VA partners with Healium to launch nation’s largest in-home VR mental health initiative for veterans

A Missouri-built digital health platform is working with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to deploy more than 700 in-home virtual reality (VR) mental wellness kits — non-pharmacological tools that help veterans self-manage stress without visiting a clinic or doctor’s office.

Sarah Hill, Healium, center, accepts the Company Growth honor from Melissa Vincent, Pipeline, and Dick Flanigan, Digital Health KC, during the 2024 Lumi Awards presentation; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

“The world is craving new ways to heal,” said Sarah Hill, CEO of Healium. “We’re at a moment where the demand for mental wellness solutions is outpacing traditional care models.”

Hill’s platform uses immersive media and real-time biofeedback or neurofeedback to turn stress management into a relaxing, visual experience.

“Healium was designed for exactly this gap, delivering clinically validated, non-pharmacological tools that help people self-regulate in minutes,” said Hill. “It’s an honor to support VA in bringing this innovation directly into veterans’ homes.”

Setting up and distributing hundreds of virtual reality goggles in a short amount of time is no small feat, she said, noting deployment was made possible through the coordination of VA clinicians, the VA Immersive Team, engineers and technologists at Healium, and logistics experts at SoldierPoint Digital Health.

“Enabling veterans to receive the world-class healthcare and services they deserve is a core pillar of SoldierPoint Digital Health’s mission,” said Alexander Hamilton, director of program services for SoldierPoint, a company within GovCIO. “We are proud to partner with Healium to deliver a solution to the VA positively impacting veteran’s mental health.”

Stress-related challenges for veterans can include:

• Symptoms of PTSD experienced by as many as 1 in 3 veterans receiving VA care;
• Chronic sleep disturbances, including insomnia; and
• Anxiety and hyperarousal that can impact everything from daily functioning to medical procedures.

Research in multiple peer-reviewed journals shows Healium can reduce anxiety or improve mood in as little as four minutes.

Each VR kit deployed through the VA partnership also includes Honor Everywhere, a virtual tour program launched in 2013 that gives veterans who are unable to travel the opportunity to virtually visit memorials and other remembrance sites.

Immersive experiences include:

• Virtual visits to the World War II Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korea War Memorial, and Women’s Memorial narrated by veterans who served there.
• Guided tour of the USS Nimitz while at sea, allowing veterans to reconnect with naval history and service
• Guided tour of the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

The immersive journeys through Honor Everywhere offer not just nostalgia, but connection, reflection, and healing, Hill said.

Veterans interested in trying Healium at home should contact their VA provider.