Zachary R. Burningham

Zachary R. Burningham, MPH, PhD

Languages spoken: English

Academic Information

Departments Primary - Internal Medicine

Divisions: Epidemiology

Dr. Burningham is an informatician with expertise in health informatics development and evaluation. His background includes public health, epidemiology, health services research, and database analytics. His passion lies in developing highly usable electronic health record (EHR)-enhancement tools that serve as a catalyst for change and result in the improvement of healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.

He currently directs the Veteran Rural Health Resource Center (VRHRC) Data & Analytic Core (DAC), where his team aims to build and disseminate institutional knowledge in rural-specific data and analytic competencies while developing innovative data products designed to address rural Veteran health disparities and reduce barriers to care.

He also co-directs the Empowering Learning, Innovation and experiences through Implementation of Health Informatics (ELIXIR) team where they develop, implement, and maintain a portfolio of health IT decision-support tools for the VA’s National Oncology Program (NOP).

Education History

Doctoral Training University of Utah School of Medicine
 PhD
Graduate Training University of Utah School of Medicine
 MPH
Undergraduate Brigham Young University – Idaho
 BS

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Lopez JCF, Morris IJ, Vaughan CP, Burningham ZR, Kelleher JL, Vandenberg AE, King HA, Hastings SN, Stevens MB, Jackson GL (2026). Factors Affecting Implementation of the EQUIPPED Medication Safety Program for Older Veterans in the Emergency Department: A Qualitative Analysis. J Am Geriatr Soc.
  2. Govier DJ, Lovejoy TI, Ono SS, Litt ER, Wilson LK, Burningham Z, Caloudas AB, Kaboli PJ, Howren MB (2026). Defining Veteran Rurality: An Analysis of the U.S. Veterans Health Administration Rural-Urban Taxonomy. J Rural Health, 42(3), e70182.
  3. Caloudas AB, Goto M, Howren MB, Burningham Z, Govier DJ, Lovejoy TI, Litt ER, Watts JW, Ono SS, Wing K, Kaboli PJ (2026). Beyond Geography: Using a Cluster-Based Analysis to Conceptualize the Rurality of Veterans Health Administration Hospitals. J Rural Health, 42(3), e70195.
  4. Li C, Bohman J, Patil V, McShinsky R, Yong C, Burningham Z, Halwani A (2026). Deep survival learning for prognosis prediction in non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Health Informatics J, 32(2), 14604582261456059.
  5. Friedman DR, Elam SL, Bloemers S, Burningham Z, Boreland J, Press AM, Ordman J, Okeke C, Martinez J, Stewart T, Schoenborn S, Pepperman P, Morris H, Oberg B, Kelley MJ (2025). Cancer decentralized clinical trials in the Veterans Health Administration. J Natl Cancer Inst, 118(1), 68-75.
  6. Li C, Stringer M, Patil V, Mcshinsky R, Morreall D, Yong C, Rasmussen KM, Burningham Z, Tamang S, Menendez CS, Chiba A, Moss HA, Colonna S, Rowe K, Friedman D, Kelley MJ, Halwani A (2025). Using Open-Source Large Language Models to Identify Access to Germline Genetic Testing in Veterans With Breast Cancer From Unstructured Text. JCO Clin Cancer Inform, 9, e2400263.
  7. OMalley K, Moye J, Leng J, Burningham Z (2024). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Older Veterans admitted to VA Community Living Centers: Prevalence and Risk Correlates. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry.
  8. Gao G, Martin CL, Vaughan C, Markland A, Kelly U, Pathak N, Wallace J, Burningham Z (2024). End Users' Perceived Engagement with Clinical Dashboards: A Rapid Review. Stud Health Technol Inform, 310, 1091-1095.
  9. Syed Q, McGwin G, Burningham Z, Kelleher JL, Mather J, Hastings SN, Stevens MB, Morris I, Jackson GL, Vaughan CP (2024). Gabapentinoid prescribing in Veterans Administration emergency departments implementing EQUIPPED. J Am Geriatr Soc.
  10. Gao G, Vaughan CP, Markland AD, Reinicke K, Annavaram N, Burningham Z (2024). Leveraging A Clinical Dashboard and Process Mappings to Improve Treatment Access and Outcomes for Women Veterans with Urinary Incontinence. AMIA Annu Symp Proc, 2023, 359-368.
  11. Sullivan DH, Sawyer LM, Dawson BD, Dunlap J, Cigolle CT, Keller HE, Burningham Z (2023). Use of Real Time Clinical Video Telehealth to Home by primary care providers within the Veterans Health Administration during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: variability across VA stations and with time. JAMIA Open, 6(3), ooad075.
  12. Burningham Z, Jackson GL, Kelleher JL, Morris I, Stevens MB, Cohen J, Maloney G, Sauer BC, Halwani AS, Chen W, Vaughan CP (2023). Use of a Medication Safety Audit and Feedback Tool in the Emergency Department Is Affected by Prescribing Characteristics. Appl Clin Inform, 14(4), 684-692.
