Enterprise Optimization

Overview

The VA Office of Research and Development (ORD), Enterprise Optimization division was established to further enable a focused enterprise approach toward nationally impactful research by building off its tradition of collaborative work that specializes in integrating scientific, operational, and quality expertise. Its approach to conducting world class research leverages an extensive infrastructure of people, resources, and capabilities that can be applied more broadly to address particular problems that face Veterans and the nation.

Purpose

The VA ORD, Enterprise Optimization division aims to systematically tackle large-scale clinical, scientific, and operational challenges to improve the health and well-being of Veterans and the nation.

Goals

The goals of the VA ORD, Enterprise Optimization division are to:

• Design and conduct cutting edge, enterprise-scale (e.g., multi-site) research on Veteran health and care priorities.
• Support a national network of clinical, scientific, and operational experts who develop novel methodological/analytical and operational capabilities for addressing key challenges in research and research administration. 
• Develop and maintain a research enterprise infrastructure/capability with particular expertise in clinical, genomic, and data science studies.
• Establish efficient ways for how research is administered and provide support to investigators and programs to carry out best practices.
• Support the VA research enterprise with a set of tools, processes, and expertise in conducting collaborative research and novel approaches for how research supports the VA health care mission.
• Connect leaders in clinical, operational, and research fields to advance a learning healthcare system strategy.
• Model and operate as an integrated whole to demonstrate the power and value of the VA research program’s mission of improving Veterans’ health and well-being.

Leadership

Grant D. Huang, MPH, PhD

Grant D. Huang, MPH, PhD, is the Deputy Chief Research and Development Officer for Enterprise Optimization. He helps lead an enterprise-focused research strategy for planning, integrating, and coordinating VA resources to enhance evidence-based care for Veterans. The enterprise includes field-based research programs at over 100 VA medical centers where pre-clinical, clinical, health services, informatics, and genomics research are conducted.  

Programs

• Cooperative Studies Program
  • Director: Dr. Grant Huang
  • Conducts large multicenter clinical trials and epidemiological studies within ORD.
  • Comprises experts at five data and statistical coordinating centers, a clinical research pharmacy coordinating center, and four epidemiological resource centers.
  • Partners with other federal, international, university, and private industry partners to help provide definitive evidence for clinical practice within VA and the nation.

• Million Veteran Program
  • Director: Dr. Sumitra Muralidhar
  • MVP is a research program that studies how genes, lifestyles, military experiences, and exposures affect health and wellness of Veterans and others.
  • MVP data enables large genetic studies that have shed light on health conditions that matter to Veterans, including diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, endometriosis, osteoarthritis, and impacts of military exposures.
  • Over one million Veterans have enrolled in MVP, making it one of the most diverse genetic repositories in the U.S.

• Partnered Research Program
• Program Manager: Ms. Krissa Caroff
• Supports ORD goals to enhance Veteran access to clinical trials by facilitating VA partnerships on industry-sponsored studies.
• Drive VA’s transformation toward streamlined and standardized start up activities within the externally funded clinical trial landscape by:
  • Fostering relationship and collaboration among internal and external clinical trial stakeholders in order to enhance Veterans’ access to high quality clinical trials.
  • Developing tools, resources, and pathways to make navigating VA’s research enterprise easier.
  • Identifying and communicating best practices and opportunities for ongoing process improvement.

• Field Operations
• Director: Mr. Antonio Laracuente
• Develops resources and tools to enable the field to operate as part of an enterprise.
• Develops plan for Centralized HR Service.
• Develops HR tools and resources for the field.
• Contracts for commonly needed field support.
• Facilitates enterprise transformation through the launch of initiatives and a subcommittee for Field Operations and Performance.

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Resources

Enterprise Optimization is about building and connecting:

• Tools–to enhance efficiency and apply new approaches and methods to current work processes.
• Large data sets—to advance research that more accurately reflects the diversity of the Veteran population, like the Million Veteran Program.
• Capabilities–to develop and deploy enterprise resources that will maximize value while achieving superior results.
• People–to provide professional development (VA network access only), growth opportunities, and community to foster an environment that will enable staff to make valuable contributions to VA research.
• Pathways and processes–to provide models to effectively achieve outcomes as an enterprise.

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