Rural Veterans and Access to Healthcare – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Veterans and Access to Healthcare.
Spatial Analysis of Access to Psychiatrists for US Military Personnel and Their Families
Examines the location and capacity of psychiatrists within a 30-minute driving time of TRICARE beneficiaries. Explores how geographic access to psychiatrists affects veteran TRICARE beneficiaries in rural and low-income communities. Breaks down community data by region, rural or urban status, and economic makeup, among other measures.
Author(s): Marigee Bacolod, Jennifer Heissel, Yu-Chu Shen
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(1), e2249314
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
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Examines the location and capacity of psychiatrists within a 30-minute driving time of TRICARE beneficiaries. Explores how geographic access to psychiatrists affects veteran TRICARE beneficiaries in rural and low-income communities. Breaks down community data by region, rural or urban status, and economic makeup, among other measures.
Author(s): Marigee Bacolod, Jennifer Heissel, Yu-Chu Shen
Citation: JAMA Network Open, 6(1), e2249314
Date: 01/2023
Type: Document
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Improving Access to High-Quality Mental Health Care for Veterans: Proceedings of a Workshop
Presents a workshop focusing on mental healthcare access for veterans. Discusses some of the challenges the VA faces in delivering mental healthcare to veterans, particularly those in rural and low-income communities. Explores methods to improve mental health access and highlights best practices.
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Presents a workshop focusing on mental healthcare access for veterans. Discusses some of the challenges the VA faces in delivering mental healthcare to veterans, particularly those in rural and low-income communities. Explores methods to improve mental health access and highlights best practices.
Author(s): Board on Health Care Services
Date: 2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Disparities in Virtual Cardiology Visits Among Veterans Health Administration Patients During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Presents the results of a study to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic, during the first year, influenced the digital divide for patients using virtual and video-based care in Veterans Health Administration (VA) cardiology clinics across the U.S. Study examined sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, drive time to care, geographic location – rural and urban – and encounter type to determine changes in access to care by video, phone, and face-to-face.
Author(s): Rebecca L Tisdale, Jacqueline Ferguson, James Van Campen, et al.
Citation: JAMIA Open, 5(4)
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
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Presents the results of a study to determine how the COVID-19 pandemic, during the first year, influenced the digital divide for patients using virtual and video-based care in Veterans Health Administration (VA) cardiology clinics across the U.S. Study examined sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, drive time to care, geographic location – rural and urban – and encounter type to determine changes in access to care by video, phone, and face-to-face.
Author(s): Rebecca L Tisdale, Jacqueline Ferguson, James Van Campen, et al.
Citation: JAMIA Open, 5(4)
Date: 12/2022
Type: Document
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Native American Veterans: Ensuring Access to VA Health Care and Benefits
Recording of a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discusses access to benefits and healthcare for American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. Features testimonies from representatives for the Indian Health Service, the Veterans Health Administration, the Blackfeet Veterans Alliance, the National Congress of American Indians, the National Indian Health Board, and National Council of Urban Indian Health.
Additional links: Larry Wright Jr. Testimony, Leo Pollock Testimony, Mark Upton Testimony, Nickolaus Lewis Testimony, Roselyn Tso Testimony, Sonya Tetnowski Testimony
Date: 11/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate
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Recording of a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discusses access to benefits and healthcare for American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. Features testimonies from representatives for the Indian Health Service, the Veterans Health Administration, the Blackfeet Veterans Alliance, the National Congress of American Indians, the National Indian Health Board, and National Council of Urban Indian Health.
Additional links: Larry Wright Jr. Testimony, Leo Pollock Testimony, Mark Upton Testimony, Nickolaus Lewis Testimony, Roselyn Tso Testimony, Sonya Tetnowski Testimony
Date: 11/2022
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organizations: Committee on Veterans' Affairs, U.S. Senate
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Improving the Oral Health of Rural Veterans
Report explores rural veterans' access to oral healthcare. Compares the oral health of rural and urban veterans, highlights barriers to oral healthcare in rural areas, and makes recommendations for expanding access to oral healthcare.
