HSR&D Holds 2009 National Meeting

H. Gilbert Welch, MD, MPH received the 2009 Under Secretary's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Health Services Research. Pictured from left to right: Under Secretary Kussman; Robert Walton, Director, White River Junction VAMC; Dr. H. Gilbert Welch; and HSR&D Director Seth Eisen.

"Defining Optimal Care: Balancing Quality, Cost, and Patient Preferences" was the theme of the 27th Health Services Research and Development Service (HSR&D) National Meeting held February 11-13, 2009 in Baltimore, MD. This year's theme was chosen to reflect the challenges faced by VA leadership and HSR&D researchers when implementing and evaluating healthcare for Veterans. Hosted by HSR&D's Center for Clinical Management Research, the Meeting was attended by more than 660 policymakers, clinicians, and researchers. Eighty-two papers, 18 workshops, and 125 posters were presented on vital healthcare issues, such as: chronic illness, vulnerable populations, mental health, economic analysis, as well as long-term care, which is of particular importance for many wounded Veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Key HSR&D accomplishments were highlighted in Thursday's opening plenary session remarks, delivered by HSR&D Director Seth Eisen, MD, MSc. Dr. Eisen noted that HSR&D:

• supports more than 300 projects,
• devotes more than 50% of its portfolio to investigations targeting issues that impact quality of care,
• has mentored more than 50 HSR&D Career Development Awardees during the past year, and
• has seen a 25% increase in funding over the past three years.

Additional meeting highlights included remarks by VA's Under Secretary for Health Michael Kussman, MD, MS, MACP. Dr. Kussman thanked the attending researchers for contributing to VA's mission to provide “the best care anywhere,” and asked the audience, “What can we all do to make VA research better?” He also encouraged attendees to consider the new administration's priorities when planning their research agendas, paying specific attention to postdeployment health and mental health. Dr. Kussman further emphasized that VA's Central Office, in concert with new Secretary of Veterans Affairs, General Eric Shinseki, stands behind its support of and commitment to improving Veterans' health through VA's research efforts.

Dr. Kussman then presented two of VHA's highest honors: H. Gilbert Welch, MD, MPH received the Under Secretary's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Health Services Research, and Shirley Meehan, MBA, PhD, HSR&D Deputy Director, received VA's Exemplary Service Award—the highest honor bestowed by the Office of the Under Secretary.

Dr. Joel Kupersmith, VA's Chief Research and Development Officer, spoke of the impressive quality of research within VA's HSR&D Service, noting VA's significant leadership role in the field of health services research.

Dr. Kupersmith also mentioned future directions for HSR&D research, including: interventional healthcare studies, rural health, health disparities, women's health, and information technology in the form of the secure, clinically-rich databases being developed by the Consortium for Healthcare Informatics Research (CHIR) and the Veterans' Informatics, Information, and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI). He closed his remarks by emphasizing that HSR&D researchers are well-positioned to contribute to the new administration's healthcare reform discussions.

Nicole Lurie, MD, MSPH, Director of Population Health and Health Disparities and Co-Director of the Center for Domestic and International Health Security at the RAND Corporation, gave the keynote address. Dr. Lurie's talk focused on the rapidly changing healthcare environment and the implications for research. Her thoughts on the topic were of particular interest given her recent role as a member of President Obama's Transition Project's Agency Review Working Group, for which she assessed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Under Secretary's Award in Health Services Research

H. Gilbert Welch, MD, MPH is the recipient of the 2009 Under Secretary's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Health Services Research. Dr. Welch's successful research career includes substantive contributions in the areas of technology assessment, health policy, and understanding the benefits and harms of early diagnosis. His research in all of these areas has helped VA policymakers understand the impact of adopting new technologies or broader disease definitions.

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