Erica Sprey of VA Research Communications speaks with Dr. Melissa Garrido, who is a health services researcher with the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx, New York. Her research is focused on examining the quality of mental health care provided to Veterans with serious physical illnesses, such as advanced cancer. She hopes to better understand the need for mental health care in a palliative care setting, and if provided, the effects on health care utilization and cost.