Leading Federal Researchers

Collaborate to Improve

Veterans’ Health Care

For questions or additional copies contact:

R&D Communications (12)

103 South Gay Street, Ste. 517

Baltimore, MD 21202

(410) 962-1800 x223

research.publications@va.gov

Combining resources, experience, and ingenuity

to advance the health care of Veterans and the nation.

F E D E R A L R E S E A R C H

C O L L A B O R A T I O N

D I S C O V E R Y I N N O V A T I O N A D V A N C E M E N TA Message to Our Veterans

Leading Federal Researchers Collaborate to Improve Veterans’ Health Care

The Veterans Affairs (VA) Research and Development program has distinguisheditself for groundbreaking research achievements that directly advance the medicalcare of Veterans. However, to expand the scope and impact of VA research, we mustcollaborate, whenever possible, with others in the research community who shareour mission of improving health care. Partnering with others who have commonresearch interests allows VA to leverage resources and expand the impact of taxpayerinvestment in research. Additionally, through collaboration we are able to supportthe swift translation of medical findings into real-life strategies to make lifebetter for Veterans and all Americans.

Among VA’s committed partners in healthcare research are federal agencies such as theDepartment of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Health and HumanServices (HHS). Combined, the agencies’ resources and unique strengths haveproduced powerful results and offer great promise for future improvementsin Veterans’ health care.

A prime example of how VA and DoD are working together is the MillenniumCohort Study. This project, the largest of its kind to date, will track the healthof some 150,000 military personnel over more than 20 years. By providing crucialinformation about the long-term health effects of military service, the study aimsto enhance the health of future generations of service members and Veterans.

Our research partnership with HHS is exemplified by the recent ShinglesPrevention Study, which VA conducted in collaboration with the National Instituteof Allergy and Infectious Diseases—part of HHS’ National Institutes of Health. The study, one of the largest adult vaccine trials ever, involved more than 38,000

men and women at 22 sites across the United States,including 16 VA medical centers. The study found that an experimental vaccine could dramatically reduce the severity of shingles—a painful nerve andskin infection—and in many cases prevent the disease altogether. The vaccine is now available forVA patients and the nation.

This brochure will provide you with additionalexamples of the transforming impact of VA’s federal research collaborations.

Joel Kupersmith, M.D.Chief Research and Development OfficerDepartment of Veterans Affairs

2009

D I S C O V E R Y I N N O V A T I O N A D V A N C E M E N T D I S C O V E R Y I N N O V A T I O N A D V A N C E M E N T D I S C O V E R Y I N N O V A T I O N A D V A N C E M E N T D I S C O V E R Y I N N O V A T I O N A D V A N C E M E N T

Leading Federal Researchers

Collaborate to Improve

Veterans’ Health Care

For questions or additional copies contact:

R&D Communications (12)

103 South Gay Street, Ste. 517

Baltimore, MD 21202

(410) 962-1800 x223

research.publications@va.gov

Combining resources, experience, and ingenuity

to advance the health care of Veterans and the nation.

F E D E R A L R E S E A R C H

C O L L A B O R A T I O N

D I S C O V E R Y I N N O V A T I O N A D V A N C E M E N TA Message to Our Veterans

Leading Federal Researchers Collaborate to Improve Veterans’ Health Care

The Veterans Affairs (VA) Research and Development program has distinguisheditself for groundbreaking research achievements that directly advance the medicalcare of Veterans. However, to expand the scope and impact of VA research, we mustcollaborate, whenever possible, with others in the research community who shareour mission of improving health care. Partnering with others who have commonresearch interests allows VA to leverage resources and expand the impact of taxpayerinvestment in research. Additionally, through collaboration we are able to supportthe swift translation of medical findings into real-life strategies to make lifebetter for Veterans and all Americans.

Among VA’s committed partners in healthcare research are federal agencies such as theDepartment of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Health and HumanServices (HHS). Combined, the agencies’ resources and unique strengths haveproduced powerful results and offer great promise for future improvementsin Veterans’ health care.

A prime example of how VA and DoD are working together is the MillenniumCohort Study. This project, the largest of its kind to date, will track the healthof some 150,000 military personnel over more than 20 years. By providing crucialinformation about the long-term health effects of military service, the study aimsto enhance the health of future generations of service members and Veterans.

