The Latest from ActiveProtective
TIME BEST INVENTIONS 2026
Tango Belt Named a TIME Best Invention 2026
October 15, 2026
Tango Belt has been named to TIME’s list of Best Inventions 2026 in the Medical and Healthcare category. The honor recognizes Tango Belt, an FDA-authorized device for older adults diagnosed at high risk of major hip injury due to falls, among the year’s most transformative innovations. This recognition carries forward a belief held by our late co-founder and inventor, Dr. Robert F. Buckman Jr. that a fall should not result in a serious hip injury.
To everyone who placed their trust in this work: thank you. This simple idea became something that makes a real difference in patients’ lives and we are proud to carry Dr. Buckman’s vision forward.
WHITE PAPER
V-HIP (Veterans Hip Injury Prevention): A Strategy to Prevent 10,000 Fractured Hips a Year
By Secretary David J. Shulkin, MD, and Rebecca J. Tarbert, PT, DPT, GCS
August 12, 2026
In a new white paper, former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs David J. Shulkin, MD, and Rebecca J. Tarbert, PT, DPT, GCS, examine why hip fracture rates among male Veterans have continued to climb despite decades of investment in fall-prevention infrastructure and outline an evidence-based strategy for closing the gap between preventing falls and preventing the injuries that occur when a fall can’t be prevented.
Drawing on peer-reviewed research and VHA cost data, the paper introduces the V-HIP Program: a layered strategy designed to complement the VA’s existing fall prevention infrastructure with injury mitigation protection at the moment of impact.
Healthcare professionals will find a breakdown of Veteran-specific risk factors, an illustrative cost-avoidance model projecting up to $618 million in potential annual savings for VHA, and concrete recommendations for a phased, VISN-by-VISN rollout.
Download this free white paper to explore the data and evidence shaping the next layer of fall injury protection for those who served.
WEBINAR REPLAY
V-HIP (Veterans Hip Injury Prevention): A Strategy to Prevent 10,000 Fractured Hips a Year
Recorded September 23, 2026
Hip fractures remain one of the most devastating and costly injuries facing older Veterans, with mortality rates as high as 32%, and 50% of survivors unable to regain independent mobility. Despite decades of investment in fall prevention, incidence among male Veterans continues to rise. In this webinar, Dr. David Shulkin, Ninth U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, introduces V-HIP: a proposed strategy to build on existing fall-prevention efforts by addressing injuries when falls occur.
Watch the replay to hear Dr. Shulkin discuss the clinical and economic impact of hip injuries among Veterans, the role of injury mitigation, and a phased roadmap for bringing the V-HIP framework to VA networks nationwide.
PRESS RELEASE
New White Paper Outlines Strategy to Prevent 10,000 Veteran Hip Fractures a Year
August 13, 2026 | Conshohocken, PA
ActiveProtective today announced the publication of a new white paper, V-HIP (Veterans Hip Injury Prevention): A Strategy to Prevent 10,000 Fractured Hips a Year, by David J. Shulkin, MD, Ninth U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Rebecca J. Tarbert, PT, DPT, GCS, CLT. The paper calls on the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to add a final layer of protection for Veterans already known to be at high risk for hip fractures, extending care from fall prevention to the moment of impact.
Hip fractures are among the most serious injuries the VHA treats. One-year mortality following a hip fracture can reach 32% among male Veterans. Roughly 50% of survivors never regain independent ambulation, and one in four require long-term care placement. The VHA spends an estimated $43 million a year on excess hip fracture costs alone, a figure that does not include the downstream burden of rehabilitation, long-term care, and caregiver support.