Hines VA receives $2.5 million grant to establish nursing research group
Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital is proud to announce the establishment of the Nursing Data and Research Consortium through a $2.5 million grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Health Systems Research.
Health Systems Research will provide $500,000 annually for five years, which the consortium will use to build a sustainable nursing data and research infrastructure nationwide. Hines VA will partner with VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Houston’s Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and the VA Office of Nursing Services to establish the consortium.
The group will address key areas impacting nursing, with a new focus each year:
• 2024-25: Integrating social determinants of health
• 2025-26: Improving the nursing work environment
• 2026-27: Optimizing care coordination
• 2027-28: Nurse staffing
• 2028-29: Pressure injury prevention
“The Nursing Data and Research Consortium will bring together interprofessional, interdisciplinary teams of nursing research experts to address these priorities, leveraging the learning health system model to drive improvements in patient care outcomes, workforce decision-making, and policy formation while aligning with the quintuple aim to improve veteran health care,” said Dr. Lisa Burkhart, a Hines VA nurse and health scientist who serves as the consortium’s corresponding principal investigator at Hines VA.
The research initiative will be organized around three primary goals:
• Developing a data infrastructure: Establish robust data systems within VA to enhance the reliability and accessibility of nursing data.
• Identifying research gaps: Identify gaps in nursing research to understand areas that require further investigation and support.
• Cultivating inclusive networks: Bring veterans, families, VA partners and practitioners together to align nursing research with real-world impacts and the community’s needs.
“The NDRC represents a pivotal step in enhancing VA’s nursing practice and workforce development, aligning with its commitment to excellence in veteran care,” said hospital director James Doelling.
“Our goal is to engage with stakeholders at every level to ensure that our nursing research agenda leads to meaningful outcomes for our Veterans and their families,” Burkhart said.
The NDRC is one of six Consortia of Research (CORE) funded by VA HSR to accelerate research that improves Veteran-focused care in designated priority areas, including nursing, access to community care and suicide prevention.
For more information, please get in touch with Hines VA Public Affairs or visit www.hsrd.research.va.gov/centers/core/nursing.cfm.
About Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital
Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital, located 12 miles west of downtown Chicago on a 147-acre campus, offers primary, extended, mental health and specialty care to Veteran patients in the Chicago area. Hines is the largest VA in the state of Illinois, treating Veterans from World War II through the conflicts of today.