Our research partnership with HHS is exemplified by the recent ShinglesPrevention Study, which VA conducted in collaboration with the National Instituteof Allergy and Infectious Diseases—part of HHS’ National Institutes of Health. The study, one of the largest adult vaccine trials ever, involved more than 38,000

men and women at 22 sites across the United States,including 16 VA medical centers. The study found that an experimental vaccine could dramatically reduce the severity of shingles—a painful nerve andskin infection—and in many cases prevent the disease altogether. The vaccine is now available forVA patients and the nation.

This brochure will provide you with additionalexamples of the transforming impact of VA’s federal research collaborations.

Joel Kupersmith, M.D.Chief Research and Development OfficerDepartment of Veterans Affairs

2009

D I S C O V E R Y I N N O V A T I O N A D V A N C E M E N T D I S C O V E R Y I N N O V A T I O N A D V A N C E M E N T D I S C O V E R Y I N N O V A T I O N A D V A N C E M E N T D I S C O V E R Y I N N O V A T I O N A D V A N C E M E N T

• Studying Vitamin E and Selenium inProstate Cancer Collaboration with: HHS/National CancerInstitute (NCI)More than 40 VA sites and more than4,000 Veteran patients are participating in theSelenium and Vitamin E Cancer PreventionTrial–known as SELECT. The study willhelp determine if one or both of the dietarysupplements can play a role in preventingprostate cancer.

• Studying Intensive Treatment forAcute Renal FailureCollaboration with: HHS/National Instituteof Diabetes and Digestive and KidneyDiseases (NIDDK)In a large clinical study conducted in partner-ship with the National Institutes of Health’sNIDDK, VA tested whether more frequentdialysis is more effective than conventionaltreatment for patients with acute renal failure.The study found that more intensive treat-ment, such as dialysis six times a week insteadof three, failed to produce any added benefitfor patients with acute kidney injury.

• Improving Access to Care for AmericanIndian Veterans Collaboration with: HHS/Indian Health Service (IHS)

A VA study examined patternsof health care usage among Veteranseligible for care from both VA and IHS.The researchers analyzed barriers tocare—such as distances between VAand IHS facilities—and made specificrecommendations for improving accessto health care and boosting information-sharing between the two agencies.

Leading Federal Researchers

Collaborate to Improve

Veterans’ Health Care

Involving VA medical centers around thecountry, this research study will supportthe critical and final stages of design andengineering, as well as the clinical testing of theproduction arm. The VA research optimizationstudy design will itself be groundbreaking,serving as a future model for bringing advancedprosthetic devices from the research laboratoryinto daily use.

Since 2005, the Human Engineering ResearchLaboratories at the VA Pittsburgh HealthcareSystem and the University of Pittsburgh havebeen holding “state of the science” workshopsat Walter Reed Army Medical Center to shareknowledge on topics such as prosthetics,regenerative medicine, wheelchair technology,spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury.The events include roundtable discussionsaimed at improving coordination and collabo-ration between VA and DoD researchers.

• Exploring the Role of Virtual Realityin PTSD TreatmentVA researchers in Atlanta and Honoluluare participating in studies funded by DoD’s Office of Naval Research to test whether theuse of virtual reality technology can enhancethe effectiveness of prolonged-exposure therapyto treat PTSD. The researchers are developingand using virtual reality environments thatrecreate sights, sounds, sensations, and evensmells associated with OEF/OIF combat zones.

• Gaining Insight into Brain DisordersThe Neuroscience Center of Excellence at theSan Francisco VA Medical Center—a researchcollaboration between VA, DoD, and theNorthern California Institute for Research andEducation—focuses on improving diagnosisand treatment of traumatic brain injury,posttraumatic stress disorder, and other neuro-logical conditions faced by combat personnel.The program is among the first joint VA-DoDresearch efforts to focus on neuroscience.

• Studying the Effects of Explosions onHow the Brain Processes SoundIn collaboration with the Army Audiologyand Speech Center at Walter Reed ArmyMedical Center, VA researchers are investigat-ing “central auditory processing”—the wayspeech is interpreted into meaningfulmessages—in combat service members whohave been exposed to high-explosive blasts.The study aimsto determinewhat types ofinterventions maybe necessary forservice membersexposed to blastsby looking at howtheir central audi-tory processing may be affected andwhether—and to what extent—function isrecovered over time.

