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Highlights of the 2009 HSR&D National Meeting

"Defining Optimal Care: Balancing Quality, Cost, and Patient Preferences" was the theme of the 27th VA Health Services Research and Development Service (HSR&D) National Meeting held February 11-13, 2009 in Baltimore. The Center for Clinical Management Research -- HSR&D's Center of Excellence in Ann Arbor, Mich., served as this year's meeting host. More than 660 policymakers, clinicians, and researchers attended the meeting where 82 papers, 18 workshops, and 125 posters were presented on vital health care issues, such as chronic illness, vulnerable populations, mental health, economic analysis, and long-term care.

In addition to the exceptional peer-reviewed research presented over the course of the meeting, the meeting offered a day devoted to HSR&D's Career Development Program. One of HSR&D's greatest strengths is the high caliber of its investigators. Supporting the development of investigators in the early, mid- and advanced stages of their careers is a high priority. The meeting also offered several special interest group sessions and breakfast sessions on topics ranging from ways to improve health care for Veterans living in rural settings, to strategies for improving VA/DoD research collaborations, to genomics.

A special plenary paper session highlighted the five top scoring abstracts submitted to the meeting. The topics of these five presentations were as follows:

• A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Higher Medication Copayments in Veterans with Schizophrenia by John Zeber, Ph.D.,
• Case/Self Management in COPD: A Randomized Trial by Kathryn Rice, M.D.,
• AUDIT-C Alcohol Misuse Screening and Post-operative Complications: A Cohort Study of Men Undergoing Major Surgery in VA by Katharine Bradley, M.D., M.P.H.,
• Impact of Novel Patient Educational Booklet on Colonoscopy Preparation in Veterans by Brennan Spiegel, M.D., M.S.H.S., and
• Assessing VA Mental Health Intensive Case Management: Program Effects on Mental Health Services Use by Eric Slade, Ph.D.

Meehan Receives VA's Exemplary Service Award

Dr. Kussman presented the highest honor bestowed by the Office of the Under Secretary -- VA's Exemplary Service Award -- to Shirley Meehan, M.B.A., Ph.D., HSR&D Deputy Director. Dr. Meehan received the award at the 2009 HSR&D National Meeting.

During her 38-year tenure with VA, Dr. Meehan contributed in many ways to improving the health and health care of Veterans. She began working within research in the 1970s, helping to build the infrastructure of the health services research program. Most of us know her best as Deputy Director of HSR&D, a position she has held since 1992. In the Deputy role, she helped to enhance the HSR&D program by strengthening the merit review process, contributing to the development of the HSR&D Centers of Excellence, shaping the Career Development Award Program and more recently, helping construct the Evidence Synthesis Program. In addition, she helped shape the HSR&D research portfolios and guided the hiring and training of the excellent Scientific Program Managers who currently oversee them. Dr. Meehan retired from VA on May 1, 2009.

Other meeting highlights included an address by then VA Under Secretary for Health Michael Kussman, M.D., M.S., MACP, who also presented two of VHA's highest honors. H. Gilbert Welch, M.D., M.P.H., received the Under Secretary's Award for Outstanding Achievement in Health Services Research. Part of the White River Junction VA Medical Center in Vermont, Dr. Welch has made significant contributions in the areas of technology assessment, health policy, and understanding the benefits and harms of early diagnosis. The other honor was presented to Dr. Shirley Meehan (see box).

VA's Chief Research and Development Officer, Dr. Joel Kupersmith, and HSR&D Director, Dr. Seth Eisen, each spoke about current VA research priorities, such as the care of complex chronic conditions and postdeployment health. The keynote address was provided by Nicole Lurie, M.D., M.S.P.H., Director of Population Health and Health Disparities and Co-Director of the Center for Domestic and International Health Security at the RAND Corporation, who spoke about the rapidly changing health care environment. Dr. Lurie's thoughts on the topic were of particular interest given her recent role as a member of the Obama Transition Project's Agency Review Working Group, for which she assessed the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Meeting abstracts are available online. Slide presentations are available on theVA Intranet only at vaww.hsrd.research.va.gov/meetings/2009/presentations.cfm.