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Rural Veterans and Access to Healthcare – Resources

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

Veterans Health Administration: Steps Taken to Improve Physician Staffing, Recruitment, and Retention, but Challenges Remain
Highlights a report on the effectiveness of improvements made by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in the areas of staffing, recruitment, and retention. Discusses the successes and shortcomings of the VHA's interventions.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Evaluating National Program to Improve Access to Acute Stroke Services for Rural Veterans
Features a study on the Veterans Health Administration's efforts to improve access to acute stroke services for rural and underserved veteran populations. Discusses the National TeleStroke Program (NTSP) and it's impact on rural veterans.
Date: 06/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: VA Health Services Research & Development Service
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Veterans Choice Program: Improvements Needed to Address Access-Related Challenges as VA Plans Consolidation of Its Community Care Programs
Presents a study on the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Veterans Choice Program. Evaluates the VHA's ability to consolidate Community Care Programs without affecting access for rural veterans. Highlights findings and provides recommendations for changes.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 06/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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The Interaction Between Rural/Urban Status and Dual Use Status among Veterans with Heart Failure
Details a study on hospitalization and emergency department use by veterans with heart failure who use VA-only services or use a combination of VA and other healthcare services. Examines the role of urban and rural status in the veterans healthcare utilization rates.
Author(s): Kelly J Hunt, Mulugeta Gebregziahber, Charles J Everett, Paul A Heidenreich, Robert Neal
Citation: Rural and Remote Health, 18(2), 4495
Date: 05/2018
Type: Document
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The Rural Veteran Outreach Toolkit
Toolkit focuses on increasing partnerships between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and rural communities with the goal of improving the quality of life for veterans who live in rural communities. Describes the veteran outreach model, presents data on rural veterans, and provides a community workbook.
Date: 04/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
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A Comparison of Collaborative Care Outcomes in Two Health Care Systems: VA Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers
Compares merged data from two different collaborative care trials: Telemedicine-Enhanced Antidepressant Management (TEAM) evaluating collaborative care for veterans with depression at a Veterans Affairs (VA) community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs); and Outreach Using Telemedicine for Rural Enhanced Access in Community Health (OUTREACH) evaluating collaborative care for civilians with depression at Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHCs). Aim of study is to determine whether there are any significant differences in outcomes between the two population groups from each of the trials. Studies were conducted in the rural South.
Author(s): Kathleen M. Grubbs, John C. Fortney, Jeffrey Pyne, et al.
Citation: Psychiatric Services, 69(4), 431-437
Date: 04/2018
Type: Document
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The Veterans Choice Program (VCP): Program Implementation
Presents a report on the implementation of the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Veterans Choice Program (VCP) as a way to increase access to care for veterans. Discusses veteran eligibility and care options within the program, provider participation, and the processing of payments.
Date: 04/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Veterans Health Administration: Opportunities Exist for Improving Veterans' Access to Health Care Services in the Pacific Islands
Details opportunities for veterans to access healthcare in the Pacific Islands. Discusses barriers to care, such as long travel distances, and the use of telehealth and the Choice Program as methods of improving access.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 04/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Intensive Referral to Mutual-Help Groups: A Field Trial of Adaptations for Rural Veterans
Highlights a study on the effect of mutual help groups (MHGs) on outcomes for rural veterans with substance use disorder within the VA's Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System. Breaks down data by age, race, and substance use, among other factors.
Author(s): Kathleen M. Grant, Lance Brendan Young, Kimberly A. Tyler, et al.
Citation: Patient Education and Counseling, 101(1), 79-84
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
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Evaluation of the Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Services
Report by a committee of experts detailing veterans' ability to access mental health services through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Analyzes access to care, quality of care, and current barriers to both. Presents effective and efficient models for providing mental healthcare to veterans. Mentions rural throughout the report.
Additional links: Key Findings and Recommendations, Read Online
Author(s): Committee to Evaluate the Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Services
Date: 01/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Last Updated: 9/24/2024