Please join us for a fireside chat with Dr. Carolyn Clancy, Deputy Under Secretary for Discovery, Education and Affiliate Networks, Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and Dr. Ryan Vega, Executive Director of the VHA Innovation Ecosystem in the VHA Office of Discovery, Education and Affiliate Networks, as they discuss with Moderator, Danielle Krakora, outgoing Entrepreneur in Residence for VHA Innovation Ecosystem, the framework and architecture of the Innovation Ecosystem and the role of Innovation during a pandemic.  They will also discuss how their organization responded and was prepared to deploy in support of the agency's covid response, and how this has impacted and changed the Innovation Ecosystem moving forward. Ms. Krakora will also share some of her experiences as an outgoing Entrepreneur in Residence and some details on the upcoming Innovation Ecosystem Virtual Experience in October.

Panelists:

Carolyn Clancy, MD
Deputy Under Secretary for Discovery, Education and Affiliate Networks (10X)
Veterans Health Administration

Dr. Clancy is the Deputy Under Secretary for Discovery, Education and Affiliate Networks. Prior to her current position, she served as the Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Organizational Excellence overseeing VHA’s performance, quality, safety, risk management, systems engineering, auditing, oversight, ethics and accreditation programs, as well as ten years as the Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. In 2015, Dr. Clancy was selected as the Outstanding Federal Executive of the Year by Disabled American Veterans.

Dr. Clancy, a general internist and health services researcher, is a graduate of Boston College and the University of Massachusetts Medical School. She holds an academic appointment at George Washington University School of Medicine and serves as Senior Associate Editor, Health Services Research. Dr. Clancy has contributed to eight academic text books and authored, co-authored and provided invited commentary in more than 225 scholarly journal articles. She served as member of the National Quality Forum, Board of Directors, as the Chair of the AQA Alliance and served on the Board of Governors, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. An elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, Dr. Clancy was most recently presented with the 2014 Quality Champion Award, National Committee for Quality Assurance and was also named as Honorary Fellow, American Academy of Nursing.

Ryan Vega, MD
Executive Director
VHA Innovation Ecosystem

Ryan Vega, MD, MSHA currently serves as the Executive Director of the VHA Innovation Ecosystem in the VHA Office of Discovery, Education and Affiliate Networks where he oversees the management of both grassroot and strategic innovation initiatives across VHA.

Dr. Vega is a graduate of the Louisiana State University School of Medicine and completed his Internal Medicine residency at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System where served as Chief Medicine Resident in the Department of Internal Medicine as well as the VA Chief Resident for Quality and Safety. He also gained additional training in clinical quality through the Advanced Training Program at Intermountain Health Care under the tutelage of Dr. Brett James and received his Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University where he was an A.D. Williams Scholar.

Moderator

Danielle Krakora (Confirmed), EMBA
SaaS/PaaS Product Manager, VA OI&T
Fellow, VHA Innovation Ecosystem, VA U.S. Army Combat Veteran

Danielle Krakora is a community leader, veteran advocate and innovative strategist working for the VA Office of Information and Technology and a Fellow with the VHA Innovation Ecosystem. Danielle is committed to improving the patient experience by modernizing systems with new technology and applying a principle-based approach to her leadership. She inspires others to realize their potential and encourages the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit in the people she mentors. She has held numerous positions during her seven-year tenure with the VA and is nationally recognized for her innovative work across the organization.
Danielle served in the U.S. Amy, assigned to the 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment and was deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom III from 2005-2006.  While deployed, Danielle wrote for numerous military and civilian publications, detailing the reality of combat through the eyes of a female medic.  She worked alongside an Army civil affairs unit to provide medical care to women and children in need. This work inspired her to develop a non-profit organization that accepted donations of clothing, shoes, and toys from U.S. businesses and churches that she delivered to the children of Iraq during humanitarian missions.

Shortly after returning home, Danielle transitioned into the Army Reserves and served numerous roles until leaving the Army in 2013 after nearly 10 years of exemplary service.  Danielle holds a B.S. and M.S. in health science from Cleveland State University and an Executive MBA from Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management.

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