VISN 8 continues to lead the way in health care innovation within the Veterans Health Administration.
After the successful completion of the 2024 Veterans Health Venture Studio program, which saw 7 teams create working prototypes, the 2025 cohort kicked off with the Hackathon this past August. Of the 51 concepts developed at the Hackathon, 17 teams were selected to join the Make-a-thon (December 2025 – March 2026), where teams will advance their concepts into technical designs ready to prototype. A subset of these teams will advance to the Accelerator, where they will collaborate with technical experts to create working prototypes prepared for pilot testing within VA.
Dr. Sandal describes the vision of VHVS as “simple yet powerful: to create technology by the people who will use it, alongside those people.” The Studio aims to develop five or more technologies each year, created by clinicians and Veterans, that can be rolled out across the entire VA system—delivering solutions that Veterans can proudly say they helped create.
Representing James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, Orlando VAMC, San Juan VAMC, Malcolm Randall VAMC, C.W. Bill Young VAMC , Thomas H. Corey VAMC, and VA facilities from across Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean, these innovators are prepared to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing Veteran care. Their participation reflects VISN 8’s commitment to fostering collaboration and breakthrough solutions that improve outcomes for Veterans across the region and beyond.
David Dunning, Interim Director of Veterans Integrated Service Network 8 (VISN 8), The Sunshine Network, shares the personal motivation behind this innovation effort:
“It’s very personal for me. I get my care here, my spouse is a Veteran, my dad was a Veteran, her dad was a Veteran. So, seeing how we can get better at what we’re doing—it’s about tearing it down and building it back up into something transformational.”
Veterans Health Venture Studio: Founded and Led by VISN 8 Innovation Leader
The Veterans Health Venture Studio (VHVS), founded and led by Dr. Indra Sandal, Chief of Innovation at James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, fuels innovation by providing a structured pipeline that supports projects from initial ideation to pilot and scale phases. Focused on People Development, Technology Development, and Community Development, VHVS cultivates innovation capacity, launches new technologies, and builds partnerships to enhance health care delivery.
The VHVS program includes a Hackathon, Make-a-thon, and Accelerator in Year 1, followed by piloting and scaling in Year 2. This structure ensures VISN 8 projects receive the mentorship, resources, and support needed to evolve from concepts into practical, deployable solutions.
Highlights from the 2025 Veterans Health Hackathon
The 2025 Hackathon energized VISN 8 with over 350 participants collaborating across 17 VISNs and more than 100 VA and community organizations. Teams competed across three critical tracks:
- Timely Access to Care
- Optimizing Enterprise-wide Costs and Operational Efficiency
- Improving Community Care Coordination
Judged by 17 experts, nine winning teams emerged, showcasing innovative solutions ranging from appointment scheduling portals to AI-powered referral management tools. VISN 8 proudly claims several winners and finalists from its regional facilities, reflecting a strong culture of innovation dedicated to Veteran-centered care.
VISN 8 Teams Advancing to the Make-a-thon
Seventeen teams—comprising the nine Hackathon winners and eight additional rigorously selected projects—will advance to the Make-a-thon. These teams represent a powerful cross-section of VISN 8 expertise, including:
Timely Access to Care
- Bravo Zulu Health – Streamlines appointment and test scheduling into a single portal to reduce missed care and cancellations.
- Antonio Romero, C.W. Bill Young VAMC
- Onelis Cardona Lorenzo, Malcolm Randall VAMC
- SPEED Access Care – Uses AI to screen high-risk symptoms, preventing delayed diagnoses and guiding provider routing.
- Claudia Legaspi, C.W. Bill Young VAMC
- Alysa Werkheiser-Quillen, James A. Haley VAMC
- Sylvia Santiago-Rodriguez, James A. Haley VAMC
- Dana Glenn, James A. Haley VAMC
- Yolanda Showers, James A. Haley VAMC
- CareBridge – Empowers Veterans and providers with real-time access to care plans, discharge summaries, and chatbot support.
- Referral IQ – Enhances consult completeness through AI pre-validation against service line rules.