  13. Gould CE, Carlson C, Alfaro AJ, Trivedi R, Savell AD, Mehta PS, Burningham Z, Peeples A, Filips J (2023). Supporting Veterans, Caregivers, and Providers in Rural Regions With Tele-Geriatric Psychiatry Consultation: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 31(4), 279-290.
  14. Vaughan CP, Burningham Z, Kelleher JL, McGwin G, Jasien CL, Hastings SN, Stevens MB, Morris I, Jackson GL, TheEQUIPPED VA Implementation QI Group (2023). A cluster-randomized trial of two implementation strategies to deliver audit and feedback in the EQUIPPED medication safety program. Acad Emerg Med.
  15. Parry KJ, Hicken BL, Chen W, Leng J, Allen S, Burningham Z (2022). Impact of moral injury and posttraumatic stress disorder on health care utilization and suicidality in rural and urban veterans. J Trauma Stress.
  16. Burningham Z, Lagha RR, Duford-Hutchinson B, Callaway-Lane C, Sauer BC, Halwani AS, Bell J, Huynh T, Douglas JR, Kramer BJ (2022). Developing the VA Geriatric Scholars Programs' Clinical Dashboards Using the PDSA Framework for Quality Improvement. Appl Clin Inform, 13(4), 961-970.
  17. Passey D, Healy R, Qualls J, Hamilton CJ, Tilley E, Burningham Z, Sauer B, Halwani A (2022). Development and implementation of a pharmacist-led telehealth medication management program for veterans receiving oral antineoplastic therapies through the MISSION Act. Am J Health Syst Pharm, 79(11), 835-843.
  18. Post AR, Burningham Z, Halwani AS (2022). Electronic Health Record Data in Cancer Learning Health Systems: Challenges and Opportunities. JCO Clin Cancer Inform, 6, e2100158.
  19. Friedman DR, Patil V, Li C, Rassmussen KM, Burningham Z, Hamilton-Hill S, Kelley MJ, Halwani AS (2023). Integration of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in the Electronic Health Record: The Veterans Affairs Experience. JCO Clin Cancer Inform, 6, e2100086.
  20. Chien HC, Morreall D, Patil V, Rasmussen KM, Yong C, Li C, Passey DG, Burningham Z, Sauer BC, Halwani AS (2021). Treatment Patterns and Outcomes in a Nationwide Cohort of Older and Younger Veterans with Waldenström Macroglobulinemia, 2006-2019. Cancers (Basel), 13(7).
  21. Li C, Patil V, Rasmussen KM, Yong C, Chien HC, Morreall D, Humpherys J, Sauer BC, Burningham Z, Halwani AS (2021). Predicting Survival in Veterans with Follicular Lymphoma Using Structured Electronic Health Record Information and Machine Learning. Int J Environ Res Public Health, 18(5).
  22. Chien HC, Morreall D, Patil V, Rasmussen KM, Li C, Yong CM, Burningham Z, Masaquel A, Halloran M, De Long-Sieg E, Schulz M, Sauer BC, Halwani AS (2020). Real-world practice patterns and outcomes in Veterans with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Future Oncol, 17(4), 411-422.
  23. Halwani AS, Rasmussen KM, Patil V, Morreall D, Li C, Yong C, Burningham Z, Dawson K, Masaquel A, Henderson K, DeLong-Sieg E, Sauer BC (2020). Maintenance rituximab in Veterans with follicular lymphoma. Cancer Med, 9(20), 7537-7547.
  24. Richter Lagha R, Burningham Z, Sauer BC, Leng J, Peters C, Huynh T, Patel S, Halwani AS, Kramer BJ (2020). Usability Testing a Potentially Inappropriate Medication Dashboard: A Core Component of the Dashboard Development Process. Appl Clin Inform, 11(4), 528-534.
  25. Rasmussen KM, Patil V, Burningham Z, Yong C, Sauer BC, Halwani AS (2020). Atrial Fibrillation and Bleeding in Patients With Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treated with Ibrutinib in the Veterans Health Administration. Fed Pract, 37(Suppl 2), S44-S49.
  26. Burningham Z, Jackson GL, Kelleher J, Stevens M, Morris I, Cohen J, Maloney G, Vaughan CP (2020). The Enhancing Quality of Prescribing Practices for Older Veterans Discharged From the Emergency Department (EQUIPPED) Potentially Inappropriate Medication Dashboard: A Suitable Alternative to the In-person Academic Detailing and Standardized Feedback Reports of Traditional EQUIPPED? Clin Ther, 42(4), 573-582.
  27. Halwani AS, Rasmussen KM, Patil V, Li CC, Yong CM, Burningham Z, Gupta S, Narayanan S, Lin SW, Carroll S, Mhatre SK, Graff JN, Dreicer R, Sauer BC (2019). Real-world practice patterns in veterans with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Urol Oncol, 38(1), 1.e1-1.e10.
  28. Burningham Z, Chen W, Sauer BC, Richter Lagha R, Hansen J, Huynh T, Patel S, Leng J, Halwani A, Kramer BJ (2019). VA Geriatric Scholars Program's impact on prescribing potentially inappropriate medications. Am J Manag Care, 25(9), 425-430.
  29. Peters CB, Hansen JL, Halwani A, Cho ME, Leng J, Huynh T, Burningham Z, Caloyeras J, Matsuda T, Sauer BC (2019). Validation of Algorithms Used to Identify Red Blood Cell Transfusion Related Admissions in Veteran Patients with End Stage Renal Disease. EGEMS (Wash DC), 7(1), 23.

