The Department of Veterans Affairs National Quality Scholars Fellowship Program: Experience From 10 Years of Training Quality Scholars

Abstract

The Department of Veterans Affairs National Quality Scholars Fellowship Program (VAQS) was established in 1998 as a post-graduate medical education fellowship to train physicians in new methods of improving the quality and safety of health care for Veterans and the nation. The VAQS curriculum is based on adult learning theory, with a national core curriculum of face-to-face components, technologically mediated distance learning components, and a unique local curriculum that draws from the strengths of regional resources. VAQS has established strong ties with other VA programs. Fellows’ research and projects are integrated with local and regional VA leaders’ priorities, enhancing the relevance and visibility of the fellows’ efforts and promoting recruitment of fellows to VA positions. VAQS has enrolled 96 fellows from 1999 to 2008; 75 have completed the program and 11 are currently enrolled. Fellowship graduates have pursued a variety of career paths: 20% are continuing training (most in VA); 32% hold a VA faculty/staff position; 63% are academic faculty; and 80% conduct clinical or research work related to health care improvement. Graduates have held leadership positions in VA, Department of Defense, and public health. Combining knowledge about the improvement of health care with adult learning strategies, distance learning technologies, face-to-face meetings, local mentorship, and experiential projects has been successful in improving care in VA and preparing physicians to participate in, study, and lead the improvement of health care quality and safety.

Immediate and long-term effects of a team-based quality improvement training programme

“…Most prior studies have not assessed participants’ engagement in QI activities after the programme. One exception is a study reporting the long-term experience of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Quality Scholars Fellowship Programme 16. The study found that 60 of 75 (80%) VA Quality Scholar Fellowship graduates were in clinical or research positions related to the improvement of healthcare.…”

Evaluation of VA Women’s Health Fellowships: Developing Leaders in Academic Women’s Health

“…This retention rate for graduates of the VAWHF Program is comparable to the 31 % rate for graduates of the VA National Quality Scholars Fellowship Program. 26 Data from our study suggest that graduates were not successful in finding desirable career opportunities within the VA health care system, which in part may be due to lack of clinical or research opportunities in women's health. Data show that female veterans obtain most of their healthcare outside of the VA Healthcare System.…”

Mastering improvement science skills in the new era of quality and safety: the Veterans Affairs National Quality Scholars Program

“…The impact of the physician fellowship program on improving quality and safety has been recently reported elsewhere [38]. The addition of five nurses into the program in 2009 has expanded the interdisciplinary work.…”

“…The VAQS curriculum is based upon adult learning and social learning theories [37]. Briefly, the program's aims are to: (1) apply knowledge and methods of health‐care improvement to the care of veterans; (2) innovate and continually improve health care; (3) teach health professionals about health‐care improvement; (4) perform research and develop new knowledge for the ongoing improvement of the quality and value of health‐care services; and (5) enrich the Veterans Health Administration's clinical workforce with experts in research and application of health‐care QI skills [38].…”