There’s no scientific evidence linking the emergence of fifth-generation wireless technologies to COVID-19 or cancer, the Veterans Affairs Department’s Dr. Ryan Vega confirmed Tuesday.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other risks as 5G comes to fruition inside America’s hospitals. So, as an early federal adopter, VA is proceeding thoughtfully, he said, to ensure the heaps of new attack vectors that come with it don’t put patients in harm's way.
“I think we're going to see more impact on actually how we experience health care, with little concern to our own individual health," Vega told Nextgov at the first session of Government Executive Media Group’s 5G Futures series.
As the VA’s chief officer for health care innovation and learning, Vega has a front seat view to the department’s three ongoing 5G-centered deployments. He provided new context on those, combatted some health-related falsehoods surrounding the evolving technology—and teased fresh pursuits surfacing on the department’s horizon.
Exploring the Possibilities
The VA’s 5G journey kicked off early last year, with the launch of Project Convergence at its Palo Alto Healthcare System in California. Through that effort, a Verizon-made 5G network underpins officials’ experimentation with clinically relevant products and applications from Microsoft and Medivis. Even from the earliest days, Vega emphasized, efforts have been made to guarantee the pursuit is not technology-centric.
“We really want to build a veteran-centric health system, and ensure that their experience, their outcomes, are front and center. So the technology will enable us to get there, but it's about putting them front and center,” Vega said. “And then equally, [for ..
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