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Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC)

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About CIVIC

Infographic part 1 describing the center's goals.
Infographic part 2 describing the center's goals.
Infographic part 3 describing the center's goals.
Infographic part 4 describing the center's goals.

CIVIC’s Mission is to conduct rigorous and high-quality research that empowers Veterans to improve their health through engagement in self-care, engagement with VA and non-VA healthcare systems, and engagement in the research process. 

CIVIC's Vision is to continue our development as an inclusive and diverse collaborative team of health services investigators and staff who conduct innovative research on Veteran-centric care that has relevance and impact for Veterans and other VA stakeholders.

Goal 1: (Focused Area 1) Conduct research that helps Veterans with mental health conditions, including pain, improve their health and safety. We will specifically develop and test approaches that:

  • Promote Veterans' healthy behaviors, self-care, and active participation in mental health care.
  • Decrease risks for suicide and other suicide behaviors.
  • Decrease risks associated with prescription opioids and optimize use of effective non-opioid pain treatments.

Goal 2: (Focused Area 2) Conduct research that helps Veterans, their supports, and their clinicians create and sustain effective healthcare relationships. We will develop, test, and evaluate implementation of:

  • Innovative tools and strategies that facilitate equitable Veteran engagement and Veteran-clinician communication, decision-making, and trust.
  • Tools and strategies that facilitate communication, collaboration, and coordination within and among care teams.

Goal 3: Support additional high value, innovative research that falls outside our focused areas.

Goal 4: Collaborate with a diverse set of stakeholders including Veterans to enhance research and build bridges between innovation and evidence.

Goal 5: Further develop CIVIC expertise and activities in dissemination and implementation.

Goal 6: Support equitable career development of promising early and established investigators and staff in order to build and sustain health services research capacity.

Contact

Steven K. Dobscha, MD
CIVIC Director
Portland VA Medical Center
503-220-8262 Ext. 52207
Steven.Dobscha@va.gov