Brynn Cole utilized a Human Centered Design (HCD) approach to redefine the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Collaborating across VA and the healthcare industry, Brynn co-created 11 solution concepts for VA's transformation.

 

HCD, focusing on sustainable change, involved radical collaboration with various stakeholders, including patients, families, colleagues, and external experts. Through in-depth interviews, listening sessions, and partnerships with community organizations, innovative care solutions were developed.

 

Brynn's team conducted comprehensive trend analysis, reviewing demographics, user experience data, literature, and laws to shape the ideal Veteran healthcare experience. Notably, the Care Cadre pilot addressed isolated rural Veterans' needs, providing in-home care-adjacent services and combating social isolation. Brynn actively shared progress through videos and newsletters, engaging supporters and potentially impacting millions of VA employees and Veterans. Her decade-long dedication to embedding HCD as a cultural competency within VA led to transformative outcomes.

 

As Director of Design and Storytelling for the Innovation Ecosystem, Brynn empowered others to become innovators, prioritizing inclusive representation of underserved populations. Her work, including the successful Care Cadre pilot and the Workforce Matters solution concept, sparked organizational transformation and inspired change within the VA.