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Seattle-Denver Center of Innovation (COIN)

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VA Collaborative Evaluation Center (VACE)

Background | Current Projects | Leadership | Publications

VA Collaborative Evaluation Center (VACE)


VACE is a highly collaborative VA “virtual center” composed of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods evaluation experts. The team:

  • Evaluates implementation of VA initiatives to assess effectiveness and barriers and facilitators to implementation, as well as unintended consequences.
  • Works collaboratively with operational partners to ensure evaluation outcomes are relevant and useful for program improvements and sustainability.
  • Is highly responsive to needs of program offices such as the Offices of Connected Care, Integrated Veteran Care, Nursing Services, Rural Health, and Specialty Care Services as well as the National Cardiology Program Office (NCPO), Diffusion of Excellence, SimLearn, and the Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI).
  • Quickly addresses emerging evaluation questions.
  • Leverages cumulative experience from conducting multiple studies with overlapping foci (e.g. access to care).
  • Brings knowledge and methodological rigor from one study to another.
  • Provides a multi-specialty perspective on evaluation (e.g., primary care and specialty care).

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Background


VACE began in 2011 through a competitive award from VA Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) and Office of Specialty Care (OSC) to conduct partnered research and evaluation while meeting the operational needs of the OSC. In response, VACE (then called the Specialty Care Evaluation Center) developed a longitudinal, mixed methods evaluation of the recently launched national initiatives to improve delivery of specialty care to Veterans:

  • Electronic Consults (E-consults)
  • Specialty Care Access Networks-Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (SCAN-ECHO)
  • Specialty Care Mini-Residency Program (SC-MRP)
  • Specialty Care Neighborhood (SCN)

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Select Current Projects

 

Emergency Department Opioid Safety Initiative (ED-OSI) Program Evaluation
Assess VA ED OSI program to understand impact on prescribing rates and provider prescribing practices.
Highly Rural Veteran Transportation EWI Evaluation
Assess the implementation of Highly Rural Transportation services and the impact on Veterans’ access to VA and VA-approved community care.
Mobile Prosthetic and Orthotic Care EWI Evaluation
Collect and evaluate data pertaining to need for mobile orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) services throughout the enterprise.
PT in PACT Mixed Methods Evaluation
Evaluate the implementation, impact, and effectiveness of integrating Physical Therapy (PT) in primary care settings to treat musculoskeletal complaints.
RCI Evaluation
Quantitatively and qualitatively assess the national implementation of the Referral Coordination Initiative (RCI) within cardiology, gastroenterology, and pulmonary for the Office of Integrated Veterans Care (IVC).

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VACE Leadership Team

Lucas M. Donovan, MD, MS
Title: Core Investigator; Director VACE
Associate Professor, University of Washington School of Medicine
Contact: Lucas.Donovan@va.gov
Kelty Fehling, MPH
Title: Affiliate Investigator; Associate Director VACE
Contact: Kelty.Fehling@va.gov
Jessica Young, MPH, MSW
Title: Health Science Specialist; Qualitative Lead VACE
Contact: Jessica.Young@va.gov
Rachael Kenney, MA, PMP
Title:Health Science Specialist; Program Manager VACE
Contact: Rachael.Kenney@va.gov

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VACE-Related Recent Publications


2024

Leonard C, Carey E, Holstein A, Ho PM, Heckman JT. Cluster-randomized implementation trial of two facilitation strategies to implement a novel information and communications technology at the Veterans Health Administration. Implement Sci. 2024 Jan 2;19(1):1. doi: 10.1186/s13012-023-01329-5. PMCID: PMC10759444.
PMID: 38166974.

Mog AC, St Pierre CM, Moriarty HJ, Sullivan SC, Battaglia C. Looking back to move forward: Creating a blueprint for success for nurse scientists in the Veterans Health Administration. Appl Nurs Res. 2024 Feb;75:151764. doi: 10.1016/j.apnr.2024.151764. Epub 2024 Feb 23. 
PMID: 38490795.

2023

Kenney RR, Klocko RP, Manheim CE, Mog AC, Young JP. Applying RE-AIM to evaluations of Veterans Health Administration Enterprise-Wide Initiatives: lessons learned. Front Health Serv. 2023 Jul 28;3:1209600. doi: 10.3389/frhs.2023.1209600. PMCID: PMC10421720.
PMID: 37575975.

Stevenson LD, Munro S, Klocko R, Sayre G. A mixed-methods evaluation of the national implementation of the Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia Prevention by Engaging Nurses (HAPPEN) initiative. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2023 Mar;44(3):384-391. doi: 10.1017/ice.2022.99. Epub 2022 Aug 30. 
PMID: 36039946

Stryczek KC, Honsberger M, Ball SL, Barnard JG, Young JP, Felker B, Au DH, Ho PM, Kirsh SR, Sayre GG. VA Outreach Is an Essential Area for Improving Veterans' Health Care Accessibility. Mil Med. 2023 Feb 15:usad019. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usad019. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 36790439

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