Letter

  1. Chien HC, Morreall D, Patil V, Rasmussen KM, Yong CM, Li CY, Passey DG, Burningham Z, Sauer BC, Halwani AS (2021). Real-world treatment patterns and outcomes in a national study of veterans with Waldenström macroglobulinemia, 2006-2019. [Letter to the editor]. Am J Hematol, 96(6), E184-E187.

Abstract

  1. Mcshisky R, Burningham Z, Li C, Yong C, Patil V, Garrett G, Appukkuttan S, Kalayeh B, Goel H, Halwani AS (2026). Patient characateristics and real-world utilization of darolutamide in advanced prostate cancer among a national cohort of veterans. [Abstract].
  2. Halwani AS, Patil V, Mcshinsky R, Morreall D, Rasmussen K, Li C, Burningham Z, Menendez CS, Chiba A, Moss H, Colonna SV, Rowe KG, Kelley MJ (2024). Incidence of germline genetic testing in Veterans with breast cancer in the Veterans Health Administration. [Abstract]. 42(16 suppl).
  3. Rasmussen KM, Halwani AS, Patil V, Morreall D, Li C, Mcshinsky R, Burningham Z, Collins S, Underwood PR, Kelley MJ, Colonna SV, Moss H (2023). VetConnect Cancer Navigator: Enhancing Care for Veterans with Breast and Gynecologic Cancers. [Abstract]. 19(11 suppl).
  4. Burningham Z, Foote T, Rowe K, Rathod A, Halwani AS, Kelley MJ, Serway CN (2023). Development of a National Precision Oncology Program (NPOP) Dashboard Suite and Data Mart For Monitoring Somatic Molecular Testing Use [Abstract].
  5. Moss HA, Rasmussen KM, Patil V, Halwani AS, Morreall D, Li C, Mcshinsky R, Burningham Z, Collins S, Underwood P, Kelley MJ, Colonna S (2023). Demographic Characteristics of Veterans Diagnosed with Breast and Gynecologic Cancers: A Comparative Analysis with the General Population [Abstract].