The Department of Veterans Affairs has suspended a pilot program that would have tested a new method for establishing contract agreements between VA health care facilities and academic institutions. The Healthcare Effectiveness through Resource Optimization, or Project HERO, began earlier this year. The VA's call for pilot program participants last month generated hundreds of requests for clarification; the department subsequently canceled the call for participants in order to refine the proposal requirements, and the program has been suspended. The AAMC has been working with the VA throughout Project HERO's implementation to ensure that the department's academic affiliations remain mutually beneficial. For more information, please visit http://www.va.gov/hac/hero .