Evaluation of the national implementation of the VA Diffusion of Excellence Initiative on Advance Care Planning via Group Visits: protocol for a quality improvement evaluation.

Background: Traditionally, system leaders, service line managers, researchers, and program evaluators hire specifically dedicated implementation staff to ensure that a healthcare quality improvement effort can "go to scale." However, little is known about the impact of hiring dedicated staff and whether funded positions, amid a host of other delivered implementation strategies, are the main difference among sites with and without funding used to execute the program, on implementation effectiveness and cost outcomes.

Methods/design: In this mixed methods program evaluation, we will determine the impact of funding staff positions to implement, sustain, and spread a program, Advance Care Planning (ACP) via Group Visits (ACP-GV), nationally across the entire United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system.

Using Community Advisory Boards to Build Partnerships and Develop Peer-Led Services for Rural Student Veterans.

Background: The Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA)/Student Partnership for Rural Veterans (VSP) built partnerships between institutional (health services researchers, VA chaplains) and community groups to develop veteran-to-veteran services on college campuses.

Objectives: Describe challenges and lessons learned in year 1 of the VSP project at six campuses in rural Arkansas.

Methods: Researchers leveraged established community advisory boards (CABs) to develop veteran-to-veteran services.

Psychological traumas of war: training school counselors as home-front responders.

Purpose: With nearly 3 million U.S. troops having deployed for Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) since the conflicts began, an estimated 2 million children have been separated from a parent.