Melissa Skanderson, MSW
Staff Affiliate - VAMCCards
About
Research
Publications
2026
Cardiac Rehabilitation Utilization Among Veterans A Sex-Based Analysis
Varghese M, Han L, Gandhi P, Skanderson M, Wu W, Drwal K, Burg M, Kazi D, Gaffey A, Levy D, Feder S, Bean Mayberry B, Farmer M, Mattocks K, Brandt C, Bastian L, Akgün K. Cardiac Rehabilitation Utilization Among Veterans A Sex-Based Analysis. JACC Advances 2026, 5: 102615. PMID: 41713154, PMCID: PMC12933818, DOI: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2026.102615.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchArea Deprivation IndexCR participationSocioeconomic statusCardiac rehabilitationWomen veteransArea deprivation index quartilePatient levelCR delivery modelsMental health risk factorsRural-urban statusElectronic health record databaseCommunity-level factorsHealth risk factorsLow socioeconomic statusCommunity-level characteristicsHealth record databaseMultivariate logistic regression modelLogistic regression modelsDeprivation indexRehabilitation utilizationCR sessionsNon-VeteransRetrospective cohort studyMen veteransDelivery modelsThe association between long-term opioid therapy and composite infection-related dental outcomes
Black A, Gordon K, Dziura J, Barry D, Crystal S, Edelman E, Gibson G, Hamilton M, Jurasic M, Li Y, Marshall B, Skanderson M, Suda K, Becker W. The association between long-term opioid therapy and composite infection-related dental outcomes. PLOS ONE 2026, 21: e0341361. PMID: 41628103, PMCID: PMC12863492, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0341361.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsFood and Drug AdministrationDental coverageDental outcomesLong-term opioid therapyComprehensive dental coveragePartial opioid agonistFollow-up timeCox regression modelsOpioid use disorderAssociated with riskNational cohort studyPatient-provider discussionsOpioid therapyOpioid agonistsOpioid analgesicsChronic painDental diseaseMultivariate regression modelCohort studyDrug AdministrationPatientsUse disorderRegression modelsUnclear generalizabilityResidual confoundingLeveraging the Electronic Health Record for Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer Among 9.4 Million US Veterans.
Wang L, Tate J, Skanderson M, Hauser R, Brandt C, Yang Y, Justice A. Leveraging the Electronic Health Record for Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer Among 9.4 Million US Veterans. Clinical And Translational Gastroenterology 2026 PMID: 41589692, DOI: 10.14309/ctg.0000000000000982.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchElectronic health recordsHealth recordsVeterans Health AdministrationC-statisticEarly detectionPancreatic ductal adenocarcinomaAsymptomatic general populationHigh-risk individualsBody mass indexHarrell's C-statisticPDAC screeningScreening recommendationsScreening practicesPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma casesHereditary riskHealth AdministrationUS veteransEarly detection of pancreatic cancerSmoking statusGeneral populationMass indexScreening thresholdRisk thresholdCox regressionDetection of pancreatic cancer
2025
Military Sexual Trauma and the Incidence of Gynecologic Cancers Among Women Veterans
Ramsey-Hardy C, Abel E, Skanderson M, Akgün K, Bastian L, Bean-Mayberry B, Brandt C, DeRycke E, Farmer M, Masheb R, Murthy S, Haskell S, Gaffey A. Military Sexual Trauma and the Incidence of Gynecologic Cancers Among Women Veterans. Journal Of General Internal Medicine 2025, 1-8. PMID: 41417448, PMCID: PMC12954725, DOI: 10.1007/s11606-025-10077-9.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchVeterans Health AdministrationIncidence of gynecologic cancersMilitary sexual traumaHistory of military sexual traumaPositive MST screenHealth behaviorsWomen veteransGynecologic cancerMilitary sexual trauma statusElectronic health record documentationVeterans Health Administration careMilitary sexual trauma screeningIncidence rateRisk of ovarian cancerRisk of uterine cancerHealth record documentationRisk of cervical cancerRetrospective cohort of womenCohort of womenSexual traumaCox proportional hazards modelsRetrospective cohortOvarian cancer diagnosisAssociation of military sexual traumaOvarian cancerInsomnia, Sleep Apnea, and Incidence of Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease Among Men and Women US Veterans
Gaffey A, Burg M, Yaggi H, Wang K, Brandt C, Haskell S, Bastian L, Chang T, Levine A, Skanderson M, Zinchuk A. Insomnia, Sleep Apnea, and Incidence of Hypertension and Cardiovascular Disease Among Men and Women US Veterans. Journal Of The American Heart Association 2025, 14: e045382. PMID: 41378507, PMCID: PMC12826891, DOI: 10.1161/jaha.125.045382.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsObstructive sleep apneaSleep apneaPost-9/11 veteransCardiovascular diseaseOutpatient diagnosisTime-varying Cox proportional hazards modelsAssociated with CVD riskHealth care useVeterans Health AdministrationCox proportional hazards modelsAssociated with cardiovascular diseaseIncidence of hypertensionAssociated with elevated riskRisk of hypertensionCardiovascular disease riskInclusion of patientsProportional hazards modelRetrospective cohortCare useClinical factorsApneaPrevention prioritiesFollow-upNon-VeteransCardiovascular riskSuicide-related outcomes in veterans with post-traumatic headache: a retrospective cohort study