Department of Healthand Human ServicesAs the principal U.S. agency for protecting thehealth of Americans and providing essentialhuman services, the Department of Health andHuman Services (HHS) is a natural partner inVA’s mission. • Translating Research into Action for Diabetes

Collaboration with: HHS/Centers forDisease Control and Prevention (CDC)The Translating Research into Action forDiabetes (TRIAD) collaborative initiativebetween VA and CDC is a national study toexamine the quality of diabetes care withinVA and in several managed care organizations.Researchers will look at diabetes-relatedfactors including glycemic testing and control,eye exams, and foot care, with special atten-tion paid to organizational factors that affectthe delivery of care.

Department of DefenseThe Department of Defense (DoD) and VA share a commitment tohonoring those who have served ourcountry by providing the best quality care available. The two departments

have a number of health care-related objectivesin common and work closely to achieve a coor-dinated health care partnership. Collaborativeresearch projects cover a wide range of topics,including traumatic brain injury (TBI),polytrauma, prosthetics and amputation care,posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) andother mental health issues, and pain.

Among the successful projects undertakenby VA researchers in cooperation with their DoDcounterparts:• Focusing on Operation EnduringFreedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom(OEF/OIF) PrioritiesIn recent years, high-level planning andcoordination has occurred between VA andDoD on health matters relevant to OEF/OIFVeterans, including TBI. For example, theDefense and Veterans Brain Injury Center(DVBIC) is a DoD-VA collaboration thatensures state-of-the-art medical care for activeduty military, their dependents, and Veteranswith TBI. DVBIC also conducts innovativeclinical research, such as studies lookingat anxiety disorders and at problems withmemory and attention in patients with TBI.

In the Millennium Cohort Study, VA and the Department of Defense are working together to track the health of some 150,000 military personnel over more than 20 years. The study is expected to yield important insightsto help protect and improve the health of active-duty troops and Veterans.

“The DEKA arm is at the leadingedge of prosthetics research anddevelopment. VA has always beencommitted to bringing the besttechnology to our Veterans.”Dr. Michael SelzerDirector, VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Service

• Reducing Medical Errors: Patient SafetyImprovement CorpsCollaboration with: HHS/Agency forHealthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)The primary goal of the Patient SafetyImprovement Corps (PSIC) collaborationbetween VA and AHRQ is to reduce medicalerrors and improve patient safety. Teams ofclinical and administrative leaders at hospitalsand other organizations with responsibilitiesrelated to patient safety attend the PSICtraining to improve their ability to conductinvestigations, prepare reports on medicalerrors, and implement interventions tominimize chances for error and patient injury.

• Merging Health Utilization Datato Better Plan Care Collaboration with: HHS/Centers forMedicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)VA is working to merge nonidentifiable VAand CMS health utilization data, a collabora-tion that will allow the two agencies toexamine and predict the amount and patternsof health services used by Veterans accessingservices within and outside of the VA healthsystem. It will also develop estimates of thetotal cost of health care services for VA users.

In addition to its military and civilian sites,DVBIC has clinical care and researchprograms at VA’s four main PolytraumaRehabilitation Centers, located in Minneapo-lis, Palo Alto, Tampa, and Richmond, Va. The centers provide specialized treatment tomeet the complex rehabilitation needs of severely injured service members.

The Minneapolis polytrauma site is also hometo VA’s Polytrauma Quality EnhancementResearch Initiative (QUERI), whichpromotes best practices in polytrauma careacross the VA system. The program’s executivecommittee includes senior DoD clinicians andVA’s QUERI researchers who are collaboratingon numerous studies.

• Advancing Care in Prostheticsand AmputationVA and DoD have collaborated on a numberof research projects in recent years relatingto amputation and prosthetics. Among theirmutual goals: to continually improve pros-thetic designs and conduct studies to evaluatethe usefulness of various prosthetic models.In what is considered a transforming leap inthe field of prosthetics, VA plans to conduct an optimization study of an advanced prostheticarm system being developed by DEKA Research and Development. DEKA is alsosupported by the Defense Advanced ResearchProjects Agency (DARPA).

Research

participant

using prototype

DEKA arm.

• Studying Vitamin E and Selenium inProstate Cancer Collaboration with: HHS/National CancerInstitute (NCI)More than 40 VA sites and more than4,000 Veteran patients are participating in theSelenium and Vitamin E Cancer PreventionTrial–known as SELECT. The study willhelp determine if one or both of the dietarysupplements can play a role in preventingprostate cancer.

