Center for Care Delivery and Outcomes Research

Joyce Brettner, DNP, MAHS, RN-BC
VAQS Fellow 

Areas of interest:

• Informatics and nursing informatics
• Integrative health and holistic nursing
• Nursing education
• Process and quality/systems improvement
• Improvement science

Education:

• AD, Nursing, Inver Hills Community College, Inver Grove Heights, MN
• BS, Nursing, Bethel University, St. Paul, MN.
• MA, Holistic Health Studies, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN
• DNP, Informatics, University of MN, Minneapolis, MN

Rebecca Brown, PhD, MEd, RN
VAQS Fellow

Rebecca Brown is a nurse scientist. The focus of her dissertation research was to expand recognition of peripheral artery disease (PAD) symptoms with the ultimate goal of improving detection and treatment of individuals with PAD. In her work, she uses quantitative and qualitative research methods to generate new knowledge and works with interdisciplinary teams to comprehensively translate science into practice. Her next area of research focuses on screening, clinical decision support, and symptom management for Veterans with PAD.

Research Interests:

• Peripheral artery disease
• Policy
• Disease detection
• Clinical decision support
• Interdisciplinary approaches to care delivery
• Healthy aging
• Exercise therapy
• Symptom management
• Translational Science

Education

• BS, Kinesiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
• MEd, Kinesiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
• MN, RN, Nursing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
• PhD, Nursing, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Amanda Christensen, BS, RN, DNP student
VAQS Fellow

Amanda is a Doctorate of Nursing Practice student at the University of Minnesota. Her area of focus is Health Innovation and Leadership. Her current areas of research interest include improving access to healthcare, community based integrative models of care, nursing education, quality improvement, and design and systems thinking.

Areas of Interests:

• Improving healthcare access
• Community based integrative models of care
• Nursing education
• Quality improvement
• Design and systems thinking

 Education:

• BS, RN, Nursing, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT
• DNP student, Health Innovation and Leadership, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Patrick Cruitt, PhD
VAQS Fellow

Patrick is a VA Quality Scholar (VAQS) Fellow and clinical psychologist. He is interested in interprofessional collaboration and improving mental health care in integrated settings. His research focuses on personality assessment, personality functioning in later life, and the interaction between personality and stressful life events (e.g., unemployment) in predicting health outcomes.

Research Interests:

• Personality assessment
• Personality functioning and healthy aging
• Unemployment, personality, and health
• Quality improvement

Education:

• BA, Psychology and Theology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN
• PhD, Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
• Psychology Internship, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN

 Check out a full publication list on Google Scholar.

Jillian Fish, PhD
HSR&D Fellow

Jill Fish, PhD is a counseling psychologist. The focus of her research and clinical practice is transforming social institutions to be more just and equitable for Native American and Indigenous peoples. Towards this end, she strives to integrate science, practice, and culture in her work, in which she uses innovative story-based strategies, traditional medicines, and cultural modalities of healing to promote the health and well-being of Native American and Indigenous peoples. She is a member of the Tuscarora Nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

• Indigenous well-being
• Science-practice-culture integration
• Story-based data gathering strategies
• Community-based research
• Systemic change to promote equity

Education:

• BA, Psychology and Philosophy, Niagara University, Lewiston, NY
• MS, Mental Health Counseling, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
• PhD, Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Allison Gustavson, DPT, PhD
HSR&D Fellow

Dr. Gustavson is a Physical Therapist and clinical researcher with in an interest in advancing the application of evidence into clinical practice through implementation science. Her research focuses on optimizing interdisciplinary rehabilitation approaches to maximize short and long-term functional outcomes for healthy aging.

Research Interests:

• Healthy aging
• Rehabilitation
• Functional outcomes
• Functional recovery post-hospitalization
• Interdisciplinary approaches to care delivery
• Evidence-based practice
• Implementation Science
• Mixed Methods

 Education:

• BS, Biochemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
• DPT, Physical Therapy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
• PhD, Rehabilitation Science, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO

Check out a full publication list on Pub Med.

Wendy Miller, MD
HSR&D Fellow

Dr. Miller is a general interest with an interest addiction treatment and chronic pain as well as healthcare disparities. Her current research focus are addiction treatment implantation and chronic pain.

Areas of interest

• Addiction treatment
• Healthcare access and disparities
• Chronic pain treatment 

Education

• BS, Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
• MD, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
• Residency, Internal Medicine, Hennepin Healthcare, Minneapolis, MN

Alexander Thompson, DNP, PMHNP-BC
VAQS Fellow 

Alex is psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner. His primary practice experience is with patients who have severe mental illness. Prior to completion of his DNP degree at the University of Minnesota he worked as an inpatient psychiatric nurse on a high-acuity unit. Primary areas of interest for research and quality improvement including psychiatric care delivery, methods for patient engagement and activation for patients with severe acute psychiatric symptoms and innovations in psychiatric nursing practice.

Areas of Interest

• Care of patients with severe mental illness
• Psychiatric nursing care delivery
• Innovations in procedures for staff and patient safety
• Patient and staff engagement

Education

• BSN, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN
• DNP, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN

Margot Zarin-Pass, MD
VAQS Fellow 

Dr. Zarin-Pass is a VA Quality Scholars Fellow. She is an internist and pediatrician. She has an interest in primary care, mental health, and LGBTQ care.  Her research interests are currently quite broad and she looks forward to narrowing them with the help of the superb mentors at CCDOR.

Areas of Interest

• LGBTQ care
• Medical education
• Quality improvement
• Implementation Science

Education

• BA Stanford University Stanford, CA
• MD University of California San Francisco
• Residency Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Minnesota