “We really empower and recognize the frontline employees who not only contribute the best practices but who replicate them,” Dr. Elnahal told Federal Practitioner . “Essentially, we give them a systemwide leadership role… This is part of many different initiatives that are trying to recognize and elevate the great work that physicians do and really improve their morale and reduce burnout.”