Overview of our Center

"The VA Research Program is the foundation for advancements in veterans' health care and represents the promise of a better life." James B. Peake, M.D., Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs

"To bring to the practice of medicine the most modern scientific advances from engineering, business, and the social sciences, and to foster the rapid dissemination into medical practice of the new knowledge created by research." -- Sam Regenstrief, April 7, 1967

Our Center is a local, regional and national resource to help leverage the VA's investment in healthcare quality improvement, information technology, and reengineering to ensure high quality, safe and effective routine medical care. In addition, the Center provides interdisciplinary postdoctoral training in health services research, medical informatics and patient safety, focused on implementation science, system redesign, and transformation.

The Center is growing and diverse, however, all center research studies share a common goal of fostering system change and improving care delivery, both within and outside the VA. Our research special emphasis areas (SEAs) include: Cancer Care, Healthcare Informatics, Systems Redesign, Organizational Change, Pain and Symptoms Management, Patient Safety, Severe Mental Illness Recovery, and Stroke Quality Enhanced Research Initiative (QuERI).

In working towards these priorities, Center core and affiliate investigators were involved in 62 total

research projects in FY 07.  VA applications approved in FY07 will result in the initiation of three new Investigator Initiated Research (IIR) Projects in FY08:

1) implementation in serious mental illness;
2) simulation for mental health systems implementation planning and;
3) improving sleep apnea in stroke patients. Additionally, three new research career development awards (RCDA) are either funded or expected.

Total active VA HSR&D projects in early FY 08 will include five IIRs and four RCDAs. In addition to this funding success, reorganization in this last year around research working groups has led to increased VA-sponsored research. Significant highlights include:

• Fundable scores for three investigator initiated research projects (Kuno, Salyers, and Bravata).

• Two RCDAs (Zillich, Schmid) and a fundable score for a third RCDA (Haggstrom) expected.

• AHRQ (Doebbeling) funding to identify effective strategies for integrating clinical decision support for colorectal cancer screening into workflow in VHA.

• The development of a human computer interaction and informatics laboratory.

• Participation on two knowledge management portal research collaboratives (VA, DoD, Kaiser,

Partners, and Regenstrief Institute, Inc), to foster spread of clinical decision support.

• Healthcare informatics projects initiated in human computer interaction, clinical decision support,

data mining, electronic text deidentification, simulation, and visualization of data.

• Moving the Stroke QuERI Coordinating Center and its core activities to Indianapolis.

• Creation of an effective system redesign LIP program with local VAMC leadership.

• Engagement in strategic planning and partnerships in system redesign and healthcare informatics with VA HSR&D, Office of Informatics, Patient Care Services and the national System Redesign program (10N).

Center investigators and trainees published 42 peer-reviewed articles, many in major general medical and health services research journals. Center investigators made 46 oral and poster presentations at various regional and national research conferences. Additionally, Dr. Frankel received national recognition from the American Academy on Communication in Healthcare for the impact his research has had on health care communication.

Center investigators are involved in leadership and service activities at the local facility ,VISN-level and national levels, including the VA National Pain Management Committee, National System Redesign Program, Regional FIX Collaboratives, Office of Quality & Performance, Office of Informatics, and Patient Care Services. Multiple Center faculty serve on the VA HSR&D Scientific Review & Evaluation Board, QuERI Research & Methodology Board, and SDP Review Boards.

Faculty also advise organizations like the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, CMS, CDC, and American Heart Association.

Finally, our training programs have continued to grow and attract attention. While successfully graduating two fellows this year, one of whom has received a fundable RR&D RCDA score, we have seven postdoctoral fellows. Center investigators developed new courses on Implementation Science and Patient Safety. Efforts in recruitment, development and educational programming have borne significant benefits and we are interviewing applicants for 2008.