VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System

As the associate chief of staff for Research and Development, Dr. Kristin Mattocks is responsible for overseeing the research program at VA Central Western Massachusetts, including helping researchers design and develop research proposals and supporting the facility’s Research and Development committee.

LEEDS, Mass. , Sept. 25, 2011 -- VA Central Western Massachusetts has welcomed a new leader on board to build a research and development program:  Dr. Kristin Mattocks.
 
As the associate chief of staff for Research and Development, Mattocks is responsible for overseeing the research program at VA Central Western Massachusetts, including helping researchers design and develop research proposals and supporting the facility’s Research and Development committee. 
 
"I am honored to lead research and development efforts for VA medical care in central and western Massachusetts and to support our Veterans who have done so much for our country," Mattocks said.
 
Mattocks, who arrived at VA Central Western Massachusetts from Yale University and VA Connecticut, has worked extensively with a national group of VA researchers to understand healthcare utilization and outcomes among Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.  In particular, Mattocks has focused her research on women Veterans, and has conducted numerous interviews with OEF/OIF women Veterans to understand the degree to which VA services meet their needs upon return from deployment.

Dr. Mattocks received her master’s and doctoral degrees in health policy and epidemiology from Yale University School of Public Health. She is currently an assistant professor of Quantitative Health Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and an adjunct professor of social work at Smith College.
 
Mattocks is looking forward to building a culture of research within the VA health care system in central and western Massachusetts. 
 
“I am excited for this great opportunity to manage and provide direction, oversight and support for our research program,” said Mattocks.  “Research is integral to the mission of VHA. It’s the foundation for advancement in Veterans’ health care.”
 
One of her first goals will be establishing a Research and Development Committee, which will have broad oversight over the research program.  Mattocks is focused on building a R&D committee that is inclusive of the potential research interests of VA clinicians and investigators, including mental health, primary care, pharmacy, nursing, and rehabilitation.

Mattocks said she can also assist staff with how to best apply research policies and guidelines within the VA’s integrated national system of care, ensuring research complies with VA and other regulations, policies and directives.
 
Assistance can include helping with evaluating measurement instruments, and advice and counsel in how to interpret measurement information.
 
“My vision is to provide staff with basic measurement information and tools so they may look at ways to improve the quality of care for Veterans by making evidence-based decisions whether it be clinical, organizational, other modifications,” said Mattocks.
 
Mattocks said the VA is a great place to conduct research.  VA, she said, has been a national leader in focusing on system-wide measurement excellence, and the research opportunities are many, in part, because Veterans represent a distinct and special population.
 
Mattocks said the VA research program is focused on developing evidence-based treatment strategies and practice delivery models to improve the overall care provided to Veterans receiving care in the VA system.
 
The VA is a national leader in research focusing on traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder, but is also conducting ground-breaking research on risk factors for homelessness among Veterans, the use of Patient-Aligned Care Teams in improving patient-centered care, and problems associated with aging among HIV-infected Veterans.

Another aspect of Mattocks’ work will be expanding the system’s academic affiliations with academic medical centers.
 
With the realignment of the Worcester and Fitchburg community-based outpatient clinics under VA CWM HCS, Mattocks is looking forward to an extensive collaboration between the system and the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester.
 
Mattocks said the UMass affiliation offers the opportunity to partner on shared academic missions, to include superior patient care, innovative and path breaking medical research, and broad based medical education efforts. 
 
“We can’t improve what we do without expanding our research opportunities,” said Mattocks. “The great thing about affiliation is that we can bring in a whole set of top minds to look at solutions and better ways of doing things for our Veterans."