VA Office of Research and Development, Health Services Research and Development Service 1

2007 Translating 

Research

into Practice

Vol. 5, No. 2 August 2007

HSR&D Targets Research for 

OIF/OEF Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs 

is now faced with the many complex 

issues confronting veterans who have 

suffered battlefield injury and trauma 

in Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom – OIF) 

and Afghanistan (Operation Enduring 

Freedom – OEF). Due to advanced 

body armor and state-of-the-art fieldbased treatment, many more soldiers are 

surviving injuries sustained during combat 

that might otherwise have been fatal. In 

fact, the percentage of fatal casualties has 

decreased dramatically from previous 

conflicts, from 19.1% for those who served 

in WWII – to 15.8% for those who served 

in Vietnam – to 9.4% for those serving in 

Iraq and Afghanistan.

More soldiers are surviving, but with 

multiple injuries that will require longterm care for conditions that include 

traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord 

injury, amputation (600 amputations, thus 

far), burns, and mental health issues such 

as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

From the start of the conflicts in Iraq and 

Afghanistan in 2003 through the end of 

FY06, more than 631,000 soldiers have 

been discharged. Approximately 32.5% 

have sought VA healthcare and, of these, 

35.7% have had a mental health condition 

or concern. In 2008, VA expects to treat 

5.8 million veterans – an increase of 

2.4% over 2007. Of these 5.8 million, 

VA will see 263,000 OIF/OEF veterans, an 

estimated increase of 54,000 veterans, or 

25.8% more than the current fiscal year.

As these numbers increase, it is vitally 

important that VA be prepared to meet 

the unique healthcare needs of this new 

generation of veterans. Many of these 

veterans have experienced multiple injuries 

or polytrauma, which can include injuries 

to several organs, limb loss, sensory loss, 

burns, and chronic pain. Moreover, 

OIF/OEF combat veterans are at higher 

risk for PTSD and other mental health 

disorders, and have sought care for a 

variety of these problems that can include 

adjustment disorder, anxiety, depression, 

and substance abuse. 

VA research plays an important role 

in improving the health and care for these 

veterans. It is imperative that we continue 

our commitment to conducting research 

that will result in providing optimal 

care for all veterans, and that we place 

a high priority on addressing the urgent 

needs of these newest veterans returning 

from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Congress recently provided a supplemental 

allocation of $32.5 million in additional 

research funds to VA’s Office of Research 

and Development to specifically target 

OIF/OEF-related research.

HSR&D research should address 

treatment effectiveness and/or quality of 

care, in terms of patient- or system-level 

outcomes. Funding opportunities in the 

area of deployment-related health are 

varied and include, but are not limited to:

• Diagnosis and treatment of traumatic 

brain injury;

• Effective treatments and management 

of acute pain and prevention of 

chronic pain with complex injuries;

• Early identification and treatment of 

psychiatric disorders, including PTSD 

and depression (35% of returning 

veterans have a mental health 

diagnosis);

• Optimal care for the unique needs of 

women veterans;

• Measurement of the quality of care 

in inpatient settings and during 

transitions between acute care and 

other delivery settings;

• Facilitation of access to care for the 

returning veteran, including a smooth 

transition from DoD (Department of 

Continued on page 2

VA HSR&D Research Briefs is a semiannual publication of the Office of 

Research and Development’s Health 

Services Research and Development 

Service. For more information please 

contact:

Geraldine McGlynn, Editor

Email: geraldine.mcglynn@va.gov

Phone: (857) 364-6073

VA HSR&D Research Briefs is available at www.hsrd.research.va.gov and 

at vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov

Publication Notification

HSR&D requires notification of all 

articles by HSR&D investigators 

when the article is ACCEPTED for 

publication. When an article is 

accepted please send an email to 

vhacohsrd@va.gov and to research.

publications@va.gov and include the 

journal name, expected publication 

date, funding source, and a copy of 

the accepted article.

In This Issue

HSR&D Targets Research for 

OIF/OEF Veterans Page 1

HSR&D National Meeting

2008—Call for Abstracts Page 2

Awards and Recognition Page 2

New Solicitations for 

Deployment Health Research Page 2

Newly Funded Page 3
2 VA Office of Research and Development, Health Services Research and Development Service

August

Defense) to VA care; and

• Rehabilitation-related issues, including 

long-term care.

Severely injured veterans also may 

require extensive periods of rehabilitation 

to successfully integrate back into the 

community. Amputation and/or traumatic 

brain injury, particularly in combination 

with PTSD and other mental health 

problems, are among the conditions that 

require extensive rehabilitation, including 

help with transitioning back to “normal” 

life at home. 

VA investigators are encouraged to 

submit proposals for projects that establish 

collaborations between HSR&D and VA’s 

Rehabilitation Research and Development 

Service. In addition, the Department of 

Defense recently announced funding 

opportunities for FY07 through their PostTraumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic 

Brain Injury Research Program, which 

will provide $150 million for PTSD 

research and another $150 million for TBI 

research. To learn more about the funding 

mechanisms available through this new 

DoD program (i.e., new investigator award, 

investigator initiated research award), visit 

www.grants.gov. 

