Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion

John Blosnich PhD, MPH, leads a groundbreaking research portfolio to study transgender health across the VA. The VA Office of LGBT Veterans Services has recognized Dr. Blosnich with an Award of Excellence, exemplifying the VA's ICARE values

In recognition of your exhibition of the Core Value of Excellence
striving for the highest quality and continuous improvement by being
thoughtful and decisive in leadership, accountable for your actions, willing
to admit mistakes, and rigorous in correcting them.

John Blosnich, PhD, MPH, is a Core Investigator and VA HSR&D Career Development Awardee who is a research health scientist with the Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. His research areas of expertise include interpersonal and self-directed violence among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals. His program of research focuses on LGBT veterans, with specific attention to suicide prevention and examining ways that patients' social determinants of health data can be integrated into adaptive health care systems. His five-year VA Health Services Research & Development Career Development Award is the first to study transgender health nationally across the VA.

Dr. Blosnich has been commended for Excellence in his work for LGBT veterans by the VA Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Health Program, Office of Patient Care Services.  The I CARE Award for LGBT Veteran Services as a way of recognizing extraordinary efforts made by VA employees to provide excellent care to Veterans who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and related identities at the VA. The goal of the I CARE Award for LGBT Veteran Services is to publicly acknowledge the innovative programs (e.g., training programs, LGBT special observances, research findings, etc.), outstanding clinical services (e.g., support groups, couples counseling, etc.), and/or community outreach (e.g., collaborative events with community organizations) which improves access to and quality of services for LGBT Veterans. 

https://www.cherp.research.va.gov/People/John_Blosnich_PhD.asp


ICARE at VA

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Core Values and Characteristics apply across the entire VA organization. These core organizational values are the foundation of VA culture and support VA’s mission to provide the best care and services to Veterans, their families, and beneficiaries.

No organization can succeed without values to match its mission. Our mission, as the Department of Veterans Affairs, is to care for those “who shall have borne the battle” and for their families and survivors. Our core values focus our minds on our mission of caring and thereby guide our actions toward service to others.

These values — Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence — define our culture and strengthen our dedication to those we serve. They provide a baseline for the standards of behavior expected of all VA employees. They remind us and others that “I CARE”:

I care about those who have served.
I care about my fellow VA employees.
I care about choosing “the harder right instead of the easier wrong.”
I care about performing my duties to the very best of my abilities

The contents of this article and this website do not necessarily reflect the views of the US Government or the Department of Veterans Affairs.