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SoldierStrong will donate a robotic exoskeleton to the VA Augusta HealthCare System in Augusta, Ga., later this month, marking the 30^th such donation in 10 years as the national nonprofit continues to fulfill its mission to help injured veterans take their next steps forward in life, chairman and co-founder Chris Meek announced today.

Robotic exoskeletons, dubbed the “SoldierSuit” by SoldierStrong, aid in the rehabilitation of veterans who have spinal or traumatic brain injuries and can help a paralyzed person stand and walk again while using the device. The VA Augusta HealthCare System will host a donation ceremony, with a live demo of the technology, at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, April 26 at its downtown campus at 950 15th Street.

SoldierStrong purchased the Ekso Indego Therapy device from Ekso Bionics, an industry leader in exoskeleton technology for medical and industrial use.

“We are honored to be joining forces with Ekso Bionics to provide revolutionary technologies and innovative advancements to improve the lives of veterans and their families at no cost,” Meek said. “The Ekso Indego Therapy will bring much needed rehabilitation support to our valued veterans within their homes enabling them to achieve mobility freedom that they deserve.”

He continued, “SoldierStrong is proud of the legacy we have created in the last 10 years of delivering exoskeleton devices to the veteran community. We are continually inspired by the outpouring of support we receive from supporters, partners, the VA, clinicians and physicians, and, most importantly, veterans from across the country. We fundamentally believe that the work we carry out is not only life-changing to individual veterans and their families but that it helps to fulfill the obligation that all Americans share to support military members and veterans.”

Robert Reeder, associate director at the Augusta VA Medical Center, said the donation “will transform the lives of our Veterans in both the home and community settings.”

“These clinically proven robotic exoskeleton devices enable our nation’s heroes to stand and walk again. The lightweight, modular design and slim profile are compatible with most wheelchairs which makes it a game changer for a lot of paralyzed or disabled veterans,” Reeder said.

Ekso Indego Therapy is a customizable and FDA-cleared lower-limb powered exoskeleton worn around the waist and legs that enables individuals paralyzed from certain spinal cord injuries and stroke to stand and walk. It also gives clinicians the ability to provide highly individualized gait therapy. SoldierStrong is currently the only non-profit with a mission to deliver the Ekso Indego Therapy to Veterans Affairs medical facilities and individual veterans across the country.

SoldierStrong’s mission is to provide revolutionary medical technology, innovative advancements and educational opportunities to veterans as they strive to take their next steps forward in life. Since its inception in the wake of the tragic events of 9/11, SoldierStrong has donated more than $5.4 million in revolutionary medical technologies to help injured veterans.

Media interested in learning more about the ceremony or the exoskeleton’s use at VA Augusta’s Spinal Cord Injury Unit can contact Will Martin, VA Augusta Chief of Public Affairs, at William.Martin6@va.gov. Media interested in learning more about the work carried out by SoldierStrong can contact Eric Woolson at ewsoolson@theconceptworks.com.

About SoldierStrong
SoldierStrong helps American patriots literally take their next steps forward. Through educational scholarships and by harnessing the most innovative technology in advanced rehabilitation, we help returning service men and women continue moving in the only direction they should know – forward. Nearly every dollar SoldierStrong receives goes toward support of American patriots so that they can re-acclimate to civilian life. Our organization works to remind veterans who have sacrificed so much that we are forever thankful. For more information, visit https://www.soldierstrong.org/

About Ekso Bionics®
Ekso Bionics® is a leading developer of exoskeleton solutions that amplify human potential by supporting or enhancing strength, endurance and mobility across medical and industrial applications. Founded in 2005, the Company continues to build upon its industry-leading expertise to design some of the most cutting-edge, innovative wearable robots available on the market. Ekso Bionics is the only known exoskeleton company to offer technologies that range from helping those with paralysis to stand up and walk, to enhancing human capabilities on job sites across the globe. The Company is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area and is listed on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “EKSO.” For more information, visit: www.eksobionics.com or follow @EksoBionics on Twitter.

