Poor survival for veterans with pathologic stage I non-small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Pathologic stage (pStage) IA and IB non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has a median survival time of 119 and 81 months, respectively. We describe the outcomes of veterans with pStage I NSCLC. METHODS: A retrospective review of 78 patients with pStage I NSCLC who underwent cancer resection was performed at the Tennessee Valley Veterans Affairs Hospital between 2005 and 2010. All-cause 30-day, 90-day, and overall mortality were determined. Survival was assessed with the Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards methods. RESULTS: There were 55 (71%) pStage IA and 23 (29%) IB patients. Thirty- and 90-day mortality was 3.8% (3 of 78) and 6.4% (5 of 78), respectively. Median survival was 59 and 28 months for pStage 1A and 1B, respectively. Postoperative events were associated with impaired survival on multivariable analysis (hazard ratio, 1.26, P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Veterans with pStage I NSCLC at our institution have poorer survival than the general population. More research is needed to determine the etiology of this disparity.

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

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Healthcare professionals need a new skill set to ensure the success of quality improvement in healthcare. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) initiated the VA National Quality Scholars fellowship in 1998; its mission is to improve the quality of care, ensure safety, accelerate healthcare re-design, and advance the improvement science by educating the next generation of leaders in quality and safety. We describe the critical need for leadership in quality and safety and interprofessional education, illustrate the curriculum, provide lessons learned by fellows, summarize key lessons learned from the implementation of an interprofessional education approach, and present most recent accomplishments. METHODS: Narrative review. RESULTS: As of 2011, 106 program alumni are embedded in the health care delivery system across the United States. Since 2009, when nurse fellows joined the program, of the first nine graduating interdisciplinary fellows, the tailored curriculum has resulted in five advanced academic degrees, 42 projects, 29 teaching activities, 44 presentations, 36 publications, six grants funded or submitted, and two awards. CONCLUSIONS: The VA National Quality Scholars program continues to nurture and develop leaders for the new millennium focusing on interprofessional education. The nations' health care systems need strong interdisciplinary leaders in advanced quality improvement science who are dedicated to improving the overall quality of health and health care.