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Research News
December 22, 2008
VA Advanced Fellowships Program for Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) Clinical Scholars Celebrates 30 Year Anniversary
Since 1978, the VA Advanced Fellowships Program for Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Clinical Scholars program has contributed to the training and development of young physicians. The VA/RWJF Clinical Scholars program has become one of the premier fellowships for physicians interested in influencing health policy.
In celebration of the program’s 30th anniversary, Steve Fihn, MD, VA’s Chief Quality and Performance Officer, presented a history of this unique partnership at the Clinical Scholar’s national meeting, held in November in Washington, D.C. In his talk, Dr. Fihn noted that the program builds on VA’s strengths, including:
- an integrated healthcare system;
- a constant focus on measurement and quality improvement; and
- its vast data resources, research program, and service-driven mission.
Further, Fihn elaborated on the advantages that the clinical scholars gain from the partnership. For example:
- clinical scholars are often offered a “home” in a VA HSR&D Center of Excellence, which are resource-rich environments augmented by the availability of ready mentorship;
- involvement with VA provides both a connection to a true healthcare system and access to relevant research ideas and data; and
- participants are exposed to potential career pathways and benefit from the intrinsic value of conducting research that will make a difference.
When considering future opportunities for the partnership, Fihn described how this exemplary public-private collaboration is now expanding into other health professions, and that it would pave the way for new approaches to measurement, quality improvement, and the refashioning of relationships with other affiliates.
More information about the VA RWJF CSP is available here.
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