• Studying Intensive Treatment forAcute Renal FailureCollaboration with: HHS/National Instituteof Diabetes and Digestive and KidneyDiseases (NIDDK)In a large clinical study conducted in partner-ship with the National Institutes of Health’sNIDDK, VA tested whether more frequentdialysis is more effective than conventionaltreatment for patients with acute renal failure.The study found that more intensive treat-ment, such as dialysis six times a week insteadof three, failed to produce any added benefitfor patients with acute kidney injury.

• Improving Access to Care for AmericanIndian Veterans Collaboration with: HHS/Indian Health Service (IHS)

A VA study examined patternsof health care usage among Veteranseligible for care from both VA and IHS.The researchers analyzed barriers tocare—such as distances between VAand IHS facilities—and made specificrecommendations for improving accessto health care and boosting information-sharing between the two agencies.

Leading Federal Researchers

Collaborate to Improve

Veterans’ Health Care

Involving VA medical centers around thecountry, this research study will supportthe critical and final stages of design andengineering, as well as the clinical testing of theproduction arm. The VA research optimizationstudy design will itself be groundbreaking,serving as a future model for bringing advancedprosthetic devices from the research laboratoryinto daily use.

Since 2005, the Human Engineering ResearchLaboratories at the VA Pittsburgh HealthcareSystem and the University of Pittsburgh havebeen holding “state of the science” workshopsat Walter Reed Army Medical Center to shareknowledge on topics such as prosthetics,regenerative medicine, wheelchair technology,spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury.The events include roundtable discussionsaimed at improving coordination and collabo-ration between VA and DoD researchers.

• Exploring the Role of Virtual Realityin PTSD TreatmentVA researchers in Atlanta and Honoluluare participating in studies funded by DoD’s Office of Naval Research to test whether theuse of virtual reality technology can enhancethe effectiveness of prolonged-exposure therapyto treat PTSD. The researchers are developingand using virtual reality environments thatrecreate sights, sounds, sensations, and evensmells associated with OEF/OIF combat zones.

• Gaining Insight into Brain DisordersThe Neuroscience Center of Excellence at theSan Francisco VA Medical Center—a researchcollaboration between VA, DoD, and theNorthern California Institute for Research andEducation—focuses on improving diagnosisand treatment of traumatic brain injury,posttraumatic stress disorder, and other neuro-logical conditions faced by combat personnel.The program is among the first joint VA-DoDresearch efforts to focus on neuroscience.

• Studying the Effects of Explosions onHow the Brain Processes SoundIn collaboration with the Army Audiologyand Speech Center at Walter Reed ArmyMedical Center, VA researchers are investigat-ing “central auditory processing”—the wayspeech is interpreted into meaningfulmessages—in combat service members whohave been exposed to high-explosive blasts.The study aimsto determinewhat types ofinterventions maybe necessary forservice membersexposed to blastsby looking at howtheir central audi-tory processing may be affected andwhether—and to what extent—function isrecovered over time.

Department of Healthand Human ServicesAs the principal U.S. agency for protecting thehealth of Americans and providing essentialhuman services, the Department of Health andHuman Services (HHS) is a natural partner inVA’s mission. • Translating Research into Action for Diabetes

Collaboration with: HHS/Centers forDisease Control and Prevention (CDC)The Translating Research into Action forDiabetes (TRIAD) collaborative initiativebetween VA and CDC is a national study toexamine the quality of diabetes care withinVA and in several managed care organizations.Researchers will look at diabetes-relatedfactors including glycemic testing and control,eye exams, and foot care, with special atten-tion paid to organizational factors that affectthe delivery of care.

Department of DefenseThe Department of Defense (DoD) and VA share a commitment tohonoring those who have served ourcountry by providing the best quality care available. The two departments

have a number of health care-related objectivesin common and work closely to achieve a coor-dinated health care partnership. Collaborativeresearch projects cover a wide range of topics,including traumatic brain injury (TBI),polytrauma, prosthetics and amputation care,posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) andother mental health issues, and pain.

