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VA's Health Services Research & Development Service (HSR&D) investigators Hardeep Singh, M.D., M.P.H., and Katherine Iverson, Ph.D., have been named recipients of the 2013 Presidential Early Career Scientist Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).
Dr. Singh, an internist, is Chief of the Health Policy, Quality, and Informatics Program with the HSR&D Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness and Safety (iQuEST) at the Michael E.
DeBakey VA Medical Center, and is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine, Section of Health Services Research at Baylor College of
Medicine. Dr. Singh's work focuses on three specific areas: understanding and reducing diagnostic errors in the ambulatory care setting (especially
those that involve missed and delayed cancer diagnosis); use of health information technology to identify and reduce diagnostic errors; and patient
safety related to the implementation and use of the VA's electronic health record. In addition to his role within iQuEST, Dr. Singh is also principal
investigator for a study,
Automated Point of-Care Surveillance of Outpatient Delays in Cancer Diagnosis
, will evaluate the accuracy of a "real-time" automated surveillance system to identify Veterans at risk for missed or delayed diagnosis of common
cancers. Dr. Singh is
widely published
in the subject areas of patient safety and diagnostic errors.
Dr. Iverson, is a clinical psychologist, and an investigator at the HSR&D Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, and the
Women's Health Sciences Division of the National Center for PTSD
at the VA Boston Healthcare System. She also is an Assistant Professor at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Iverson's research focuses on
improving health care delivery for women, with a special interest in the identification and implementation of best practices of care for victims of intimate partner violence.
Dr. Iverson was on the research team of a HSR&D study aimed at describing traumatic brain
injury evaluation instruments and processes of care among Veterans reporting OEF/OIF deployment. In 2012, she was the recipient of an HSR&D
Career Development Award.
Drs. Singh and Iverson will receive their PECASE awards from President Obama at a White House ceremony later this year, along with VA clinical investigators Dr. Karunesh Ganguly of the San Francisco VA Medical Center, and Dr. Brian Head of the VA San Diego Healthcare System.
Established in 1996, PECASE is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government upon outstanding scientists and engineers beginning their independent careers. The award is given annually by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; it recognizes preeminent young scientists and engineers for their innovative research and their �exceptional potential to shape the future through intellectual and inspired leadership.� For a list of all 2103 award winners, or to learn more, read the White House press release.
