Dr. Paul Shekelle is a distinguished leader in health services research and evidence-based medicine who currently serves as Chief of General Internal Medicine at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. Throughout his more than two-decade tenure with the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, he has established himself as a pivotal figure in advancing healthcare quality and policy within the Veterans Affairs network. Holding triple credentials as a physician, researcher, and public health expert with MD, PhD, and MPH degrees, Dr. Shekelle uniquely bridges clinical practice and research methodology. His dual role as both a practicing primary care physician in the VA system and a senior research leader provides him with invaluable frontline perspective that informs his scholarly work. This comprehensive understanding of the VA healthcare ecosystem has positioned him as a trusted authority on evidence-based clinical practice and healthcare quality assessment.
Dr. Shekelle's seminal contributions to health services research include leading the comprehensive systematic review comparing quality of care between VA and non-VA settings, which has become a cornerstone reference for healthcare policymakers and administrators. As principal investigator of the Evidence-based Synthesis Program at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, he has directed numerous high-impact evidence syntheses that directly inform VA clinical policies and practice guidelines. His rigorous methodological approach to evaluating healthcare quality has established new standards for evidence-based assessment across complex healthcare systems. The frameworks he developed for comparing healthcare quality metrics have been widely adopted by federal agencies and healthcare organizations seeking to implement data-driven quality improvement initiatives. His scholarly work has fundamentally shaped how healthcare systems evaluate and enhance patient outcomes through evidence-informed decision making.
An internationally recognized authority, Dr. Shekelle has significantly influenced the field through his leadership of the AHRQ-funded initiative to better define the role of context in quality improvement implementation. His ongoing work continues to set the strategic direction for future research addressing critical gaps in clinical knowledge across the VA healthcare system. Through his role in disseminating evidence-based reports throughout the VA, he has catalyzed widespread adoption of best practices that directly benefit veteran patients nationwide. Dr. Shekelle mentors the next generation of health services researchers while maintaining his active clinical practice, ensuring his work remains grounded in real-world healthcare challenges. His visionary leadership continues to advance the science of evidence-based medicine, driving meaningful improvements in healthcare quality for veterans and establishing methodologies that have broader applications across the American healthcare landscape.