Among the successful projects undertakenby VA researchers in cooperation with their DoDcounterparts:• Focusing on Operation EnduringFreedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom(OEF/OIF) PrioritiesIn recent years, high-level planning andcoordination has occurred between VA andDoD on health matters relevant to OEF/OIFVeterans, including TBI. For example, theDefense and Veterans Brain Injury Center(DVBIC) is a DoD-VA collaboration thatensures state-of-the-art medical care for activeduty military, their dependents, and Veteranswith TBI. DVBIC also conducts innovativeclinical research, such as studies lookingat anxiety disorders and at problems withmemory and attention in patients with TBI.

In the Millennium Cohort Study, VA and the Department of Defense are working together to track the health of some 150,000 military personnel over more than 20 years. The study is expected to yield important insightsto help protect and improve the health of active-duty troops and Veterans.

“The DEKA arm is at the leadingedge of prosthetics research anddevelopment. VA has always beencommitted to bringing the besttechnology to our Veterans.”Dr. Michael SelzerDirector, VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Service

• Reducing Medical Errors: Patient SafetyImprovement CorpsCollaboration with: HHS/Agency forHealthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)The primary goal of the Patient SafetyImprovement Corps (PSIC) collaborationbetween VA and AHRQ is to reduce medicalerrors and improve patient safety. Teams ofclinical and administrative leaders at hospitalsand other organizations with responsibilitiesrelated to patient safety attend the PSICtraining to improve their ability to conductinvestigations, prepare reports on medicalerrors, and implement interventions tominimize chances for error and patient injury.

• Merging Health Utilization Datato Better Plan Care Collaboration with: HHS/Centers forMedicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)VA is working to merge nonidentifiable VAand CMS health utilization data, a collabora-tion that will allow the two agencies toexamine and predict the amount and patternsof health services used by Veterans accessingservices within and outside of the VA healthsystem. It will also develop estimates of thetotal cost of health care services for VA users.

In addition to its military and civilian sites,DVBIC has clinical care and researchprograms at VA’s four main PolytraumaRehabilitation Centers, located in Minneapo-lis, Palo Alto, Tampa, and Richmond, Va. The centers provide specialized treatment tomeet the complex rehabilitation needs of severely injured service members.

The Minneapolis polytrauma site is also hometo VA’s Polytrauma Quality EnhancementResearch Initiative (QUERI), whichpromotes best practices in polytrauma careacross the VA system. The program’s executivecommittee includes senior DoD clinicians andVA’s QUERI researchers who are collaboratingon numerous studies.

• Advancing Care in Prostheticsand AmputationVA and DoD have collaborated on a numberof research projects in recent years relatingto amputation and prosthetics. Among theirmutual goals: to continually improve pros-thetic designs and conduct studies to evaluatethe usefulness of various prosthetic models.In what is considered a transforming leap inthe field of prosthetics, VA plans to conduct an optimization study of an advanced prostheticarm system being developed by DEKA Research and Development. DEKA is alsosupported by the Defense Advanced ResearchProjects Agency (DARPA).

Research

participant

using prototype

DEKA arm.

• Studying Vitamin E and Selenium inProstate Cancer Collaboration with: HHS/National CancerInstitute (NCI)More than 40 VA sites and more than4,000 Veteran patients are participating in theSelenium and Vitamin E Cancer PreventionTrial–known as SELECT. The study willhelp determine if one or both of the dietarysupplements can play a role in preventingprostate cancer.

• Studying Intensive Treatment forAcute Renal FailureCollaboration with: HHS/National Instituteof Diabetes and Digestive and KidneyDiseases (NIDDK)In a large clinical study conducted in partner-ship with the National Institutes of Health’sNIDDK, VA tested whether more frequentdialysis is more effective than conventionaltreatment for patients with acute renal failure.The study found that more intensive treat-ment, such as dialysis six times a week insteadof three, failed to produce any added benefitfor patients with acute kidney injury.

• Improving Access to Care for AmericanIndian Veterans Collaboration with: HHS/Indian Health Service (IHS)

A VA study examined patternsof health care usage among Veteranseligible for care from both VA and IHS.The researchers analyzed barriers tocare—such as distances between VAand IHS facilities—and made specificrecommendations for improving accessto health care and boosting information-sharing between the two agencies.

Leading Federal Researchers

Collaborate to Improve

Veterans’ Health Care

Involving VA medical centers around thecountry, this research study will supportthe critical and final stages of design andengineering, as well as the clinical testing of theproduction arm. The VA research optimizationstudy design will itself be groundbreaking,serving as a future model for bringing advancedprosthetic devices from the research laboratoryinto daily use.