VA Augusta Health Care System 
The VA Augusta Health Care System provides outstanding health care, trains America’s future health care providers, and conducts important medical research. Its five locations serve northeast Georgia and western South Carolina. The Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Downtown Augusta provides primary care and specialty health services, including mental health services, physical therapy and rehabilitation, spinal cord injury treatment, and more. Other facilities in the system include the Augusta VA Medical Center – Uptown and three community-based outpatient clinics in Athens and Statesboro, Georgia; and Aiken, South Carolina. For more information, visit https://www.va.gov/augusta-health-care/

SoldierStrong, a national nonprofit committed to helping America’s military veterans take their next steps forward in life, has named Mike Premi as the organization’s chief technology officer, co-founder and chairman Chris Meek said today.

“Mike Premi brings a unique skill set and perspective to SoldierStrong. We’re very fortunate that he’s chosen to join us after more than 26 extraordinarily successful years at Intel and his service in the U.S. Navy,” Meek said. “We’re looking forward to seeing him put his passion for developing new technology solutions that improve peoples’ lives to work at SoldierStrong as we continue our mission to connect veterans with revolutionary medical technology to help them move forward.”

Premi led software innovation programs spanning internet security, education, medicine, user experiences, and artificial Intelligence at Intel, which is one of the world’s largest semiconductor chip manufacturers by revenue. His most rewarding projects were leading a portfolio of virtual reality projects, including building simulators for medical training and surgery, driver training, disaster preparedness, clinical trials for pain management, and working with University of Southern California Professor Dr. Albert “Skip” Rizzo on Project Bravemind, which is a virtual reality system that aids clinicians who treat veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress.

Prior to Intel, Premi was a U.S. naval officer, deploying to the Persian Gulf and Central America aboard the guided missile frigate USS Crommelin. While on shore duty, Premi served at the Tactical Advanced Computer Office and was awarded the General Services Administration “Hammer” Award by the Vice President of the United States for saving taxpayers more than $6 million by innovating Department of Defense information technology procurements.

As a Veteran of Foreign Wars Legacy Life Member, Mike has led volunteer projects to help US Veterans and their families, earning the Intel Involved Global Hero award. Upon his retirement in April 2023 he is transitioning to Non-Profit leadership as an Intel Encore Fellow.

Premi has a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Southern California, and an MBA from Babson College. He holds two U.S. patents in security software. He lives in Portland, Ore., where he and wife Malia raised Ryan, a software engineer at Google and Sarina, a choreographer and fitness instructor.

The $20 million grand challenge aims to reduce Veteran suicides

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VA today announced the 10 winners of Mission Daybreak, a $20 million grand challenge to reduce Veteran suicide. Mission Daybreak is part of VA’s 10-year strategy to end Veteran suicide through a comprehensive, public health approach.

VA launched the multiphase challenge in May 2022, receiving more than 1,300 concept submissions in Phase 1 from Veterans, Veteran Service Organizations, community-based organizations, health tech companies, startups and universities.

“Our Veterans need and deserve suicide prevention solutions that meet them where they are, rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach, and that’s exactly what Mission Daybreak has delivered,” said VA Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal, M.D. “By drawing on a range of focus areas and life experiences, the Mission Daybreak winners have developed innovations that will save Veterans lives—and there’s nothing more important than that.”

Winners awarded for their innovative suicide prevention solutions

The multidisciplinary judging panel—representing a diversity of perspectives, from Veterans and clinicians to social workers and technical experts—evaluated submissions from the 30 finalists in Phase 2. The panel recommended the 10 winners based on the official evaluation criteria.

