Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Veterans
2024 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report
Report highlights the rate of suicide among veterans and the VA's role in suicide prevention. Discusses the causes of veteran suicide and the steps the VA is taking for suicide prevention. Breaks down rates of suicide by sex, contact with the VHA, and rurality, among other factors. The 2024 report is split into two parts. The second part is added as and additional link.
Additional links: Data Appendix, Part 2: Report Findings
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Report highlights the rate of suicide among veterans and the VA's role in suicide prevention. Discusses the causes of veteran suicide and the steps the VA is taking for suicide prevention. Breaks down rates of suicide by sex, contact with the VHA, and rurality, among other factors. The 2024 report is split into two parts. The second part is added as and additional link.
Additional links: Data Appendix, Part 2: Report Findings
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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Report on the Mental Health Program for Veterans for Fiscal Year 2024
Reports on the Texas Health and Human Service Commission (HHSC) and Texas Veterans Commission's (TVC) programs to ensure access to behavioral health services for service members, veterans, and their family members (SMVF) during fiscal year 2024 in Texas. Highlights the needs of rural SMVF throughout, and discusses services provided by the Rural Veteran Counselor (RVC) program.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Reports on the Texas Health and Human Service Commission (HHSC) and Texas Veterans Commission's (TVC) programs to ensure access to behavioral health services for service members, veterans, and their family members (SMVF) during fiscal year 2024 in Texas. Highlights the needs of rural SMVF throughout, and discusses services provided by the Rural Veteran Counselor (RVC) program.
Date: 12/2024
Sponsoring organization: Texas Health and Human Services
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Connecting Unstably Housed Veterans Living in Rural Areas to Health Care: Perspectives From Health Care Navigators
Highlights a study of VA healthcare navigators (HCNs) effectiveness in helping rural veterans experiencing housing instability access healthcare services. Explores interpersonal, intrapersonal, and community-level barriers and facilitators to HCN services.
Author(s): Kalea Jones, Meagan Cusack, Gala True, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 59(S2), e14316
Date: 12/2024
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Highlights a study of VA healthcare navigators (HCNs) effectiveness in helping rural veterans experiencing housing instability access healthcare services. Explores interpersonal, intrapersonal, and community-level barriers and facilitators to HCN services.
Author(s): Kalea Jones, Meagan Cusack, Gala True, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 59(S2), e14316
Date: 12/2024
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Differential Effects of a Social Work Staffing Intervention on Social Work Access Among Rural and Highly Rural Veterans: A Cohort Study
Presents a study on the efficacy of a VA program to expand access of social work services to rural veterans. Draws data from VA sites that participated in the program from October 2016 to September 2021. Compares social worker utilization by rural and urban veterans and breaks down data by age, race, and reason for visit, among other factors.
Author(s): Andrew N. Honken, Christopher W. Halladay, Lisa E. Wootton, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 59(S2), e14327
Date: 12/2024
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Presents a study on the efficacy of a VA program to expand access of social work services to rural veterans. Draws data from VA sites that participated in the program from October 2016 to September 2021. Compares social worker utilization by rural and urban veterans and breaks down data by age, race, and reason for visit, among other factors.
Author(s): Andrew N. Honken, Christopher W. Halladay, Lisa E. Wootton, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 59(S2), e14327
Date: 12/2024
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Improving Access to Buprenorphine for Rural Veterans in a Learning Health Care System
Describes the development of a implementation strategy to increase rural buprenorphine prescribing at U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) healthcare systems based on existing successful strategies in 6 rural VAs. Discusses clinical needs to support increased prescribing related to mentorship, consulting services, and practitioner education.
Author(s): Jessica J. Wyse, Katherine Mackey, Kim A. Kauzlarich, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 59(S2), e14346
Date: 12/2024
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Describes the development of a implementation strategy to increase rural buprenorphine prescribing at U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) healthcare systems based on existing successful strategies in 6 rural VAs. Discusses clinical needs to support increased prescribing related to mentorship, consulting services, and practitioner education.
Author(s): Jessica J. Wyse, Katherine Mackey, Kim A. Kauzlarich, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 59(S2), e14346
Date: 12/2024
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Tracking Implementation Strategies in Real-World Settings: VA Office of Rural Health Enterprise-Wide Initiative Portfolio
Examines implementation strategies of rural health innovations utilizing the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. Utilizes 2020-2022 annual reports from the Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Rural Health (ORH) to analyze 875 implementation strategies. Provides descriptive statistics on strategies utilized, including those focused on rurality benchmarks, and discusses utility of using annual reports to evaluate success of rural health innovations.
