Cogitativo Joins the Veterans Health Administration to Address the Deferred Care Challenge Using AI Enabled Solution

(US and Canada) Cogitativo, a healthcare data science firm based in Berkeley, Calif., today announced that it is deploying its AI-enabled solution called Visión. This solution will help the VHA identify Veterans who are at greatest risk of acute clinical events. The deployment is in support of the VHA's latest initiative called Arches. Visión will also provide VHA clinicians with the insights they need to direct resources and manage conditions contributing to an individual's risk.

Visión is built on proven machine learning technologies that are helping large healthcare systems and agencies across America. By using this solution, the VHA will be able to provide better care and improve access to much-needed preventative clinical and social services.

"As the son of an Army Ranger and someone who has worked within the Veterans community for decades, I know that confronting our most overwhelming and costly healthcare challenges must be a top priority," said Gary Velasquez, CEO and co-founder of Cogitativo. "We are proud to work with the VHA on an innovative, data-driven solution that will benefit millions of Veterans and their providers while optimizing existing resources."

The effort comes as physicians and public health experts sound the alarm over the long-term consequences of missed screenings and treatment during the last 22 months of the pandemic. It will initially focus on VHA beneficiaries who have chronic conditions – specifically, those with cardiovascular disease, chronic kidney disease, or diabetes. In addition, Cogitativo is exploring future disease focus areas for Visión, such as mental health disorders and autoimmune diseases. 

Visión analyzes patient records through the lens of peer-reviewed literature on disease progression, social determinants of health and other relevant data sources. Cogitativo will use Visión to identify and rank the individuals in those cohorts who are most likely to require greater medical attention in the months and years ahead. This information will enable the VHA to proactively conduct outreach to the most at-risk VA beneficiaries and offer clear pathways to address their personal deferred care challenges.           

"As a nephrologist who spent years promoting access to preventative care for patients with chronic conditions, I commend the VHA for taking action on behalf of its beneficiaries and investing in innovative approaches that health systems across the country can learn from," said Dr. Meredith Mathews, Cogitativo Board Member and former Chief Medical Officer of Blue Shield of California. "Visión's analytic capabilities not only predict future outcomes for patients but can also provide insight into future utilization - which makes it a foundational data and analytics investment."