Lisa Rubenstein, MD, MSPH received the Under Secretary's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Health Services Research at the Health Services Research & Development (HSR&D) Service 19th National Meeting , held in Washington, DC on February 14-16, 2001. Established in 1998, this award honors the highest level of achievement in VA health services research and recognizes an individual who has conducted research that significantly enhances understanding of the factors affecting the health of veterans or that has led to a major improvement in the quality of veterans' health care; has made a substantive contribution to the future by inspiring a new generation of investigators through excellence in training and mentorship; and has enhanced the visibility and reputation of VA research through national leadership.

Dr. Rubenstein's exemplary record demonstrates her unwavering commitment to veterans and to the improvement of VA health care. She is a prominent and active proponent of the translation of research findings into practice and combines her extensive practical knowledge of ambulatory care management with evidence-based interventions to facilitate positive changes in both VA and non-VA settings. Nationally recognized as a leader in the design and evaluation of systems to improve the quality of health care, Dr. Rubenstein has spearheaded the development of various innovative HSR methods, including functional status computer feedback, scale-based methods of quality of care and sickness assessment, and structured implicit review.

Dr. Rubenstein also effectively implemented outcomes research at the organizational level long before it became popular, and her success as Chief of Evaluation for the Pilot Ambulatory Care and Evaluation (PACE) project at the Sepulveda VA helped make that Center a national model for VA's critical shift toward primary care. She has served as Director of the HSR&D Center for the Study of Healthcare Provider Behavior, part of the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System, since 1994. HSR&D is fortunate to have Dr. Rubenstein as part of its team. Investigators with such expertise, talent and dedication are invaluable.