VA’s 60-Day ATO Pathway: A Faster Door, Same Hallway
The VA is taking aim at one of the oldest barriers in federal health technology.
Getting new technology through the security authorization process.
VA has introduced an accelerated Authority to Operate pathway that allows information technology products, including artificial intelligence products, to receive an initial VA ATO within 60 days.
HOLLY SMOKES!
That is a meaningful change.
But here is where companies get it twisted.
What an ATO does—and what it does not do
An Authority to Operate addresses a security authorization requirement for a specific product, use, and environment.
It does not create clinical demand. It does not identify funding. It does not persuade a contracting officer to buy. It does not prove the technology fits the workflow. It does not build a champion inside the facility.
It clears one important gate.
It does not finish the race.
VA is also encouraging registered local artificial intelligence pilots. Facilities can test approved tools, report outcomes, and help inform whether proven applications should move toward broader adoption.
VA has also said it plans to favor off-the-shelf, general-use artificial intelligence tools when those products meet the need, rather than building every capability from scratch.
That should get the attention of technology companies looking at the VA.
The questions have not gone away
The opportunity is real, but the questions have not gone away.
What VA workflow are you improving?
Who owns that workflow?
What burden are you reducing?
What measurable outcome will the pilot produce?
What happens when the technology produces the wrong answer?
How does one successful pilot become a repeatable program?
Technology does not always stall because the VA is afraid to innovate.
Sometimes it stalls because the company brings a product demonstration when it needed to bring an adoption strategy.
Repeat this with me, “I can have the best tech since sliced bread, but it ain't going no where not time fast without a champion and adoption strategy.”
Live it, breathe it, and best believe it.
I've seen so many good ideas and intentions die on the vine because thought was not given to adoption.
A shorter runway does not fly the plane
The good news is that a 60-day initial ATO can shorten part of the runway.
It does not fly the plane.
The VA is signaling that it wants to move faster. Companies that understand security, clinical workflow, procurement, governance, and field execution may have a better opening.
The companies that show up with another shiny object and a generic capabilities deck will probably discover that a faster door still leads to the same hallway.
VA made a move. Next one is on you.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Building the Future: VA’s Strategy for Adopting High-Impact Artificial Intelligence to Improve Services for Veterans.”
Need help turning VA technology access into an adoption strategy? Talk with JhetVet about your VA opportunity.