The two first-place winners will each receive $3 million:

• Stop Soldier Suicide’s “Black Box Project” is a technology solution that identifies and analyzes data from digital devices of Veterans who died by suicide to develop machine learning models that can identify never-before-known risk patterns. Paired with evidence-based, suicide-specific intervention services, the Black Box Project will accelerate precision methodologies in suicide prevention for the Veteran community.
• Televeda’s “Project Hózhó” is the first mental health app and comprehensive operational plan for American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) populations. Televeda designed the tool in partnership with AIAN and Veteran communities for Navajo Veterans with plans to adapt and expand for use with other tribes. The solution incorporates traditional healing practices like storytelling and talking-circle interventions to reduce Veteran suicide and improve access to VA resources.

The three second-place winners will each receive $1 million:

• ReflexAI is an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tool that can help the Veterans Crisis Line train and maintain a team of responders that can meet the needs of every Veteran who reaches out. The tool utilizes a three-pronged approach of simulation, feedback, and quality assurance, which is nationally recognized as an innovative and responsible use of AI in crisis services.
• Sentinel is a mobile app designed to reduce Veteran suicide by encouraging safe storage of firearms. The application integrates smart firearm and medication locking devices with a Veteran-specific learning and community support network that facilitates strong connections with other Veterans, family and friends.
• Battle Buddy is a virtual human-led mental health and wellness application that promotes resiliency among Veterans at risk for suicide. The application’s interactive, conversational AI utilizes content from VA’s Suicide Safety Planning program during brief daily check-ins with Veterans. The mobile application will also connect with wearable sensors to leverage sleep, exercise, and other health signals. Battle Buddy is a partnership between the USC Institute for Creative Technologies and the SoldierStrong Foundation.

The five third-place winners will each receive $500,000:

• Even Health’s “Cabana®” is a virtual reality-based group support platform for Veterans who have survived a suicide attempt. The solution adapts an established support group model shown to reduce suicide and associated factors as well as increase resilience and a sense of belonging.
• NeuroFlow is a two-sided technology platform that offers Veterans tailored resources and digital care 24/7 while measuring their evolving behavioral health needs to inform care teams of potential crises before they happen. Providing virtual and in-person support for Veterans who would typically fall through the cracks, NeuroFlow assesses and triages Veterans and caregivers to get them to the right level of behavioral health care and community services based on their available benefits, geography and clinical presentation.
• Overwatch Project is a peer-based intervention program that empowers Veterans to intervene with at-risk buddies, offering to temporarily hold onto their guns or take protective storage measures before it is too late. This comprehensive program includes training, community engagement and communications initiatives crafted in a direct, authentic Veteran voice. The Overwatch Project, an initiative of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit FORGE, aims to transform the conversation about firearms and suicide prevention through an approach modeled after the “Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk” campaign.
• OxfordVR’s “gameChange,” a digital therapeutic with the Food and Drug Administration’s Breakthrough Device designation, treats severe social isolation, which is a precursor to suicidal thoughts and behavior, and is common to PTSD, psychosis and severe depression. Through virtual reality, gameChange offers an immersive and scalable opportunity to treat Veterans where they are before a crisis moment.
• Team Guidehouse’s data platform integrates social determinants of health and social media data into the health record and an external dashboard to identify Veterans at risk in real time; it also provides actionable insights for suicide prevention. Team Guidehouse is a partnership between Red Hat and Philip Held, Ph.D., Rush University Medical Center.

Following Mission Daybreak, VA may engage with select solutions through contracts, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), or other partnership vehicles.

Using open innovation to foster solutions capable of preventing suicide on a large scale

Open innovation challenges like Mission Daybreak can accelerate the development of solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems. By providing no-strings-attached financial and non-financial incentives, facilitating partnerships and mentorship, and even helping to secure commercial commitments, open innovation can shepherd and speed novel ideas to become viable prototypes. The finalists participated in a virtual accelerator program designed to help them develop ambitious but achievable roadmaps for prototyping, iteration, testing and evaluation.

To learn more, visit missiondaybreak.net.

SoldierStrong has been named a winner in Mission Daybreak, a $20 million U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs grand challenge to reduce Veteran suicides. In Mission Daybreak, SoldierStrong partnered with the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies as part of team Battle Buddy. As a second place winner, Battle Buddy will receive $1 million.

