Dr. Robert L. Jesse
Award for Excellence in Innovation
Let’s work together to get them the recognition they deserve
Do you know someone who deserves to be recognized?
Each year, the Robert L. Jesse Award for Excellence in Innovation (also known as the Bob Jesse Award) honors a VA employee and a team or department who have implemented innovation within VA. The award recognizes and honors VA employees who have demonstrated excellence and enabled the discovery and spread of health care innovation that exceeds expectations, restores hope and builds trust.
Nominate an innovator for the Bob Jesse Award for Excellence in Innovation
VA employees can find the nomination guidelines and more information about the award in the award submission portal. Employees can also email VHAInnovation@va.gov with questions.
The submission portal will open on July 1, 2024, and the deadline for submission is August 14, 2024, at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.
Award winners will be announced at the 2024 Innovation Experience (iEX) conference.
Dr. Mark Holodniy is the director of VA’s Public Health Program Office and winner of the 2023 Bob Jesse Award for Excellence in Innovation, clinical category. Holodniy uses cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning to create robust predictive models which generate proactive responses VA can use when addressing emerging outbreaks or climate change-related health concerns faced by Veterans.
Dr. Indra Sandal is Chief of Innovation at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, FL, founder of the VHA-Uber Health Connect Initiative (VUHC), and winner of the 2023 Bob Jesse Award for Excellence in Innovation, non-clinical category. What started as a pilot project at 10 VA medical centers, VUHC has expanded to 68 new facilities across 18 states, providing eligible Veterans with supplemental transportation options to and from their medical care.
The Care, Treatment, Rehabilitative Service (CTRS) members Alan Trinh, Chanin Santini, John Kuhn, Matthew McGahran, Sally Hammitt and Dr. Steven Braverman are winners of the 2023 Bob Jesse Award for Excellence in Innovation, team category. The CTRS team provided wraparound health care and supportive services for Veterans experiencing homelessness in the Los Angeles area, resulting in over 50% of Veterans advancing to transitional or permanent housing.