Travis R. Croom, MPH

The original four HPEER Advanced Fellowship sites were established by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Academic Affiliation in 2014, and expanded in 2020 to include 8 sites and a national coordinating center with leadership shared between VA facilities in Houston and White River Junction. The VA invests heavily in training the nation’s healthcare professionals. The mission of HPEER is to develop leaders who can educate, evaluate, and innovate in Health Professions Education for the VA and the nation. All HPEER sites take part in a nationally coordinated curriculum covering topics in curriculum design, learner assessment, leadership, interprofessional education, as well as scholarship and educational research.

As part of the national HPEER curriculum covering scholarship and educational research, and in concert with Wednesday, May 14, 2025 VA Research Week 2025, HPEER organized a joint conference with the Center for Health Professions Education at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). This interagency online event included poster sessions and oral presentations from HPEER fellows and students in USUHS certificate and graduate degree programs.

Education scholarship is broad, ranging from descriptions of curricular innovations and works in progress to advanced research using techniques drawn from psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, and other scientific disciplines. The abstracts presented here summarize some of the work being done by HPEER fellows. Dougherty et al (Boston) described a project to create a primer outlining methodology for conducting and interpreting cost-effectiveness evaluations in the context of proposed HPE innovations. Cohen et al (Cleveland) found reduction in potentially problematic orders in the context of life-sustaining treatment following a multifaceted intervention program. Sorenson (Dublin, Georgia) reported an expanded Tai Chi program that included modifications allowing seated positions for veterans with mobility limitations. Young et al (Dublin) described an interprofessional curriculum to strengthen communication between nurses and social workers in their conversations with women veterans living in rural settings. Misedah-Robinson et al (Houston) showed that a new training program strengthened coordinators’ self-reports of preparedness and confidence in their ability to support veterans who have experienced human trafficking. Tovar et al (Salt Lake City) describe a methodology for using data from the VHA Corporate Data Warehouse to optimize schedules of HPE students assigned to VA clinical rotations. Yanez et al (San Francisco) presented initial observations of learner-centered outcomes following participation in a new multidisciplinary integrative health elective. Resto et al (West Haven) reported that implementation of self-serve kiosks increased distribution of substance use harm reduction resources beyond usual clinical care.

A second joint conference between VA HPEER and USUHS is planned for VA Research Week 2026; we look forward to the abstracts that will be produced by this new cohort of fellows, as well as to the future scholarship and contributions to the field that will be made by alumni of the HPEER Advanced Fellowship.

The original four HPEER Advanced Fellowship sites were established by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Academic Affiliation in 2014, and expanded in 2020 to include 8 sites and a national coordinating center with leadership shared between VA facilities in Houston and White River Junction. The VA invests heavily in training the nation’s healthcare professionals. The mission of HPEER is to develop leaders who can educate, evaluate, and innovate in Health Professions Education for the VA and the nation. All HPEER sites take part in a nationally coordinated curriculum covering topics in curriculum design, learner assessment, leadership, interprofessional education, as well as scholarship and educational research.

As part of the national HPEER curriculum covering scholarship and educational research, and in concert with Wednesday, May 14, 2025 VA Research Week 2025, HPEER organized a joint conference with the Center for Health Professions Education at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). This interagency online event included poster sessions and oral presentations from HPEER fellows and students in USUHS certificate and graduate degree programs.

Education scholarship is broad, ranging from descriptions of curricular innovations and works in progress to advanced research using techniques drawn from psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, and other scientific disciplines. The abstracts presented here summarize some of the work being done by HPEER fellows. Dougherty et al (Boston) described a project to create a primer outlining methodology for conducting and interpreting cost-effectiveness evaluations in the context of proposed HPE innovations. Cohen et al (Cleveland) found reduction in potentially problematic orders in the context of life-sustaining treatment following a multifaceted intervention program. Sorenson (Dublin, Georgia) reported an expanded Tai Chi program that included modifications allowing seated positions for veterans with mobility limitations. Young et al (Dublin) described an interprofessional curriculum to strengthen communication between nurses and social workers in their conversations with women veterans living in rural settings. Misedah-Robinson et al (Houston) showed that a new training program strengthened coordinators’ self-reports of preparedness and confidence in their ability to support veterans who have experienced human trafficking. Tovar et al (Salt Lake City) describe a methodology for using data from the VHA Corporate Data Warehouse to optimize schedules of HPE students assigned to VA clinical rotations. Yanez et al (San Francisco) presented initial observations of learner-centered outcomes following participation in a new multidisciplinary integrative health elective. Resto et al (West Haven) reported that implementation of self-serve kiosks increased distribution of substance use harm reduction resources beyond usual clinical care.

A second joint conference between VA HPEER and USUHS is planned for VA Research Week 2026; we look forward to the abstracts that will be produced by this new cohort of fellows, as well as to the future scholarship and contributions to the field that will be made by alumni of the HPEER Advanced Fellowship.

The original four HPEER Advanced Fellowship sites were established by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Academic Affiliation in 2014, and expanded in 2020 to include 8 sites and a national coordinating center with leadership shared between VA facilities in Houston and White River Junction. The VA invests heavily in training the nation’s healthcare professionals. The mission of HPEER is to develop leaders who can educate, evaluate, and innovate in Health Professions Education for the VA and the nation. All HPEER sites take part in a nationally coordinated curriculum covering topics in curriculum design, learner assessment, leadership, interprofessional education, as well as scholarship and educational research.

As part of the national HPEER curriculum covering scholarship and educational research, and in concert with Wednesday, May 14, 2025 VA Research Week 2025, HPEER organized a joint conference with the Center for Health Professions Education at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS). This interagency online event included poster sessions and oral presentations from HPEER fellows and students in USUHS certificate and graduate degree programs.

Education scholarship is broad, ranging from descriptions of curricular innovations and works in progress to advanced research using techniques drawn from psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics, and other scientific disciplines. The abstracts presented here summarize some of the work being done by HPEER fellows. Dougherty et al (Boston) described a project to create a primer outlining methodology for conducting and interpreting cost-effectiveness evaluations in the context of proposed HPE innovations. Cohen et al (Cleveland) found reduction in potentially problematic orders in the context of life-sustaining treatment following a multifaceted intervention program. Sorenson (Dublin, Georgia) reported an expanded Tai Chi program that included modifications allowing seated positions for veterans with mobility limitations. Young et al (Dublin) described an interprofessional curriculum to strengthen communication between nurses and social workers in their conversations with women veterans living in rural settings. Misedah-Robinson et al (Houston) showed that a new training program strengthened coordinators’ self-reports of preparedness and confidence in their ability to support veterans who have experienced human trafficking. Tovar et al (Salt Lake City) describe a methodology for using data from the VHA Corporate Data Warehouse to optimize schedules of HPE students assigned to VA clinical rotations. Yanez et al (San Francisco) presented initial observations of learner-centered outcomes following participation in a new multidisciplinary integrative health elective. Resto et al (West Haven) reported that implementation of self-serve kiosks increased distribution of substance use harm reduction resources beyond usual clinical care.

A second joint conference between VA HPEER and USUHS is planned for VA Research Week 2026; we look forward to the abstracts that will be produced by this new cohort of fellows, as well as to the future scholarship and contributions to the field that will be made by alumni of the HPEER Advanced Fellowship.