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The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is opening its eyes and ears to small businesses and new technology. Frederick Downs, Jr., chief prosthetics and clinical logistics officer in the VA Office of Prosthetics and Clinical Logistics, discussed the new VA developments at a House Small Business Committee hearing.

According to Downs, in 2007, VA provided prosthetic services to more than 1,606,000 veteran patients. 97 percent of prosthetic and orthotic devices for veterans are provided by independent contractors, Downs said. In 2007, together with the VA laboratories, the contract prosthetic labs provided limbs or repairs to 11,023 veterans with amputations at a cost of more than $61,470,000. The VA is not like Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where patients sometimes end up using their own money for co-payments; the VA pays covers all patient costs, Downs said.

To maintain standards, each contractor lab must be certified by the American Board for Certification of Orthotics, Prosthetics, and Pedorthics (ABC), or the Board for Orthotist/Prosthetist Certification (BOC). Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.) said that there should be a single set of criteria for these companies to meet, not two different accrediting bodies like the ABC and BOC.

Accordings to Downs, the VA is building a closer relationship with the private sector. It holds an annual conference where small businesses can market their scientific presentations and products. Also, the VA, along with the Department of Defense (DoD), is giving new technology to veterans, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), which allow VA prosthetics staff to assist veterans with repairs even if the veterans have been moved across the country. This is particularly helpful because the DoD and VA records do not transfer electronically, Downs said. Also, the VA’s website now has 300,000 hits.