Welcome new VA Quality Scholar Fellows FY 23-24!

Kao Kang Kue (Kaykay) Vang, PhD, RN, PHN, CPHQ. Kaykay is a PhD prepared nurse with over 16 years of nursing experience in pediatric/adult critical care and Quality and Patient Safety. Kaykay obtained her PhD in Nursing Science and Healthcare Leadership at UC Davis Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing. Kaykay is an establishing nurse researcher with publications in areas such as quality and safety, public health, health behaviors, and complementary and alternative medicine. Kaykay is the Co-Founder for Hmong Nurses Association and serves as the Chair to the Board of Directors. She is very involved in the Hmong American community as a community organizer advocating for higher educational opportunities and health promotion in vulnerable and underserved populations. Her passion includes motivating and inspiring others to live a life that is mentally and physically healthy. She mentors nurses on professional development and high school and college students on academic success. Kaykay is planning a career as a nurse scientist in conducting quality and safety and health policy research to advance policies to improve health outcomes and access to care. 

W. Preston Carroway, MD. Preston is a General Surgery resident at UCSF East Bay. He has completed his first 3 years of residency and is taking a 2 year hiatus for research and professional development with the VAQS Fellowship. He completed his undergraduate and medical training at the University of Oklahoma near where he grew up. His clinical/research interests are in cardiac surgery, specifically newer minimally invasive procedures and operations.

Theodore (Ted) J. Fetterling, MS, PhD’s background in addictions research has focused on identifying mediators and moderators of substance use treatments as well as investigating predictors, outcomes, and epidemiology of substance use. While completing his pre-doctoral internship at the San Francisco VA, he trained in language coding, using the Motivational Interviewing Skills Code and a novel coding system for health education. Ted is currently involved in research analyzing the influences of therapist and patient language on treatment outcomes for co-occurring substance use and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). His primary research interest is in increasing patient engagement and efficacy of treatments for substance use and PTSD among veterans.

Caroline Dancu, RN, BSN is a Registered Nurse, Air Force Veteran, and a 3^rd year PhD student at UCSF.  She is passionate about making a difference in the field of cardiovascular disease prevention, particularly in women Veterans.  Caroline is driven to contribute to research, education, and policy development that improves the heart health of our nation's women Veterans. Throughout her career, Caroline has gained valuable experiences through various clinical settings, working directly with Veterans and witnessing the impact of cardiovascular disease on their lives.  Currently, as a PhD student, she is focused on generating evidence-based insights to inform interventions, improve healthcare outcomes, and empower women Veterans to take control of their cardiovascular health.