Since 2005, the Human Engineering ResearchLaboratories at the VA Pittsburgh HealthcareSystem and the University of Pittsburgh havebeen holding “state of the science” workshopsat Walter Reed Army Medical Center to shareknowledge on topics such as prosthetics,regenerative medicine, wheelchair technology,spinal cord injury, and traumatic brain injury.The events include roundtable discussionsaimed at improving coordination and collabo-ration between VA and DoD researchers.

• Exploring the Role of Virtual Realityin PTSD TreatmentVA researchers in Atlanta and Honoluluare participating in studies funded by DoD’s Office of Naval Research to test whether theuse of virtual reality technology can enhancethe effectiveness of prolonged-exposure therapyto treat PTSD. The researchers are developingand using virtual reality environments thatrecreate sights, sounds, sensations, and evensmells associated with OEF/OIF combat zones.

• Gaining Insight into Brain DisordersThe Neuroscience Center of Excellence at theSan Francisco VA Medical Center—a researchcollaboration between VA, DoD, and theNorthern California Institute for Research andEducation—focuses on improving diagnosisand treatment of traumatic brain injury,posttraumatic stress disorder, and other neuro-logical conditions faced by combat personnel.The program is among the first joint VA-DoDresearch efforts to focus on neuroscience.

• Studying the Effects of Explosions onHow the Brain Processes SoundIn collaboration with the Army Audiologyand Speech Center at Walter Reed ArmyMedical Center, VA researchers are investigat-ing “central auditory processing”—the wayspeech is interpreted into meaningfulmessages—in combat service members whohave been exposed to high-explosive blasts.The study aimsto determinewhat types ofinterventions maybe necessary forservice membersexposed to blastsby looking at howtheir central audi-tory processing may be affected andwhether—and to what extent—function isrecovered over time.

Department of Healthand Human ServicesAs the principal U.S. agency for protecting thehealth of Americans and providing essentialhuman services, the Department of Health andHuman Services (HHS) is a natural partner inVA’s mission. • Translating Research into Action for Diabetes

Collaboration with: HHS/Centers forDisease Control and Prevention (CDC)The Translating Research into Action forDiabetes (TRIAD) collaborative initiativebetween VA and CDC is a national study toexamine the quality of diabetes care withinVA and in several managed care organizations.Researchers will look at diabetes-relatedfactors including glycemic testing and control,eye exams, and foot care, with special atten-tion paid to organizational factors that affectthe delivery of care.

Department of DefenseThe Department of Defense (DoD) and VA share a commitment tohonoring those who have served ourcountry by providing the best quality care available. The two departments

have a number of health care-related objectivesin common and work closely to achieve a coor-dinated health care partnership. Collaborativeresearch projects cover a wide range of topics,including traumatic brain injury (TBI),polytrauma, prosthetics and amputation care,posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) andother mental health issues, and pain.

Among the successful projects undertakenby VA researchers in cooperation with their DoDcounterparts:• Focusing on Operation EnduringFreedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom(OEF/OIF) PrioritiesIn recent years, high-level planning andcoordination has occurred between VA andDoD on health matters relevant to OEF/OIFVeterans, including TBI. For example, theDefense and Veterans Brain Injury Center(DVBIC) is a DoD-VA collaboration thatensures state-of-the-art medical care for activeduty military, their dependents, and Veteranswith TBI. DVBIC also conducts innovativeclinical research, such as studies lookingat anxiety disorders and at problems withmemory and attention in patients with TBI.

In the Millennium Cohort Study, VA and the Department of Defense are working together to track the health of some 150,000 military personnel over more than 20 years. The study is expected to yield important insightsto help protect and improve the health of active-duty troops and Veterans.

“The DEKA arm is at the leadingedge of prosthetics research anddevelopment. VA has always beencommitted to bringing the besttechnology to our Veterans.”Dr. Michael SelzerDirector, VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Service

• Reducing Medical Errors: Patient SafetyImprovement CorpsCollaboration with: HHS/Agency forHealthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)The primary goal of the Patient SafetyImprovement Corps (PSIC) collaborationbetween VA and AHRQ is to reduce medicalerrors and improve patient safety. Teams ofclinical and administrative leaders at hospitalsand other organizations with responsibilitiesrelated to patient safety attend the PSICtraining to improve their ability to conductinvestigations, prepare reports on medicalerrors, and implement interventions tominimize chances for error and patient injury.

