Center for Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, and Policy

Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation and Policy (CSHIIP)

Our History

The VA HSR Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation & Policy (CSHIIP) has played a longstanding role in implementation of evidence-based practice and policy and ongoing evolution of VA as a learning health system. CSHIIP investigators have examined multilevel determinants of variations in VA care, developed and tested innovative healthcare delivery models that improve the effectiveness and value of VA care, and accelerated implementation and impacts of evidence-based programs on VA practice and policy. Anchored in a partnered research ethic that has guided our strategic planning since our HSR Center’s inception in 1994, our dedicated research workforce has generated a responsive and robust portfolio aligned with VA priorities, with demonstrated impacts. Over the past 30 years, we’ve grown from a handful of researchers to nearly 175 investigators and staff.

CSHIIP Research

CSHIIP's mission is to develop and test innovative care models, health systems interventions, and implementation strategies that markedly improve Veterans’ health and health care in partnership with the VA leaders, providers/staff and Veterans we serve. Our vision is to achieve VA innovation and exceptional outcomes through evidence generation, implementation and sustainment in areas of high priority and high impact, adapting to changing VA contexts. The Center’s deep ties with multilevel stakeholders in and outside VA help us not only design work embedded in VA and anchored in Veteran needs but also enable meaningful, proactive research planning to meet future healthcare needs.

Center research addresses a range of topics that directly affect Veterans’ care and health outcomes, including improvements to healthcare delivery for our most complex Veteran patients (spanning studies in primary care, specialty care, mental health care and more), advances in women Veterans’ health and health care, and population health research with particular expertise in homelessness among Veterans. The Center is also well known for its expertise in implementation science, organizational research, health informatics (including electronic health record modernization and now artificial intelligence), as well as studies of VA’s workforce to reduce burnout and improve team function. Read more about our Research Areas here.

Partnerships

In addition to research collaborations, we conduct multi-site and multi-VISN intervention and implementation trials with clinical leads across the country. Our principal partners are the Office of Primary Care, Office of Women's Health, Office of Health Equity, the Homeless Program, Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation, and the Office of Connected Care. These research-clinical partnerships each reflect over two decades of prior collaborative work. We also partner with national program offices with clinical, policy and research foci. For more information about our partnerships, please see our Partner & Resource Centers.