Partners
Expert and Shareholder Forum (ESF)
Our ESF includes individuals representing local, regional, and national VHA leadership, operations partners, Veterans, community organizations, non-HSR VHA research centers (e.g., GRECCs, MIRECCs), academic affiliates, and research investigators with expertise aligned with our impact goals (IGs). The ESF meets with our Executive Leadership Team in-person (or in a hybrid format) annually and as needed throughout the year to provide guidance and oversight; assess progress toward achieving IGs, Cornerstones, and related objectives; advise us on overcoming obstacles and capitalizing on emerging opportunities; promote collaborations and partnerships with operations leaders and other shareholders (e.g., Veterans); and facilitate dissemination and implementation of findings.
Name (Degrees) | Position and Affiliation | ESF Role(s) and Perspectives |
VA Medical Center, VISN 4, and Academic Affiliates | ||
Timothy Burke (MD) | Chief Medical Officer, VISN 4 | ESF Co-Chair, operational partner, VHA medical provider |
Kyong-Mi Chang (MD) | Associate Chief of Staff for Research & Development (ACOS/R&D), CMCVAMC | Administrative oversight, VHA medical provider |
Karen Flaherty-Oxler (MSN, RN) | Director, CMCVAMC | Operational partner, administrative oversight |
Walid Gellad (MD, MPH) | Associate Chief of Staff for Research & Development (ACOS/R&D), VAPHS | Administrative oversight, health services research and clinical therapeutics expert, VHA medical provider |
John Kelly (MD) | Chief of Staff, CMCVAMC | Operational partner, administrative oversight, VHA medical provider |
Donald Koenig (JD) | Director, VAPHS | Operational partner, administrative oversight |
Jane Liebschutz (MD, MPH) | Chief, Division of General Internal Medicine, Pitt | Operational partner, health services research and substance use disorder expert, non-VHA medical provider |
Timothy Liezert (MBA, FACHE) | Network Director, VISN 4 | Operational partner, administrative oversight |
Ali Sonel (MD, FACC) | Chief of Staff, VAPHS | Operational partner, administrative oversight |
VA and VHA Operations Offices and Programs | ||
James Albino (MBA) | Director, Center for Minority Veterans (CMV), VA | Operational partner, administrative oversight, Veteran |
Francesca Cunningham (PharmD) | Associate Chief Consultant, Pharmacy Benefits Management, VHA; Director, VA Center for Medication Safety (VAMedSAFE), VHA | Operational partner, clinical therapeutics expert |
Joe Francis (MD, MPH) | Executive Director, Office of Analytics and Performance Integration, Office of Quality and Patient Safety (QPS), VHA | Operational partner, QI and VHA administrative data expert, VHA medical provider |
Sally G. Haskell (MD, MS) | Acting Chief Officer, Office of Women’s Health, VHA | Operational partner, women’s health expert, VHA medical provider |
Dina Hooshyar (MD) | Director, National Center for Homelessness Among Veterans (NCHAV), VA | Operational partner, homelessness expert, VHA medical provider |
Alex A. McConnell (PhD) | Research Program Manager, LGBTQ+ Health Program, Patient Care Services, VHA | Operational partner, LGBTQ+ health expert |
Ernest Moy (MD, MPH) | Executive Director, Office of Health Equity (OHE), VHA | Operational partner, health equity and quality expert |
Veterans and Community Organizations | ||
Megan Andros (BS, MPM) | Director of Veterans Affairs, The Heinz Endowments | Community partner, Veteran community initiatives expert |
Ben Stahl (DSc) | Chief Executive Officer, Veterans Leadership Program | Community partner, program development addressing social risk factors in Veterans expert, Veteran |
Catherine Revak (PhD, LCSW) | Chair, CHERP Veterans Community Advisor Board (VCAB), CMCVAMC | Facilitator of Veteran engagement in research, Veteran |
COIN-Affiliated Health Systems Research Leaders | ||
R. Neal Axon (MD, MSCR) | Director, Health Equity and Rural Outreach (HEROIC), Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center | ESF Co-Chair, health equity and rural health research expert, VHA medical provider |
Donna Washington (MD, MPH) | Core Investigator, Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, and Policy (CSHIIP), VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System | VHA researcher, health equity and women’s health expert, VHA medical provider |
Directors of Other VISN 4 Research and Clinical Centers | ||
Rory Cooper (PhD) | Director, Human Engineering Research Laboratories (HERL), VAPHS | Facilitator of cross-Center collaboration, engineering, and rehabilitation research expert |
John Duda (MD) | Director, Parkinson’s Disease Research, Education, and Clinical Center (PADRECC), CMCVAMC | Facilitator of cross-Center collaboration, neurological and Parkinson’s disease expert, VHA medical provider |
Steven Handler (MD) | Director, Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC), VAPHS | Facilitator of cross-Center collaboration, geriatrics and technology expert, VHA medical provider |
David Oslin (MD) | Director, VISN 4 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), CMCVAMC | Facilitator of cross-Center collaboration, mental health and genomics expert, VHA medical provider |
Operational Partners
CHERP works closely with operational partners throughout the VA:
- Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of Health Clinical Operations
- Care Management & Social Work
- Center for Medication Safety
- Center for Minority Veterans (CMV)
- CART-CL
- Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center (CMCVAMC)
- CMCVAMC Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Centers (PADRECC)
- Comprehensive End-of-Life Care's Veteran Experience Center
- Epidemiology Program, Post-Deployment Health, Office of Public Health
- Geriatrics and Extended Care
- HIV, Hepatitis, and Public Health Pathogens Program
- Hospice and Palliative Care Program
- LGBT Health Program
- National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans
- National Pain Management Program
- National Surgery Office
- Office of Academic Affiliations
- Office of Community Care
- Office for Health Equity
- Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
- Office of Nursing Services
- Office of Patient Care Services
- Office of Primary Care
- Office of Reporting, Analytics, Performance, Improvement, Deployment (RAPID)
- Office of Rural Health
- Partnered Evidence-Based Policy Resource Center
- Peer Support Services
- Pharmacy Benefits Management
- VA Center for Innovation
- VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
- VAPHS Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center
- VAPHS Human Engineering Research Laboratories
- Veterans Crisis Line
- VA Healthcare (VISN 4)
- VISN4 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC)
- Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC)
- Women's Health Services