SoldierStrong and USC-ICT were recognized for their efforts to advance the use of technology to prevent suicide through Battle Buddy, a virtual human-led mobile mental health and wellness application. This interactive, embodied conversational agent leverages content related to the VA’s Safety Planning program embedded within brief daily check-ins with veterans. The Virtual Human will also allow veterans to opt-in to connect their wearable sensors to the app, leveraging sleep, exercise, vocal analytics and other sensed signals to their overall well-being.

Following Phase 1, 30 challenge finalists each received $250,000 and advanced to the Phase 2 virtual accelerator program, which helped them develop ambitious but achievable roadmaps for prototyping, iteration, testing, and evaluation. Technology partners supporting the accelerator included Amazon and Microsoft. In November 2022, finalists had the opportunity to speak about their solutions with challenge judges and representatives from VA, VSOs, Capitol Hill, and policy institutes at Demo Day, held at the Samsung Executive Briefing Center in Washington, D.C.

The multidisciplinary judging panel — representing a diversity of perspectives, from Veterans and clinicians to social workers and technical experts — evaluated submissions from the 30 finalists in Phase 2. The panel recommended the 10 winners based on the official evaluation criteria.

Following Mission Daybreak, VA may engage with select solutions through contracts, Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), or other partnership vehicles.

Visit MissionDaybreak.net for more information on the challenge.

SoldierStrong is honored to announce a partnership with the Tucson, Ariz., manufacturer Bottle Breacher to provide critical state-of-the-art technology to treat veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress.

Money raised through the effort will fund SoldierStrong’s efforts to donate BraveMind virtual reality software and hardware systems to Veterans Affairs medical centers. Chris Meek, who co-founded SoldierStrong after his experiences at Ground Zero on Sept. 11, 2001, said it costs $15,000 to place the BraveMind program at a single VA hospital.

“Five VA hospitals have expressed an immediate need for the technology. We owe it to our nation’s heroes to ensure the VA can provide critical mental health treatment to those who have defended our freedom,” Meek said.

The Bravemind system, developed by the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies, delivers prolonged exposure therapy. This evidence-based treatment method allows therapists to recreate the scene of the veteran’s troubling memory in a virtual reality headset. It safely enables the veteran to relive and deconstruct that memory with the aid of a licensed therapist to better cope with the trauma it created.

Bottle Breacher owners Amber and Mike Wall said their 20 years working in the corporate world fueled their desire to own their own business and to help America’s veterans. “We understand what it takes to produce meaningful results, and why it’s important to support nonprofits that do the same thing. SoldierStrong produces results and changes lives with every donation,” Amber Wall said. “Those are just two reasons why we’re passionate about SoldierStrong’s BraveMind program, which helps veterans living with PTS.”

Mike Wall said their company, which specializes in .50 caliber shell bottle openers in a variety of finishes, colors and themes handcrafted by veterans, is partnering with SoldierStrong through the end of the year to donate up to 15 percent of all purchases through their website, bottlebreacher.com, that use the promo code “SoldierStrong.”

Meek praised the Walls’ commitment to employing veterans and their desire to give back to America’s servicemen and women. “SoldierStrong is enthusiastic about partnering with and supporting veteran-focused businesses,” he said. “The Walls and Bottle Breacher are having a positive impact not just on the veterans they employ and American manufacturing, but also on the community of military veterans all across the country. The same integrity and dedication that its people devote to their work will make a difference in the lives of veterans recovering from the debilitating effects of post-traumatic stress. It’s a true honor to have the support of and partnership with Bottle Breacher to benefit the lives and mental health of our veterans.”

To date, SoldierStrong has donated 24 BraveMind systems and other state-of-the-art medical technologies valued at more than $5.2 million to medical facilities across the country. The nonprofit’s goal is to make the BraveMind technology available to veterans in all 50 states.