I encourage investigators to submit 

research applications that focus on OIF/

OEF veterans and help us to meet our 

mission to provide the best care possible 

for our nation’s veterans.

Seth A. Eisen, MD, MSc

HSR&D Director

HSR&D National Meeting 

2008—Call for Abstracts

SAVE THE DATES: meeting tentatively

planned for February 12-14, 2008.

“Implementation across the Nation: From 

Bedside and Clinic to Community and 

Home” is the theme for the 2008 HSR&D 

National Meeting. This year’s meeting host 

is HSR&D’s Center for Research on the 

Implementation of Innovative Strategies in 

Practice, located at the Iowa City Veterans 

Affairs Medical Center. For meeting 

and abstract submission details, visit the 

National Meeting web site at 

www.hsrd.research.va.gov/meetings/2008. 

Abstracts are due October 9, 2007. 

Are You Interested in Using 

STATA with VA Data?

Learn from self-avowed STATA devotee, 

Dr. Todd Wagner as he takes you through 

an hour-long session “STATA: Getting 

Started and Being Productive with VA 

Data”.

This HERC Health Economics Cyber 

Seminar was recorded and is available 

online for on-demand viewing. Join 

Dr. Wagner as he shares some of the 

tips, tools and techniques he’s learned 

through more than 10 years experience 

using STATA. In this “STATA Primer” 

presentation, you’ll learn about:

1. tips for avoiding the traps in getting 

VA data into STATA,

2. editing in STATA,

3. how STATA handles data (and how it 

does this differently than SAS),

4. STATA notation and help,

5. using STATA and basic STATA 

commands, and more.

Dr. Wagner’s engaging and 

informative introduction to STATA will 

help you get started exploring how STATA 

might be useful for you in working with 

VA datasets. Even die-hard SAS fans will 

discover easier ways for getting answers 

using STATA. If you work with VA data, 

there’s something here for you!

Access this presentation and others 

from the HERC Health Economics Cyber 

Seminar Series in the archives section of 

the HSR&D Cyber Seminar Catalog at

www.hsrd.research.va.gov/for_researchers/

cyber_seminars/catalog.cfm#archive

Awards and Recognition

Kevin Volpp, MD, PhD, part of HSR&D's 

Center for Health Equity Research and 

Promotion (CHERP) in Philadelphia, 

received the Alice S. Hersh New 

Investigator Award at the AcademyHealth 

Annual Research Meeting held in June 

2007. This award recognizes health 

services researchers who show exceptional 

promise for future contributions. 

Douglas Owens, MD, MS of VAMC Palo 

Alto, received the 2007 Under Secretary’s 

Award for Outstanding Achievement in 

Health Services Research. See presentation 

here www.hsrd.research.va.gov/news/

research_news/ush-2007.cfm

Joseph Hanlon, PharmD, MS, of CHERP 

is the 2007 recipient of the American 

Geriatrics Society's Edward Henderson 

Award. This award is presented to 

an individual whose research and 

publications help shed light on and 

improve the problems inherent in elder 

care. 

Paul Haidet, MD, MPH, from the Houston 

Center for Quality of Care and Utilization 

Studies received the Society of General 

Internal Medicine (SGIM) National Award 

for Scholarship in Medical Education. The 

purpose of the award is to provide national 

recognition to individuals who have made 

major contributions with national impact 

in medical education. 

HSR&D Advanced Career Development 

Awardee Louise C. Walter, MD, a staff 

physician and HSR&D investigator at the 

San Francisco VA Medical Center, received 

the SGIM "Junior Investigator of the Year" 

award. 

HSR&D Career Development Awardee 

Rachel Werner, MD, PhD, of CHERP 

received the Best Published Research 

Paper of the Year award and the T. Franklin 

Williams Scholars Award in Geriatrics from 

SGIM. 

New Solicitations for 

Deployment Health Research

VA is encouraging its investigators to 

submit proposals for several deployment 

health-related solicitations, such as the 

Department of Defense (DoD) PostTraumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic 

Brain Injury (PTSD/TBI) Research Program. 

For general information about the program, 

please see the funding announcement on 

the HSR&D website at www.hsrd.research.

va.gov. In addition, for information about 

ORD and HSR&D Deployment solicitations 

visit www.hsrd.research.va.gov/funding/

solicitations.cfm. 

