Meet the new Research and Evaluation Committee (REC) Leadership Council! Last month, council members Zach Cooper, Jodi Polaha, Alissa Mallow, Gerald Nebeker, Alexander Melkonian, Jeffery Goodie, Christopher Hunter, Committee co-chairs Aubrey Dueweke and Jennifer Funderburk, and CFHA staff member Jackie Poor-Hahn met for the first meeting of 2023 to set goals for the group.

The Research and Evaluation Committee is charged by the Board of Directors to grow interest and enthusiasm among CFHA members regarding research and to create opportunities for CFHA members to actively participate in research and program evaluation related to integrated care. Over the last ten years, the REC has implemented several initiatives that support this mission, including:

• Creation and coordination of the Research and Evaluation training track at the annual conference, which facilitates presentations that equip attendees with practical knowledge and skills via “how to” lessons relevant to program evaluation, quality improvement, and/or research
• Establishment of the REC fellowship, which funds research and evaluation projects that assist the professional development of students and early career professionals while contributing to the field of integrated care
• Coordination of the Evidence-To-Go sub-committee, which produces 1-page briefs that summarize new research findings for CFHA membership

At the annual conference in Boise, ID, the REC hosted a research summit where over 40 attendees worked together to brainstorm several exciting new initiatives the REC could support in the coming years.

Moving into 2023, the REC Leadership council is planning to host a series of webinars to disseminate information about research-related topics that could inform the development of new initiatives (i.e. the creation of a measures repository and establishment of a CFHA research mentorship program). The group aims to use those webinars to gauge member interest in future initiatives.

If you are interested in joining the REC, please reach out to Aubrey Dueweke (dueweke@etsu.edu) or Jen Funderburk (Jennifer.Funderburk@va.gov).

The next REC meeting is on Thursday, February 16th at 12 PM ET. The group will be discussing How to Conduct Research to Impact Workforce Policy and Practice. Register here.