- Pedro Diaz-Rosario, San Juan VAMC
- Jorge Montanez, San Juan VAMC
- Grace Cruz-Lamboy, San Juan VAMC
- PIVOT – Reduces no-shows and boosts engagement via an AI hub enabling appointment rescheduling across preferred channels.
- Richard Paul, Orlando VAMC
- Erin Bohannon-Chenault, James A. Haley VAMC
Optimizing Costs and Efficiency
- VA Resource Allocation Mapping (VA R.A.M.) – Tracks medical supply inventories using AI to limit waste from surpluses and expirations.
- Farrah Noronha, Orlando VAMC
- Robert Eaton, Malcolm Randall VAMC
- autoVAte – Streamlines ePAS workflows with AI-driven assessment, triaging, and auto-approval.
- Ashley Rush, Orlando VAMC
- Candace McNulty, Orlando VAMC
- Catherine Javellana, Malcolm Randall VAMC
- CareNav – Reduces misdiagnosis by suggesting CPT/ICD codes from clinical notes using AI.
- Nitza Robles Sanchez, James A. Haley VAMC
- Hayley Stevenson, James A. Haley VAMC
- Exit Strategy – Improves discharge planning and clinical capacity through a real-time dashboard.
- Alexandra Kennedy, James A. Haley VAMC
- Hope Hunter, James A. Haley VAMC
- Improving Outcomes – Uses a digital CHF tool to promote adherence and monitor patient weight, reducing readmissions.
- David Beck, James A. Haley VAMC
- Mohamad Anas Sukkari, Malcolm Randall VAMC
- Caitlyn Morley, Thomas H. Corey VAMC
Enhancing Community Care Coordination
- Mission Fax Impossible – Automates community care records management to reduce treatment delays.
- Edward Martin, Malcolm Randall VAMC
- Edward Martin, Malcolm Randall VAMC
- Laser Focus – Increases referral transparency through AI-powered document scanning and validation.
- Jessica DelleChiaie, James A. Haley VAMC
- Gilberto Balderas, Orlando VAMC
- Carlos Gonzalez-Rodriguez, San Juan VAMC
- Rafael Giraud Carcano, San Juan VAMC
- Mia Lind Correa, San Juan VAMC
- Care Continuity – Provides Veteran-focused tracking with real-time views, AI alerts, and secure messaging.
- Karen Cionci, James A. Haley VAMC
- Karen Cionci, James A. Haley VAMC
- Care Ninjas – Integrates a scalable mobile and MyHealtheVet referral tracker to build Veteran trust.
- Tiffany Anthony, James A. Haley VAMC
- Angela Rozar, James A. Haley VAMC
- Catherine Clark Martin, James A. Haley VAMC
- Sandra Dompkosky, Thomas H. Corey VAMC
- Michele Laney, James A. Haley VAMC
- Care Connect – Streamlines prescribing with pharmacist-led, standardized intake and secure messaging.
- Michael Pitter, Orlando VAMC
- Charmaine Leighton‑Stewart, James A. Haley VAMC
- Shadow PACT – Preserves care continuity by scanning provider notes with AI for clinical triggers and auto-generating information packets.
The Path Forward: Make-a-thon and Beyond
The Make-a-thon will begin with an immersive bootcamp, providing teams with training, mentorship, and strategic support to refine their solutions into functional prototypes ready for pilot testing across VISN 8 and the broader VA system. This phase is designed to align leadership, cultivate innovation, and prepare high-potential projects for sustainable impact.
VISN 8’s innovators have already benefited from nearly 5,000 person-hours of training, demonstrating their readiness to deliver transformative solutions that enhance Veteran care and operational efficiency.
Collaboration Powering VISN 8 Innovation
The Make-a-thon thrives on collaboration among VA leadership, the Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning, The American Legion, and Microsoft. Microsoft plays a pivotal role by providing comprehensive training, and mentorship, empowering teams to accelerate their innovations.
These partners serve as Advisory Council members and expert faculty, guiding VHVS’s strategic vision and working closely with teams throughout the Make-a-thon to refine and validate solutions. This collective expertise ensures VISN 8’s innovations are positioned for meaningful, scalable impact throughout the VA.