HSR&D Targets Research for 

OIF/OEF Veterans 

Continued from page 1
VA Office of Research and Development, Health Services Research and Development Service 3

2007

Newly Funded

(Only awards/projects with funding start dates that have been confirmed since the last issue of Research Briefs in January 2007 are listed 

here.) For a complete listing of funded projects/awardees, visit the HSR&D web at www.hsrd.research.va.gov

Career Awardees

Leslie Hausmann, PhD, MS VA Pittsburgh Health Care System The Role of Perceived Discrimination in Health Experiences and 

Behavior

Jennifer Strauss, MS Durham VAMC Mental Health Services Interventions for Veterans with PTSD

Rachel Werner, MD, PhD Philadelphia VAMC The Role of Performance Measurement in Improving Healthcare 

Quality

Research Projects

Combat Casualty Neurotrauma

Theresa Pape, DrPH, MA Hines VAMC Measurement and Outcomes Post Severe Brain Injury

Implementation – Rapid Response Projects

David Armstrong, DPM Hines VAMC CPRS Diabetes Foot Reminder-Based Registry and Decision 

Support Tool

Bradford Felker, MD VA Puget Sound Health Care System Improving Access to and Quality of Mental Healthcare for OIF/

OEF Veterans

Paul Heidenreich, MD, MPH VA Palo Alto Health Care System Cost-Effectiveness of Nurse Based Program for Heart Failure 

Patients

Sheri Reder, PhD VA Puget Sound Health Care System Long-Term Care Referral Tutorial

Jodie Trafton, PhD VA Palo Alto Health Care System Validation of Computerized Risk Assessment of Prescription 

Opioid Abuse

Sandeep Vijan, MD VA Ann Arbor Health Care System Colorectal Cancer Screening Preferences and Endoscopy 

Demand in VHA

Investigator-Initiated Research

Brian Cason, MD San Francisco VAMC Surgical Case Duration in the Department of Veterans Affairs

Alan Christensen, PhD Iowa City VAMC Patient and Provider Attitudes in the Healthcare Context

Melissa Farmer Coste, PhD VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care Identifying Successful Approaches to Smoking Cessation 

 System Treatment for Veterans

Teresa Damush, PhD Indianapolis VAMC Adapting Tools to Implement Stroke Risk Management to 

Veterans

Lisa Dixon, MD, MPH VA Maryland Health Care System The Effectiveness of FMPO in Improving the Quality of Care for 

Persons with SMI

Theodore Hahn, MD VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care Caregiver Psychoeducation and Support: Improving Outcomes in 

System AD/ADRD

Thomas Houston, MD, MPH Birmingham VAMC Detailing Smoking Attributable Risks for Post-Surgery Morbidity: 

Planning for Policy and Clinical Interventions

Huanguang Jia, MPH, PhD North Florida/South Georgia VA VA and Non-VA Healthcare Utilization and Outcomes by 

Health Care System Veterans with Stroke

Helen Kales, MD VA Ann Arbor Health Care System Modifiable Determinants of Anti-Depressant Adherence among 

Older Veterans

David Oslin, MD Philadelphia VAMC Primary Care-Based Disease Management for Alcohol 

Dependence

Joan Penrod, PhD Bronx VAMC Hospital Costs and Utilization of Veterans Receiving Palliative 

versus Usual Care

Mary Jo Pugh, PhD VA South Texas Health Care System Inappropriate Drug Use for Seniors: Should VA Adopt New 

HEDIS Measures?

Tiffany Radcliff, PhD Denver VAMC Hip Fracture Repair and Outcomes: A National Cohort Study of 

Veterans

Paula Schnurr, PhD White River Junction VAMC Re-Engineering Systems for the Primary Care Treatment of PTSD
4 VA Office of Research and Development, Health Services Research and Development Service

August

Michelle Spoont, PhD Minneapolis VAMC Participation in PTSD: Who Starts, Who Stays, and Who Drops 

Out

Carolyn Turvey, PhD Iowa City VAMC Co-Morbid Illness Management Program for Depression and 

Heart Failure

Dawne Vogt, PhD VA Boston Health Care System Further Development and Validation of the DRRI

Andrew Zhou, PhD VA Puget Sound Health Care System Causal Inferences on Quality of Life with Deaths

Nursing Research Initiative

April Gerlock, PhD, ARNP VA Puget Sound Health Care System Detection of Intimate Partner Violence: Implications for 

Interventions

Rene Martin, PhD, RN Iowa City VAMC Effects of Patient’s Models of Heart Disease on Preventative 

Behaviors

Service-Directed Projects

Michele Heisler, MD VA Ann Arbor Health Care System Adherence and Intensification of Medications (AIM) 

Implementation Study

Service-Directed Research

Dewleen Baker, MD VA San Diego Health Care System Prospective Study of Psychological, Social, and Genomic 

Determinants of Risk and Resilience for Operational Stress in 

Marines

Steven Brown Nashville VAMC Biochemical Surveillance of OEF/OIF Deployed Soldiers Using 

Natural Language Processing Detection on BDD records

Michael Clark, PhD Minneapolis VAMC Pain, Psychiatric Disorders, and Disability among Veterans with 

and without Polytrauma

Linda Resnik, PhD, PT Providence VAMC Community Reintegration for OEF/OIF Veterans: Research 

Collaborations

Theodore Speroff, PhD Nashville VAMC Comparing Signs and Symptoms of OEF/OIF Veterans with PTSD 

to Veterans with PTSD/TBI Using Concept-Based Informatics 

Indexing of C&P Narrative Reports 

Center for Information Dissemination and 

Education Resources

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