Rural Veterans and Access to Healthcare – Resources
Selected recent or important resources focusing on Rural Veterans and Access to Healthcare.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Indian Health Service Memorandum of Understanding - Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2023
Annual report details the accomplishments of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS) via their memorandum of understanding. Highlights the ways the VA and IHS have worked together to deliver healthcare to American Indian and Alaska Native veterans and discusses future collaborations.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Indian Health Service, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Annual report details the accomplishments of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS) via their memorandum of understanding. Highlights the ways the VA and IHS have worked together to deliver healthcare to American Indian and Alaska Native veterans and discusses future collaborations.
Date: 04/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organizations: Indian Health Service, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Evaluating an Enterprise-Wide Initiative to Enhance Healthcare Coordination for Rural Women Veterans Using the RE-AIM Framework
Evaluates success of a program to expand access to cancer screenings and maternal healthcare for rural female Veterans in the areas of reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance in 14 Veterans Health Administration facilities.
Author(s): Mark R. Relyea, Rebecca L. Kinney, Eric C. DeRycke, et al
Citation: Frontiers in Health Services 3, 1237701
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Evaluates success of a program to expand access to cancer screenings and maternal healthcare for rural female Veterans in the areas of reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance in 14 Veterans Health Administration facilities.
Author(s): Mark R. Relyea, Rebecca L. Kinney, Eric C. DeRycke, et al
Citation: Frontiers in Health Services 3, 1237701
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
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Veterans Health: VA Should Improve Its Monitoring of Severe Maternal Complications and Mental Health Screenings
Examines Veterans Administration (VA) data on deaths and severe maternal morbidity among pregnant and postpartum veterans from fiscal year 2011 through 2020. Explores actions the VA has taken to monitor maternal health outcomes among pregnant and postpartum veterans and the extent to which the VA facilitates mental health screenings for these veterans. Offers recommendations to the VA regarding monitoring trends in severe maternal morbidity by veteran characteristics and maternity care coordinators' screening of veterans for mental health conditions. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Examines Veterans Administration (VA) data on deaths and severe maternal morbidity among pregnant and postpartum veterans from fiscal year 2011 through 2020. Explores actions the VA has taken to monitor maternal health outcomes among pregnant and postpartum veterans and the extent to which the VA facilitates mental health screenings for these veterans. Offers recommendations to the VA regarding monitoring trends in severe maternal morbidity by veteran characteristics and maternity care coordinators' screening of veterans for mental health conditions. Includes rural references throughout.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Full Committee Oversight Hearing: "Rural Access: Is VA Meeting All Veterans Where They Live?"
The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs full committee oversight hearing discusses rural veteran's access to healthcare through the VA. Features a discussion of the VA's role as both a healthcare provider and a payer via its Community Care Program. Highlights technological challenges related to telehealth, such as lack of broadband connections and technological literacy of older veterans. Presents testimony from the VA, the Government Accountability Office, the Navajo Nation, and veteran advocacy groups, among others.
Additional links: Witnesses' Testimonies
Date: 01/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
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The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs full committee oversight hearing discusses rural veteran's access to healthcare through the VA. Features a discussion of the VA's role as both a healthcare provider and a payer via its Community Care Program. Highlights technological challenges related to telehealth, such as lack of broadband connections and technological literacy of older veterans. Presents testimony from the VA, the Government Accountability Office, the Navajo Nation, and veteran advocacy groups, among others.
Additional links: Witnesses' Testimonies
Date: 01/2024
Type: Video/Multimedia
Sponsoring organization: House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
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VA Health Care: Office of Rural Health Efforts and Recommendations for Improvement
Presents an evaluation of the Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health (ORH). Discusses the methods the ORH uses to improve healthcare quality and access for rural veterans, such as initiatives to expand VHA services to rural veterans and funding research to improve the healthcare quality in rural areas. Evaluates the ORH's efforts and makes recommendations for improvement.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Presents an evaluation of the Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health (ORH). Discusses the methods the ORH uses to improve healthcare quality and access for rural veterans, such as initiatives to expand VHA services to rural veterans and funding research to improve the healthcare quality in rural areas. Evaluates the ORH's efforts and makes recommendations for improvement.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 01/2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Women Veterans: The Journey to Mental Wellness
Report discussing mental health for female veterans. Discusses topics including suicide prevention with a focus on rural issues, abuse and violence, substance use, eating disorders, social connectedness, maternity, and care coordination. Offers policy and research recommendations to the Veterans Health Administration.