Author(s): Heather Schacht Reisinger, Sheila Barron, Erin Balkenende, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 59(S2), e14377
Date: 12/2024
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Examines implementation strategies of rural health innovations utilizing the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. Utilizes 2020-2022 annual reports from the Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Rural Health (ORH) to analyze 875 implementation strategies. Provides descriptive statistics on strategies utilized, including those focused on rurality benchmarks, and discusses utility of using annual reports to evaluate success of rural health innovations.
Author(s): Heather Schacht Reisinger, Sheila Barron, Erin Balkenende, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 59(S2), e14377
Date: 12/2024
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Adaptations and Early Adoption of a Family Caregiver Intervention in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System: A Multimethod Pragmatic Approach for National Scaling
Analyzes early adoption of Caregivers Finding Important Resources, Support, and Training (FIRST) and the correlation to site-level adaptations at various Veteran Health Administration medical centers (VAMCs). Examines 25 VAMCs for site characteristics, intervention adoption, and adaptations, with breakdowns according to VAMC complexity level, staffing, organizational readiness to make adaptations, and rurality.
Author(s): Amanda C. Blok, Connor Drake, Kasey Decosimo, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 59(S2)
Date: 12/2024
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Analyzes early adoption of Caregivers Finding Important Resources, Support, and Training (FIRST) and the correlation to site-level adaptations at various Veteran Health Administration medical centers (VAMCs). Examines 25 VAMCs for site characteristics, intervention adoption, and adaptations, with breakdowns according to VAMC complexity level, staffing, organizational readiness to make adaptations, and rurality.
Author(s): Amanda C. Blok, Connor Drake, Kasey Decosimo, et al.
Citation: Health Services Research, 59(S2)
Date: 12/2024
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Identifying Areas of High Vulnerability for Rural Veteran Food Insecurity
Examines and locates veteran food insecurity in rural areas by mapping areas of high vulnerability with geographic information systems (GIS). Utilizes multiple data sources to map out Veterans Health Administration (VHA) locations, food deserts, high veteran population density, low community health rankings, and more. Shows locations in the U.S. that have a high population of veterans and food insecurity that are near a VHA location and may benefit from interventions.
Author(s): Sarah E. Bradley, Jacquelyn Heuer, Bridget Hahm, Kristin Pettey, Karen Besterman-Dahan
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 15
Date: 11/2024
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Examines and locates veteran food insecurity in rural areas by mapping areas of high vulnerability with geographic information systems (GIS). Utilizes multiple data sources to map out Veterans Health Administration (VHA) locations, food deserts, high veteran population density, low community health rankings, and more. Shows locations in the U.S. that have a high population of veterans and food insecurity that are near a VHA location and may benefit from interventions.
Author(s): Sarah E. Bradley, Jacquelyn Heuer, Bridget Hahm, Kristin Pettey, Karen Besterman-Dahan
Citation: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 15
Date: 11/2024
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Tele-Collaborative Outreach to Rural Patients with Chronic Pain: Pragmatic Effectiveness Trial Protocol for the CORPs Study
Presents a trial protocol to examine the effectiveness of the Tele-Collaborative Outreach to Rural Patients (CORPs), a remote collaborative care intervention to improve pain interference among rural veterans with high-impact chronic pain. The intervention will be delivered through Veterans Health Administration (VA) system and will include pain education, care coordination, and navigation support provided by a nurse care manager (NCM). Discusses program implementation, evaluation, and cost-effectiveness.
Author(s): Benjamin J Morasco, Natassja Pal, Sarah S Ono, et al.
Citation: Pain Medicine, 25, S91-S98
Date: 11/2024
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Presents a trial protocol to examine the effectiveness of the Tele-Collaborative Outreach to Rural Patients (CORPs), a remote collaborative care intervention to improve pain interference among rural veterans with high-impact chronic pain. The intervention will be delivered through Veterans Health Administration (VA) system and will include pain education, care coordination, and navigation support provided by a nurse care manager (NCM). Discusses program implementation, evaluation, and cost-effectiveness.
Author(s): Benjamin J Morasco, Natassja Pal, Sarah S Ono, et al.
Citation: Pain Medicine, 25, S91-S98
Date: 11/2024
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Understanding Veterans in New York: A Needs Assessment of Veterans Recently Separated from the Military
Results of a study to identify barriers to accessing services for New York veterans, and their experiences with healthcare provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Offers information to inform policy and practice changes to improve awareness of, access to, and use of needed services. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Jeanne S. Ringel, Julia Lejeune, Jessica Phillips, et al.
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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Results of a study to identify barriers to accessing services for New York veterans, and their experiences with healthcare provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Offers information to inform policy and practice changes to improve awareness of, access to, and use of needed services. Features statistics with breakdowns by urban and rural areas.
Author(s): Jeanne S. Ringel, Julia Lejeune, Jessica Phillips, et al.
Date: 10/2024
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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