VA issues AVAIL health technology solicitation with $650M ceiling
The Department of Veterans Affairs has issued an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity solicitation for healthcare technology research and development worth up to $650 million.
The contract vehicle, which is known as Accererating VA Innovation and Learning, or AVAIL, will be used to support the work of the Veterans Health Administration and the Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning at the department.
VA is looking for solutions that fall into five innovation category areas: personalized care, data transformation, digital care, immersive technology and care and service delivery models.
According to solicitation documents, the agency is hoping to use the contract to find subject matter expertise that can help develop and pilot novel solutions that can subsequently be scaled into clinical production.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has turned to technology, including artificial intelligence systems, to make incremental improvements to the experience of veterans as they progress through the VHA network, which is the largest integrated health care system in the U.S.
Earlier this year, FedScoop reported on an open-source AI tool that agency technology leaders are hoping could improve the diagnostic process for veterans with skin cancer.
The AI tool, which is being developed with private sector partners, is an image classifier that uses deep learning artificial intelligence models to sort images of skin lesions into seven common categories and recommend immediate follow-up care for those known to be malignant.
The Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning (OHIL) leads VHA efforts to design, develop, and test new healthcare solutions, services (including funding models) and care models of care that can advance VHA’s mission to provide world-class care and experience to veterans