Anthony S, Phadke M, Lipton R, Rogers D, Brenner L, Ney J, Altalib H, Androulakis X, Grinberg A, Skanderson M, Lin H, Scholten J, Fenton B, Seng E, Sico J. Suicide-related outcomes in veterans with post-traumatic headache: a retrospective cohort study. The Lancet Regional Health - Americas 2025, 53: 101299. PMID: 41321729, PMCID: PMC12662118, DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2025.101299.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSuicide-related outcomesPost-traumatic headacheTraumatic brain injuryRisk of suicidal ideationSuicidal ideationSuicide attemptsSuicide riskNon-HispanicRetrospective cohort studySequelae of traumatic brain injuryRisk of suicide deathElectronic health record dataCohort studySuicide deathsHeightened suicide riskVeterans Health AdministrationHealth record dataMental health comorbiditiesHealth comorbiditiesSuicide mortalityHealth AdministrationIdeationPotential confoundersControl groupRelative riskPancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma After Hepatitis C Infection
Levinson R, Bushman R, Tate J, Skanderson M, Mezzacappa C, Park L, Brandt C, Schuster K, Ketwaroo G, Yang Y, Justice A, Wang L. Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma After Hepatitis C Infection. JAMA Network Open 2025, 8: e2543701. PMID: 41236736, PMCID: PMC12619103, DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.43701.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsVeterans Health AdministrationChronic hepatitis C virusPancreatic ductal adenocarcinomaChronic HCV infectionHepatitis C virusHepatitis C virus genotype 3Cohort studyHepatitis C virus infectionHepatitis C virus genotypePopulation-based cohort studyHCV infectionCohort study of veteransIncident pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomaHepatitis C virus testingCox proportional hazards regressionStudy of veteransRisk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomaHigh riskProportional hazards regressionDuctal adenocarcinomaExposure to hepatitis C virusGenotype 2Genotype 3Hepatitis C virus exposureHepatitis C virus statusBlood Pressure Control and Maintenance in U.S. Veterans Roles of Sex, Race, Ethnicity, and Deprivation
Gaffey A, Chang T, Dhruva S, Burg M, Haskell S, Bastian L, Spatz E, Levine A, Skanderson M, Brandt C. Blood Pressure Control and Maintenance in U.S. Veterans Roles of Sex, Race, Ethnicity, and Deprivation. JACC Advances 2025, 4: 102267. PMID: 41138531, PMCID: PMC12595360, DOI: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2025.102267.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchSocial deprivation indexDeprivation indexBP controlU.S. Veterans Affairs Medical CenterVeterans Affairs Medical CenterNH-White patientsOdds of controlAffairs Medical CenterCardiovascular diseaseNH Black patientsBlood pressureNew-onset hypertensionRetrospective cohort studyAdequate follow-upYounger veteransSociodemographic characteristicsSociodemographic variablesZip codesHispanic patientsHypertension managementU.S. veteransCohort studyLogistic regressionVeteransWhite patientsComparison of 2 electronic health record data extraction methods for laboratory tests used in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study Index
Ramsey-Hardy C, Skanderson M, Tate J, Justice A, Marconi V, Alcorn C, Hauser R, Anderson-Mellies A, McGinnis K. Comparison of 2 electronic health record data extraction methods for laboratory tests used in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study Index. JAMIA Open 2025, 8: ooaf074. PMID: 40727112, PMCID: PMC12303373, DOI: 10.1093/jamiaopen/ooaf074.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchVeterans Aging Cohort StudyVeterans Health AdministrationObservational Medical Outcomes PartnershipVA stationsVeterans Aging Cohort Study IndexAging Cohort StudyLogical Observation Identifiers NamesHealth AdministrationCohort studyVeteransLaboratory resultsLOINCEHRIdentifiers NamesLaboratory testsData extraction approachIndividual patientsStudied indicesTest resultsPatientsHIVCorrelation of test resultsPartnershipTestIncident Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Among Veterans by Gender Identity: A Cohort Study
Streed C, Duncan M, Heier K, Workman T, Beach L, Jasuja G, Wolfe H, Hughes L, O’Leary J, Skanderson M, Goulet J. Incident Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Among Veterans by Gender Identity: A Cohort Study. Journal Of General Internal Medicine 2025, 40: 3149-3158. PMID: 40601199, PMCID: PMC12508330, DOI: 10.1007/s11606-025-09701-5.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchGender-affirming hormone therapyIncident atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseaseGender identityCisgender menCisgender womenAtherosclerotic cardiovascular disease outcomesAtherosclerotic cardiovascular diseaseGender-affirming careInternational Classification of Diseases diagnosisCisgender veteransVeterans Health AdministrationTrans populationsPrevalent atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseasesSexual orientationCardiovascular diseaseCox proportional hazards regressionProportional hazards regressionHealth AdministrationInternational ClassificationAssociated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseaseHispanic ethnicityGenderCohort studyHazards regressionElevated risk