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The Great American Smoke Out

The Tampa VA Research and Education Foundation participated in The Great American Smoke Out in November 2025 at James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital (JAHVH). Precious Leaks-Gutierrez worked with other JAHVH groups to provide information and support for Veterans.

Organized by the American Cancer Society, The Great American Smokeout event is a nationwide effort that provides support and resources for quitting smoking. The event aims to raise awareness of the health hazards of smoking and to inspire smokers to join a community of peers who are also trying to quit.

Thank you to the supporters of the event: Tampa VA Research and Education Foundation, Genentech, and Publix. Other groups that participated include Whole Health, Women’s Clinic, Pharmacy, Employee Health, Clinical Trials Center, American Cancer Society, and Tobacco Free Florida.

Check out pictures from the event below:

2025 SCRS Site Solutions Summit

Precious Leaks-Gutierrez represented TVAREF at the annual Society for Clinical Research Sites (SCRS) Site Solutions Summit. She attended along with other VISN8 Nonprofit research and education corporations (NPCs).

Right to Left: Precious Leaks-Gutierrez, Director of Operations, Tampa; Angie Blizzard, Executive Director, Gainesville; Caitlin Mahaney, Executive Director, Bay Pines.

2025 NAVREF Conference

2025 National Association of Veterans’ Research and Education Foundations (NAVREF) Conference The Tampa VA Research and Education Foundation had a great showing at the NAVREF conference in September 2025 in Denver, Colorado.

TVAREF’s very own Doug Reeder (Executive Director) received “The Innovation and Best Practices Award,” an award that recognizes an individual who has demonstrated innovation, best practice, and/or a unique approach to promote, process, or advance NPCs. Congratulations to Doug for representing

JAHVH’s Leah Phillips (PMRS Core Director) presented on her expertise within Research Service, with a full audience. Her presentation, titled “The federal grant financial lifecycle: From proposal planning to closeout,” described and provided strategies for common and unique challenges encountered during budgeting and managing federal awards, including re-budgeting and navigating new Uniform Guidance regulations.

TVAREF staff and investigators attended and presented at the 2025 Military Health System Research Symposium (MHSRS) in Kissimmee, Florida, in August. The symposium is the Defense Departments premier scientific meeting and a joint symposium that provides a collaborative environment for military medical care providers with deployment experience, military scientists, academia, and industry to exchange information on research and health care advancements within areas of warfighter medical readiness, warfighter performance, expeditionary medicine, and return to duty.

The I-HEAL team had five presentations accepted, four poster presentations and one oral presentation.

Poster first author and titles:

• Risa Richardson: A community-based approach to ensure high-quality healthcare for Service Members and Veterans with TBI-related cognitive morbidity: An I-HEAL focused program award project.
• Rebecca Campbell-Montalvo: Real-world functionality of the electronic medical record to identify and communicate patient care team needs: Unique considerations when serving Veterans and Service Members with TBI.
• Cassandra Decker: Enhancing efficacy of TBI treatment among Veterans and Service Members: Provider perceptions on balancing patient independence while leveraging impact of caregivers as health reporters.
• Natalie Gilmore: Developing stakeholder-driven, evidence-based training for inpatient rehabilitation staff caring for military personnel with traumatic brain injury: An I-HEAL focused program award product process.

Oral presentation:

• Jeanne Hoffman and Aaron Martin: Evidence-based treatment adaptations for cognitive impairment to treat common TBI comorbidities: An I-HEAL focused program award project.

See below for photos from the symposium:

We recently celebrated 100 years of VA research at James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital. VA Research week was an opportunity to show off the incredible work researchers are doing to benefit the veteran community and caregivers. Research week events such as a networking opportunity, a lightning round poster finalist presentations, a variety of posters at our poster session, and many insightful research presentations. See some photos below from all of the wonderful events. Thank you to all who joined!

The Tampa VA Research and Education Foundation and Bay Pines VAHCS staff came together on April 5 to participate in the 20th year of the “Fight For Air Climb” supporting our veterans and their lung health. The team climbed 42 flights of stairs or 914 steps to the top. Go TAVREF Climbers!