Additional links: Quick Glance
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Disabled American Veterans
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Report discussing mental health for female veterans. Discusses topics including suicide prevention with a focus on rural issues, abuse and violence, substance use, eating disorders, social connectedness, maternity, and care coordination. Offers policy and research recommendations to the Veterans Health Administration.
Additional links: Quick Glance
Date: 2024
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Disabled American Veterans
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Effectiveness of Syringe Services Programs
Presents a literature review of the studies evaluating SSP interventions across the country. Report aims to evaluate the overall efficacy of SSPs at reducing the transmission of HIV/HCV. Four of the 100 studies were conducted in completely rural settings, and 5 were conducted in both rural and urban settings. Makes recommendations for VA policy makers.
Additional links: Appendices, Executive Summary
Author(s): Katherine M. Mackey, Erin H. Beech, Beth E. Williams, et al.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: VA Health Services Research & Development Service
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Presents a literature review of the studies evaluating SSP interventions across the country. Report aims to evaluate the overall efficacy of SSPs at reducing the transmission of HIV/HCV. Four of the 100 studies were conducted in completely rural settings, and 5 were conducted in both rural and urban settings. Makes recommendations for VA policy makers.
Additional links: Appendices, Executive Summary
Author(s): Katherine M. Mackey, Erin H. Beech, Beth E. Williams, et al.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: VA Health Services Research & Development Service
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Pre-Implementation Adaptation of Suicide Safety Planning Intervention Using Peer Support in Rural Areas
Using a community-based participatory research process, study aimed to identify adaptable components of a veteran-focused suicide intervention as well as barriers and facilitators for implementation in rural Arkansas using peer support. Includes discussion of the benefits of community input early in the research process.
Author(s): Eva N. Woodward, Amanda Lunsford, Rae Brown, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Health Services, 3
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
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Using a community-based participatory research process, study aimed to identify adaptable components of a veteran-focused suicide intervention as well as barriers and facilitators for implementation in rural Arkansas using peer support. Includes discussion of the benefits of community input early in the research process.
Author(s): Eva N. Woodward, Amanda Lunsford, Rae Brown, et al.
Citation: Frontiers in Health Services, 3
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
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Improving the Maternity Care Safety Net: Establishing Maternal Mortality Surveillance for Non-Obstetric Providers and Institutions
Examines a quality improvement plan implemented by the Veterans Health Administration (VA) that utilizes system-level surveillance to monitor non-obstetric care for pregnant veterans. Examines maternal mortality of veterans using VA maternity care benefits, with 2011-2020 data broken down by age, race/ethnicity, and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Joan L. Combellick, Bridget Basile Ibrahim, Aryan Esmaeili, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(1), 37
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
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Examines a quality improvement plan implemented by the Veterans Health Administration (VA) that utilizes system-level surveillance to monitor non-obstetric care for pregnant veterans. Examines maternal mortality of veterans using VA maternity care benefits, with 2011-2020 data broken down by age, race/ethnicity, and rural versus urban location.
Author(s): Joan L. Combellick, Bridget Basile Ibrahim, Aryan Esmaeili, et al.
Citation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 21(1), 37
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
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Fact Sheet: How to Define Rurality
Fact sheet defines rural in the context of the Veterans Health Administration. Discusses RUCA codes, Census tracts, and how the VA assigns rurality.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
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Fact sheet defines rural in the context of the Veterans Health Administration. Discusses RUCA codes, Census tracts, and how the VA assigns rurality.
Date: 12/2023
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
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Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:
Last Updated: 4/22/2024