• Merging Health Utilization Datato Better Plan Care Collaboration with: HHS/Centers forMedicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)VA is working to merge nonidentifiable VAand CMS health utilization data, a collabora-tion that will allow the two agencies toexamine and predict the amount and patternsof health services used by Veterans accessingservices within and outside of the VA healthsystem. It will also develop estimates of thetotal cost of health care services for VA users.

In addition to its military and civilian sites,DVBIC has clinical care and researchprograms at VA’s four main PolytraumaRehabilitation Centers, located in Minneapo-lis, Palo Alto, Tampa, and Richmond, Va. The centers provide specialized treatment tomeet the complex rehabilitation needs of severely injured service members.

The Minneapolis polytrauma site is also hometo VA’s Polytrauma Quality EnhancementResearch Initiative (QUERI), whichpromotes best practices in polytrauma careacross the VA system. The program’s executivecommittee includes senior DoD clinicians andVA’s QUERI researchers who are collaboratingon numerous studies.

• Advancing Care in Prostheticsand AmputationVA and DoD have collaborated on a numberof research projects in recent years relatingto amputation and prosthetics. Among theirmutual goals: to continually improve pros-thetic designs and conduct studies to evaluatethe usefulness of various prosthetic models.In what is considered a transforming leap inthe field of prosthetics, VA plans to conduct an optimization study of an advanced prostheticarm system being developed by DEKA Research and Development. DEKA is alsosupported by the Defense Advanced ResearchProjects Agency (DARPA).

Research

participant

using prototype

DEKA arm.

Leading Federal Researchers

Collaborate to Improve

Veterans’ Health Care

For questions or additional copies contact:

R&D Communications (12)

103 South Gay Street, Ste. 517

Baltimore, MD 21202

(410) 962-1800 x223

research.publications@va.gov

Combining resources, experience, and ingenuity

to advance the health care of Veterans and the nation.

F E D E R A L R E S E A R C H

C O L L A B O R A T I O N

D I S C O V E R Y I N N O V A T I O N A D V A N C E M E N TA Message to Our Veterans

Leading Federal Researchers Collaborate to Improve Veterans’ Health Care

The Veterans Affairs (VA) Research and Development program has distinguisheditself for groundbreaking research achievements that directly advance the medicalcare of Veterans. However, to expand the scope and impact of VA research, we mustcollaborate, whenever possible, with others in the research community who shareour mission of improving health care. Partnering with others who have commonresearch interests allows VA to leverage resources and expand the impact of taxpayerinvestment in research. Additionally, through collaboration we are able to supportthe swift translation of medical findings into real-life strategies to make lifebetter for Veterans and all Americans.

Among VA’s committed partners in healthcare research are federal agencies such as theDepartment of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Health and HumanServices (HHS). Combined, the agencies’ resources and unique strengths haveproduced powerful results and offer great promise for future improvementsin Veterans’ health care.

A prime example of how VA and DoD are working together is the MillenniumCohort Study. This project, the largest of its kind to date, will track the healthof some 150,000 military personnel over more than 20 years. By providing crucialinformation about the long-term health effects of military service, the study aimsto enhance the health of future generations of service members and Veterans.

Our research partnership with HHS is exemplified by the recent ShinglesPrevention Study, which VA conducted in collaboration with the National Instituteof Allergy and Infectious Diseases—part of HHS’ National Institutes of Health. The study, one of the largest adult vaccine trials ever, involved more than 38,000

men and women at 22 sites across the United States,including 16 VA medical centers. The study found that an experimental vaccine could dramatically reduce the severity of shingles—a painful nerve andskin infection—and in many cases prevent the disease altogether. The vaccine is now available forVA patients and the nation.

This brochure will provide you with additionalexamples of the transforming impact of VA’s federal research collaborations.

Joel Kupersmith, M.D.Chief Research and Development OfficerDepartment of Veterans Affairs

2009

D I S C O V E R Y I N N O V A T I O N A D V A N C E M E N T D I S C O V E R Y I N N O V A T I O N A D V A N C E M E N T D I S C O V E R Y I N N O V A T I O N A D V A N C E M E N T D I S C O V E R Y I N N O V A T I O N A D V A N C E M E N T