CHERP Pilot Projects FY22
We are pleased to announce the FY22 CHERP pilot project awards. The VISN4 CHERP Pilot Program was established in 2002. CHERP pilot projects focus on advancing quality and equity in health and healthcare for vulnerable Veteran populations. CHERP COIN investigators mentor junior faculty to develop and expand their VA research careers.
We are pleased to announce the FY22 CHERP pilot project awards. The VISN4 CHERP Pilot Program was established in 2002. CHERP pilot projects focus on advancing quality and equity in health and healthcare for vulnerable Veteran populations. CHERP COIN investigators mentor junior faculty to develop and expand their VA research careers. Projects are anticipated to begin in October 2021, contingent upon availability of funding from VISN4 for Fiscal Year 2022.
Congratulations to this year’s awardees and many thanks to VISN4 and VA HSR&D for supporting our pilot program and to CHERP investigators who mentor junior scholars in pursuit of issues of importance to our mission. We also thank the members of the Review Committee who contributed their expertise to the funding decision process. 
Sameed Ahmed M. Khatana, MD, MPH (PHL)
Mentor: Peter Groeneveld, MD, MS
Cardiovascular care and outcomes for Veterans experiencing homelessness
Individuals experiencing homeless are more likely to have poor control of cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, and are also more likely to experience chronic cardiovascular conditions such as congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease. Among Veterans experiencing homelessness, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death. This research will allow for the identification of potential inequities and disparities in access, quality of care and health outcomes for Veterans with acute and chronic cardiovascular disease who experience homelessness. We will compare access to outpatient cardiovascular care, receiving guideline directed therapies, and health outcomes (emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and mortality) for chronic cardiovascular conditions (congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, peripheral arterial disease, cerebrovascular disease, and atrial fibrillation) between Veterans experiencing homelessness and Veterans who are housed.
Lauren Sealy Krishnamurti, PhD, MA. (PGH)
Mentor: Melissa E. Dichter, PhD, MSW
Trajectories of patient care for women Veterans flagged for suicide risk: Observations from VHA Suicide Prevention Coordinators
This project examines the perspectives of VA Suicide Prevention Coordinators (SPC), clinical staff who provide enhanced support to Veterans with a Patient Record Flag (PRF) for suicide risk, regarding the experiences and needs of women Veterans. Women are a fast-growing yet underserved Veteran population experiencing increasing rates of attempted and completed suicide, and the VA is committed to strengthening services for this population. We will collect and examine input from SPCs in order to understand where they see differences in care, service needs, and treatment preferences among their women Veteran patients. To understand more broadly the trajectories of care for women Veterans during the PRF period, we will also examine a specific cohort of women with a PRF for suicide in order to identify patterns in care, including how risk is documented by different VA providers, during this period of elevated suicide risk. Findings from this project will identify important strengths in existing services, as well as any gaps in care, that will be integral to the later development of a more tailored intervention for women Veterans at risk of suicide.
Tiffany Purcell Pellathy, PhD, ACNP-BC (PGH)
Mentor: Daniel Hall, MD, MDiv, MHSc
Confirming the validity of the Risk Assessment Index to characterize frailty among hospitalized medical patients.
Frailty, a dynamic multidimensional syndrome of functional, physiologic, and cognitive decline, is associated with increased rates of disability and poor outcomes during and following a hospitalization. Despite the impact of frailty on clinical outcomes, the integration of frailty assessment into clinical practice has been limited due to lack of valid and rapid assessment tools. The objective of this pilot project is to confirm the validity of a well-established Risk Assessment Index (RAI) tool for surgical frailty measurement tool in a population of Veterans who are hospitalized for medical issues. This pilot work will support the development of future VA research to prospectively validate and test feasibility of RAI administration among medical inpatient populations and examine effects on outcomes.
Ashley Ritter, PhD, CRNP (PHL)
Mentor: Helene J. Moriarty, PhD, RN
Community-partnered rapid housing for Veterans at NewCourtland: A feasibility study
This pilot project seeks to assess an existing housing and social services program with the goal of reducing housing insecurity for Veterans in Philadelphia. The housing program is operated by NewCourtland, a non-profit providing housing and health services in Philadelphia, PA. The Rapid Housing First with Services (RHFw/S) program for Veterans combines social services and care management using the principles of housing first. This project aims to assess the feasibility of the of the RHFw/S program in the domains of acceptability to Veterans and staff, program demand, and fidelity of the intervention. The investigators also plan to evaluate participant response by examining Veteran goals and how well they were achieved, Veteran-reported integration in the NewCourtland community, and Veteran-reported physical and mental health status. This work will be conducted in partnership with the Love, Peace, Pray Project (LP3), a non-profit connecting Veterans to housing and service providers within and outside the VA, and the NewCourtland Center for Transitions in Health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.
Congratulations to all the awardees.
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