Veterans Affairs Executive Director Joseph P. Vaughn Receives 2022 FedHealthIT Innovation Award for Real-Time Suicide Prevention Efforts

Award highlights Suicide Prevention Manager (SPM) implementation at the VA Salisbury Health Care System

JUNO BEACH, Fla. (June 9, 2022) — Document Storage Systems, Inc. (DSS, Inc.), a leading provider of health information technology (HIT) solutions for federal, private and public health care organizations, today announced that Joseph P. Vaughn, executive director, Veterans Affairs Memphis Health Care System, has been selected as a 2022 FedHealthIT Innovation Award winner for leading suicide prevention efforts at VA Salisbury Health Care System.

The award titled, “Real-Time Suicide Prevention Technology Platform - Suicide Prevention Manager (SPM),” honors Joseph P. Vaughn, executive director, currently at VA Memphis Health Care System, for his role in implementing the DSS Iconic Data Suicide Prevention Manager (SPM)™ solution.

As a result of the SPM implementation at the VA Salisbury Health Care System, the efficiency of suicide prevention care monitoring activities was significantly improved and the probability of missing a critical care event was reduced. The time to carry out several workflows was also reduced by 80 percent. Consistent with High Reliability Organizations (HRO) principles, the facility dramatically improved its situational awareness using real-time data – enabling them to deliver better care and enhance its overall suicide prevention performance measures.

“We are honored to spotlight Joseph P. Vaughn’s visionary role in helping to advance real-time suicide prevention efforts at the VA Salisbury Health Care System,” said Mark Byers, president of DSS, Inc., and 2022 FedHealth IT Hall of Fame Inductee. “Suicide prevention is at the heart of overall Veteran safety, and we are excited to be playing a part in advancing this effort at the VA Salisbury Health Care System.”

SPM also helped to not only deliver highly reliable suicide prevention care for Veterans but played a role in retaining key employees by improving the efficiency of several workflows – saving valuable team member time and improving the employee experience.

The solution offers a clinical business intelligence engine that allows for the observation of Veterans who have been identified to be at-risk for suicide, and to identify, in real-time, potential defects in the Veteran’s care that may require intervention. The System also supports the VA’s overall journey to be an HRO.

With real-time push notifications, SPM leverages the power of timely data and process automation to protect patients at high risk for suicide. The SPM platform monitors suicide prevention care pathways and streamlines suicide prevention coordinator workflows – permitting easy identification of items requiring attention and saving valuable time. 

Selected by a panel of current and former federal and industry leaders from across the Federal IT sector, the award was celebrated at the 8th Annual FedHealthIT Innovation Awards and Networking Reception, which took place on June 7 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

To learn more about the DSS Iconic Data Suicide Prevention Manager (SPM)™, please click here. For more information on DSS, Inc.’s Federal Health IT solutions, please click here. 

About Iconic Data Inc.

Iconic Data Inc. provides hospital information system integrated software solutions that help healthcare provider organizations deliver highly reliable care via standardized workflows, data visualization tools and analytics that together lead to reduced care variation and the ability to continuously monitor processes, performance, and outcomes.

About Document Storage Systems, Inc. (DSS, Inc.)

With over 30 years of experience, DSS, Inc. knows what works. We are a health information software development and systems integration company, providing services and solutions used daily by thousands of clinicians and administrative staff nationwide, to reduce costs, streamline workflows and improve patient care. For more information about DSS, Inc. visit www.dssinc.com.