Each year the VA Palo Alto Big Data-Scientist Training Enhancement Program (BD-STEP) hosts a "VA Data Bootcamp" conference to orient trainees to the VA's electronic health record databases and network of clinicians, researchers, and operational managers. Below is the schedule for the 2026 bootcamp. All sessions will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams; all times listed are Pacific. Attendance at the 2026 VA Data Bootcamp is limited to those at VA Palo Alto, Stanford University, and HSR CDA applicants.
Slides and recordings from 2026 will be available after the Bootcamp on the VA intranet only at http://vaww.herc.research.va.gov/include/page.asp?id=va-data-bootcamp-2026. We ask that you do not share these recordings or slides with others. Thank you.
| 8:30am - 9:00am |
Welcoming Remarks & Good Clinical Practices |
| 9:00am - 9:30am |
Access to VA Data: Requesting Data and Publication Protocols |
| 9:30am - 10:00am |
Introduction to VINCI |
| 10:00am - 10:30am |
Medicaid, Medicare, and Mortality |
| 10:30am - 11:00am |
VA Surgical Data |
| 11:00am - 11:30am |
Tips on Programming in VINCI: SAS, R, Stata |
| 11:30am - 12:00pm |
Obsevational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) Data |
| 8:30am - 9:00am |
VA Women's Health Data |
| 9:00am - 9:30am |
VA Laboratory Data |
| 9:30am - 10:00am |
VA Pharmacy Data |
| 10:00am - 10:30am |
Clinical Data Origins: How clinicians use CPRS and the effects on VA data quality |
| 10:30am - 11:00am |
Overview of Cerner |
| 11:00am - 11:30am |
VA Geriatrics and Extended Care Data |
| 11:30am - 12:00pm |
VA Cancer Data |
| 8:30am - 9:00am |
VA Purchased Care Data |
| 9:00am - 9:30am |
VA Mental Health Data |
| 9:30am - 10:00am |
VA Labor Data |
| 10:00am - 10:30am |
VA Telehealth Data |
| 10:30am - 11:00am |
DoD/DaVINCI Data |
| 11:00am - 11:30am |
VA Cost Data & Risk Adjustment |
| 11:30am - 12:00pm |
Other Documentation & Closing |
Last Updated Date: September 2, 2026
