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Rural Veterans and Access to Healthcare – Resources

Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Veterans and Access to Healthcare.

Improving Behavioral Health Screening & Access to Treatment for Veterans in Community Care
Describes a partnership between Veterans Rural Health Resource Center in Iowa City, Iowa; the Iowa Primary Care Association; and the Community Health Centers of Southeastern Iowa. Provides an overview of Phase I of the collaboration, which focused on implementing a new screening process at 4 rural FQHCs to properly identify all veterans seeking care. Discusses the broader impact of this initiative and next steps.
Date: 2020
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Community Health Centers of Southeastern Iowa, Iowa Primary Care Association, Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
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The VA MISSION Act of 2018: A Potential Game Changer for Rural GME Expansion and Veteran Health Care
Describes features of the VA Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION) Act of 2018, including expansion of graduate medical education (GME) to rural areas, modernization of facilities, and financial aid for providers willing to accept VA assignments in shortage areas. Explores ways in which the MISSION Act can promote more effective and efficient care programs for veterans in rural and underserved areas.
Author(s): Anthony P. Albanese, Edward T. Bope, Karen M. Sanders, Marjorie Bowman
Citation: Journal of Rural Health, 36(1), 133-136
Date: 2020
Type: Document
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Veterans Health Care: Services for Substance Use Disorders, and Efforts to Address Access Issues in Rural Areas
Identifies and compares the differences in the number of veterans, and the expenditures for veterans receiving substance use disorder (SUD) services, and specialty SUD services in rural and urban areas. Veterans Health Administration (VHA) policies were reviewed, interviews were conducted with agency officials, and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) data from 2014 to 2018 was analyzed to develop the report.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 12/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Oversight Hearing on "Recognizing the Sacrifice: Honoring a Nation's Promise to Native Veterans" & Legislative Hearing to Receive Testimony on S. 1001 & S. 2365
Presents the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs oversight hearing on the Tribal Veterans Health Care Enhancement Act and the Health Care Access for Urban Native Veterans Act. Features testimony from representatives from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, and the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes.
Date: 11/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: Senate Committee on Indian Affairs
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Disability in America: Veterans with Disabilities (2017)
Displays the disability rate among veterans on the county level using data from the 2013-2017 American Community Survey (ACS).
Date: 10/2019
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
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Subcommittee on Health Oversight Hearing: Native Veterans' Access to Healthcare
Discusses the current state of healthcare access for Native American veterans. Features testimonies from representatives from the National Indian Health Board, the National Congress of American Indians, and the Alaska Native Health Board, among others.
Additional links: Witness Testimonies
Date: 10/2019
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: House Veterans' Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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Impact of Rural Residence on Kidney Transplant Rates Among Waitlisted Candidates in the VA Transplant Programs
Details a study on the role rurality plays in kidney transplantation access among veterans. Breaks down data of waitlisted veterans by age, sex, and location, among other measures. Compares rates veterans and non-veterans for reference.
Author(s): Amy O'Shea, Carrie L. Franciscus, Peter J. Kaboli, Roberto S. Kalil
Citation: Transplantation, 103(9), 1945-1952
Date: 09/2019
Type: Document
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Subcommittee on Health Hearing: MISSION Critical: Care in the Community Update
Presents a U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health hearing on the MISSION Act community care program. Focuses specifically on the program's coverage and consistency of care for veterans.
Additional links: Witness Statements
Date: 09/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Veterans' Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Health
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DAMA Subcommittee Oversight Hearing: Update on VA Contracted Exams, Quality Review Process, and Service to Rural Veterans
Provides a recording and related documents from a House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs hearing examining rural access to timely Contracted Compensation and Pension (C&P) Exams, which are used to determine eligibility for VA benefits.
Additional links: Witness Testimony
Date: 09/2019
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs
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Making Connections: Nationwide Implementation of Video Telehealth Tablets to Address Access Barriers in Veterans
Results of a survey of 68 facility telehealth coordinators to evaluate implementation of a Department of Veterans Affairs initiative to provide tablets to high-need veterans with chronic conditions. Features statistics including demographics of tablet recipients and tablet users, with breakdowns by urban, rural, and highly rural location.
Author(s): Donna M. Zulman, Emily P. Wong, Cindie Slightam, et al.
Citation: JAMIA Open, 2(3), 323–329
Date: 08/2019
Type: Document
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Last Updated: 10/7/2024