The Veterans Health Hackathon 2025 may be over, but the innovations it sparked are only getting started.
Organized by the Tampa VA Medical Center alongside The American Legion, Microsoft Artificial Intelligence Technology, and MIT Hacking Medicine, the event drew more than 400 participants representing more than 40 states and territories, all working together toward the sole mission of creating better health care for Veterans.
This year, the Orlando VA Healthcare System (OVAHCS) stood out nationally, with 20 participants including both hackers and mentors. In the category of Optimize Enterprise-wide Costs and Operational Efficiency, Farrah Noronha and the VA Resource Allocation Mapping (VA R.A.M.) team earned first place, while Candace McNulty and Ashley Rush contributed greatly to the autoVAte team helping them secure second place. Their achievements highlight the innovation and teamwork happening within Orlando VA to improve how the Department of Veterans Affairs operates.
Innovation Specialist and Hackathon Mentor Stephanie Sinnett, MS, RDN, from the OVAHCS praised their efforts: “It’s inspiring to see Orlando VA staff step up on a national stage and bring home both first and second place honors. Their success shows how innovation isn’t just about technology, it’s about people coming together to envision solutions that positively impact Veterans’ lives.”
First-place team member Farrah Noronha, System Redesign Specialist, reflected on the experience: “Being part of the VA R.A.M. team was an incredible opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from across the country and create a solution that can help us work smarter for our Veterans. Winning first place was an honor, but the real reward is knowing our ideas can make a difference.”
Second-place team member Candace McNulty, Nurse Manager of Float Pool and Nursing Innovation, shared, “The autoVAte team showed how powerful collaboration can be. Working side by side with professionals from across VA, we were able to bring fresh ideas to complex challenges.”
Her teammate Ashley Rush, Whole Health Clinical Director, added, “Together we created solutions that can truly help streamline operations for the benefit of Veterans. This year’s Hackathon proved that when you give talented staff the opportunity to innovate, the results can be transformative.”
Over the course of three days, hackers identified 282 different problems, formed 51 interdisciplinary teams, and dedicated 4,980+ hours of training on AI tool use, product development, and problem-solving. Teams focused on three tracks: Timely Access to Care, Optimizing Enterprise Operations, and Improving Community Care Coordination. After 81 feedback sessions, 17 independent judges evaluated each concept, with nine winning teams selected to move forward to the Makeathon for further validation and prototyping.
The Hackathon is the first step in a year-long innovation pipeline and is powered through public-private collaboration, pulling the best resources, tools, and talent from inside and out of VA to make a lasting impact. The nine winners of the 2025 Hackathon, as well as a select number of finalists with potentially viable solutions, will move on to the next steps in this pipeline.
Take a look at photos from this year’s Hackathon, and stay tuned as the winning teams continue developing their AI-powered ideas into fully functional prototypes.
Pictured in photo from left to right: Whole Health Clinical Director Ashley Rush, Nurse Manager of Float Pool and Innovation Candace McNulty, and System Redesign Specialist Farrah Noronha
Hansraj Raghunandan is the Public Affairs Specialist for Orlando VA Healthcare System.