COIN Investigators & Staff
COIN Investigators
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Christine Melillo, PhD, RN
- Title: Core Investigator
- Contact: Christine.Melillo@va.gov
- Location: Denver
Research Interests
Dr. Melillo is Director of the Nursing Innovations Center for Evaluation (NICE). NICE works collaboratively with the Veterans Health Administration’s Office of Nursing Services providing program evaluation and measurement development services. Our goals are to inform nursing practice, strengthen the nursing workforce and support a workplace culture of well-being. NICE is currently evaluating the Registered Nurse Transition-to-Practice (RNTTP) Residency Program in partnership with stakeholders throughout the nation using a mixed methods approach. A long-term impact of this work will be the creation of a national strategic evaluation plan, including RNTTP dashboard development, that will improve Registered Nurse competencies and well-being throughout the VA healthcare system.
Dr. Melillo's research works to improve access to care and community reintegration of service members and veterans, living with traumatic brain injury, specifically, focusing on the chronic phase of brain injury and its impact on service members, veterans, and their families. One of her passions is working alongside people with lived experience to better understand their experiences living with brain injury by using stakeholder engagement, qualitative methods, and ethnography. This work gives voice to persons who often struggle to communicate their experiences within their community of choice. Dr. Melillo’s long term goal is to identify innovative methods for Veterans and their families to access specialized traumatic brain injury care and services post-acute rehabilitation.
Recent Publications
2024
Haun JN, Fowler CA, Venkatachalam HH, Alman AC, Ballistrea LM, Schneider T, Benzinger RC, Melillo C, Alexander NB, Klanchar SA, Lapcevic WA, Bair MJ, Taylor SL, Murphy JL, French DD. Outcomes of a Remotely Delivered Complementary and Integrative Health Partnered Intervention to Improve Chronic Pain and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms: Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2024 Oct 18;26:e57322. doi: 10.2196/57322.
PMID: 39422992.
Perrin PB, Haun JN, Klyce DW, Melillo C, Nakase-Richardson R, Seel RT, Martindale-Adams J, Nichols LO, Perera RA, Xia B, Hahm B, Zuber J. Efficacy and Implementation Planning Across the Veterans Affairs Polytrauma System of Care: Protocol for the REACH Intervention for Caregivers of Veterans and Service Members With Traumatic Brain Injury. JMIR Res Protoc. 2024 Aug 15;13:e57692. doi: 10.2196/57692.
PMID: 39145996.
Haun JN, Melillo C, Schneider T, McDaniel J, McMahon-Grenz J, Benzinger RC, Nakase-Richardson R, Pugh MJV, Skop KM, Friedman Y, Sandoval R, Sabangan J, Samson K, Picon LM, Kean J. A Partner-Engaged Approach to Developing an Implementation Research Logic Model for a Traumatic Brain Injury-Intensive Evaluation and Treatment Program. J Head Trauma Rehabil. 2024 Jul 9. doi: 10.1097/HTR.0000000000000988. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 39038102.
Barrett B, Toyinbo P, Couig MP, Chavez M, Rugs D, Melillo C, Cowan L, DeMasi K, Sullivan SC, Powell-Cope G. Assessing Nurse Competency in the Veterans Health Administration Registered Nurse Transition-to-Practice Residency Program: Item Pool Content Validation. J Nurs Care Qual. 2024 Jan-Mar 01;39(1):E1-E7. doi: 10.1097/NCQ.0000000000000740. Epub 2023 Sep 22. PMCID: PMC10655908.
PMID: 37751548
2023
Haun JN, Schneider T, Ballistrea LM, McMahon-Grenz J, Melillo C, Benzinger R, Paykel JM. Veterans' lived experiences with the VA's Whole Health system and perceived impact on dimensions of wellness. Explore (NY). 2024 Jul-Aug;20(4):554-561. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2023.12.013. Epub 2023 Dec 23.
PMID: 38184376.
Haun JN, Venkatachalam HH, Fowler CA, Alman AC, Ballistrea LM, Schneider T, Benzinger RC, Melillo C, Alexander NB, Klanchar SA, Lapcevic W, French DD. Mobile and Web-Based Partnered Intervention to Improve Remote Access to Pain and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Management: Recruitment and Attrition in a Randomized Controlled Trial. J Med Internet Res. 2023 Oct 3;25:e49678. doi: 10.2196/49678. PMID: 37788078;
PMCID: PMC10582813.
Haun JN, Paykel J, Fowler CA, Lapcevic WA, Panaite V, Alman AC, Melillo C, Venkatachalam HH, French DD. Preliminary Evidence on the Association of Complementary and Integrative Health Care Program Participation and Medical Cost in Veterans. Mil Med. 2022 Jan 22:usab567. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usab567. Epub ahead of print.
PMID: 35064265.
Haun JN, Nakase-Richardson R, Melillo C, Kean J, Benzinger RC, Schneider T, Pugh MJV. Traumatic Brain Injury Intensive Evaluation and Treatment Program: Protocol for a Partnered Evaluation Initiative Mixed Methods Study. JMIR Res Protoc. 2023 May 9;12:e44776. doi: 10.2196/44776. PMID: 37159250; PMCID: PMC10206625.
Besterman-Dahan K, Hahm B, Chavez M, Heuer J, Melillo C, Lind J, Dillahunt-Aspillaga C, Ottomanelli L. Enhancing Veteran Community Reintegration Research (ENCORE): Protocol for a Mixed Methods and Stakeholder Engagement Project. JMIR Res Protoc. 2023 Mar 14;12:e42029. doi: 10.2196/42029. PMID: 36917162; PMCID: PMC10131720.
Haun JN, Nakase-Richardson R, Melillo C, Kean J, Benzinger RC, Schneider T, Pugh MJV. Traumatic Brain Injury Intensive Evaluation and Treatment Program: Protocol for a Partnered Evaluation Initiative Mixed Methods Study. JMIR Res Protoc. 2023 May 9;12:e44776. doi: 10.2196/44776. PMCID: PMC10206625. PMID: 37159250
