Healthcare technology company Medtronic will install 115 Medtronic GI Genius AI endoscopy modules at VA medical facilities across the U.S., according to an Oct. 5 press release sent to Becker's.
Veterans will have access to AI technology that can accurately detect polyps during colonoscopy screenings.
VA hospitals nationwide perform an estimated 250,000 colonoscopies a year to detect polyps.
Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death among veterans, but the GI Genius module reduces missed polyps by 50 percent.
The GI Genius is installed at Richmond (Va..) McGuire VA Medical Center, and the other units will be placed by the VA's National Gastroenterology and Hepatology program office.
"We’re proud to give back to the men and women who have served our country by extending this powerful and proven tool in the fight against colorectal cancer," Geoff Martha, Medtronic's chairman and CEO, said in the release. "This contract with the VA underpins the critical role technology can play in the lives of patients and furthers Medtronic’s ongoing commitment to providing VA patients and physicians with innovative healthcare solutions."