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QUERI Evidence-Based Policy Evaluation Centers

In 2022, QUERI launched six Evidence-based Policy (EBP) Evaluation Centers to expand evaluation capacity in response to increased evaluation demand after the passage of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Evidence Act; PL 115-435).

Coordinated by the QUERI Partnered Evidence-based Policy Resource Center (PEPReC), this national network of QUERI EBP Evaluation Centers conducts rigorous evaluations in response to the Evidence Act. The EBP Centers also address legislative and VA strategic priorities—and enhance enterprise-wide approaches to evaluation, including the development of VA-wide annual evaluation plans, learning agendas, and capacity assessments required for the Evidence Act.

In addition, EBP Centers hold a Veteran-centered commitment to health equity and strive to train diverse investigators and staff in partnered evaluation work. Here are four new EBP Centers that join QUERI’s other two centers, Leading Evaluations to Advance VA’s Response to National Priorities (LEARN) and the Center for Policy Evaluation:

• Led by Neal Axon, MD, Michelle Mengeling, PhD, and James Rudolph, MD, the Charleston, Providence, and Iowa City Evidence-Based Policy Evaluation Center (CPIC) leverages methodological and content expertise across three VAMCs, COINs, and universities to conduct program and policy evaluations that are responsive and scaled to the needs of VA leadership.
• Led by Frances Weaver, PhD, and Kevin Stroupe, PhD, the Evidence to Policy Evaluation Center for Veterans (EPEC-Vet) conducts rigorous evaluations using a common set of metrics across evaluations and state-of-the art knowledge translation methods.
• Led by Sylvia Hysong, PhD, the Houston Evidence-Based Rapid Measurement EvaluationS Center (HERMES) specializes in rapid, big-data compilation and analysis focused on systems-level factors to inform VA policy.
• Led by Mary Jo Pugh, PhD, RN, Jolie Haun, PhD, and P. Jon White, MD, the SAlt Lake EvIdence-Based EvaluatioN CenTer for Policy (SALIENT) applies Lean Sprint/Six Sigma for rapid, efficient evaluation design and implementation and continuous process improvement, toward VA’s goal to be a high reliability organization.