Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC)

The Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC), a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Health Services Research & Development (HSR&D) Center of Innovation (COIN), located at VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS), was founded in October 2013. CIVIC’s mission is to is to conduct 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. This mission directly supports VHA’s 2018-2024 strategic objectives, VHA’s Whole Health Initiative Flagship program, HSR&D and other VHA priorities.

With 19 core investigators CIVIC conducts research on mental health conditions, including depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and opioids, suicide, mental health conditions in cancer patients, substance abuse, chronic opiate use, and traumatic brain injury, as well as health disparities, clinician-patient communication, interprofessional learning, social networks, and health informatics. A major strength of CIVIC’s research efforts is that many investigators actively work directly with patients in clinical settings. Led by Director Steven Dobscha, MD and Associate Director Linda Ganzini, MD, MPH, CIVIC’s operational partners include the VHA Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation, VHA Office of Mental Health Operations and Suicide Prevention, VHA Pain Management Office, Veteran Integrated Service Network (VISN) 20, and VAPORHCS.