Author(s): Annaliese Cothron, Hayam Megally, Don Clermont
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
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Report explores rural veterans' access to oral healthcare. Compares the oral health of rural and urban veterans, highlights barriers to oral healthcare in rural areas, and makes recommendations for expanding access to oral healthcare.
Author(s): Annaliese Cothron, Hayam Megally, Don Clermont
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
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Veterans Community Care Program: VA Needs to Strengthen Its Oversight and Improve Data on Its Community Care Network Providers
Describes how the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) monitors contractor compliance with the Veterans Community Care Program network adequacy standards and related requirements. Examines the extent to which the VA's contractors are meeting network adequacy standards. Discusses the experiences of VA medical facility officials when scheduling routine appointments for veterans. Offers recommendations to ensure that contractors report complete performance data and increase the accuracy of community provider information.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Describes how the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) monitors contractor compliance with the Veterans Community Care Program network adequacy standards and related requirements. Examines the extent to which the VA's contractors are meeting network adequacy standards. Discusses the experiences of VA medical facility officials when scheduling routine appointments for veterans. Offers recommendations to ensure that contractors report complete performance data and increase the accuracy of community provider information.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 11/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Counties With High Veteran Poverty Rates Tend to Be Nonmetropolitan
Map identifying counties with high or extreme high poverty rates among military veterans, based on American Community Survey 2015-2019 data.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Map identifying counties with high or extreme high poverty rates among military veterans, based on American Community Survey 2015-2019 data.
Date: 11/2022
Type: Map/Mapping System
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Evidence Brief: Safety and Effectiveness of Telehealth-Delivered Mental Health Care
Presents an overview of research evidence on the safety and effectiveness of telehealth-based mental healthcare for veterans. Discusses outcomes and studies of telehealth treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, substance use, and multiple mental health conditions.
Additional links: Supplemental Materials
Author(s): E.H. Beech, S. Young, J.K. Anderson, B.E. Belsher, N.J. Parr
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Presents an overview of research evidence on the safety and effectiveness of telehealth-based mental healthcare for veterans. Discusses outcomes and studies of telehealth treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, substance use, and multiple mental health conditions.
Additional links: Supplemental Materials
Author(s): E.H. Beech, S. Young, J.K. Anderson, B.E. Belsher, N.J. Parr
Date: 10/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Mapping Rural and Urban Veterans' Spatial Access to Primary Care Following the MISSION Act
Presents a study on primary care access for rural, micropolitan, and urban areas after the implementation of the 2018 MISSION Act. Bases findings on supply and demand of and for primary care providers in regions of varying rurality for veterans in Oregon.
Author(s): Eliana Sullivan, Whitney E. Zahnd, Jane M. Zhu, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 37(12), 2941-2947
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
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Presents a study on primary care access for rural, micropolitan, and urban areas after the implementation of the 2018 MISSION Act. Bases findings on supply and demand of and for primary care providers in regions of varying rurality for veterans in Oregon.
Author(s): Eliana Sullivan, Whitney E. Zahnd, Jane M. Zhu, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 37(12), 2941-2947
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
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National Veteran Health Equity Report
Examines Veterans Affairs (VA) data concerning the sociodemographics, utilization patterns, and rates of diagnosed health conditions among various groups of veterans to monitor, evaluate and act on identified disparities in healthcare access, use, quality, and health outcomes. Chapter 5 developed by the VA Office of Rural Health provides detailed information comparing rural and urban data.
Additional links: American Indian or Alaska Native Veteran Chartbook, Asian and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Veteran Chartbook, Black Veteran Chartbook, Full Report, Hispanic and Latino Veteran Chartbook
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration
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Examines Veterans Affairs (VA) data concerning the sociodemographics, utilization patterns, and rates of diagnosed health conditions among various groups of veterans to monitor, evaluate and act on identified disparities in healthcare access, use, quality, and health outcomes. Chapter 5 developed by the VA Office of Rural Health provides detailed information comparing rural and urban data.
Additional links: American Indian or Alaska Native Veteran Chartbook, Asian and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Veteran Chartbook, Black Veteran Chartbook, Full Report, Hispanic and Latino Veteran Chartbook
Date: 09/2022
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration
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Last Updated: 11/13/2024