This website is being reviewed for updates. Some information is offline. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Veterans and Access to Healthcare – Resources

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

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
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
view details
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, 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
view details
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
Sponsoring organization: Health and Medicine Division (HMD), National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
view details
Availability of Healthcare Providers for Rural Veterans Eligible for Purchased Care under the Veterans Choice Act
Highlights a study on the utilization of the Veterans Choice Act, specifically rurality of veterans eligible to purchase non-VHA healthcare. Details the role VHA facilities continue to play in providing healthcare to veterans who qualify for Veterans Choice.
Author(s): Michael E. Ohl, Margaret Carrell, Andrew Thurman, et al.
Citation: BMC Health Services Research, 18(1)
Date: 2018
view details
No Wrong Door: Supporting Community Living for Veterans
Reports on several Veteran-Directed Home- and Community-Based Services (VD-HCBS) programs in 7 states. Presents a breakdown of each program and highlights challenges each program had to overcome. Bases analysis on 2 separate state surveys. Also includes tools useful to building collaborative partnerships between VA medical providers and aging and disability agencies in order to better serve veterans in their communities.
Author(s): Christina Neill Bowen, Wendy Fox-Grage, Kali Thomas, James Rudolph
Date: 11/2017
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
view details
Rural Veteran Population Continues to Decline Despite Rise in Post-9/11 Veterans
Chart showing the change in the rural veteran population from 2006 to 2016, with a comparison of pre- and post-9/11 rural veterans.
Date: 11/2017
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
view details
Implementation and Dissemination of a Transition of Care Program for Rural Veterans: A Controlled Before and after Study
Highlights a study on the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) nurse-led transitional care program. Study uses the Practical, Robust, Implementation, and Sustainability Model (PRISM) to evaluate the implementation's ability to support the transitions of rural veterans from hospital to home.
Author(s): Chelsea Leonard, Emily Lawrence, Marina McCreight, et al.
Citation: Implementation Science, 12, 123
Date: 10/2017
view details
Prescription Opioid Misuse among Rural Community Pharmacy Patients: Pilot Study for Screening and Implications for Future Practice and Research
Examines rural and urban community pharmacy patients in Pennsylvania to describe and compare patterns of opioid medication misuse. Identifies demographic and risk factors associated with rural and urban opioid medication misuse. Includes demographic statistics by rural and urban areas, such as education, employment status, and misuse behaviors. Offers recommendations to address opioid medication misuse.
Author(s): Gerald T. Cochran, Rafael J. Engel, Valerie J. Hruschak, Ralph E. Tarter
Citation: Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 30(5), 498-505
Date: 10/2017
view details
Organizations Help Veterans Transition into Healthcare Careers
Highlights the work of the Multi-State Collaborative on Military Credit and the Consortium of Michigan Veterans Educators to help veterans pursue careers in healthcare. Discusses the role veterans have played in the past and continue to play in meeting the health workforce needs of rural communities. Identifies barriers veterans face transitioning to health careers.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 10/2017
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
view details
Rural Veterans' Dental Utilization, BRFSS, 2014
Highlight study on the dental utilization rates for rural veterans. Explores whether the rural veterans are more likely to experience negative oral health outcomes, such as missing teeth. Breaks down data by age, race, educational attainment, and rural versus urban location, among other factors.
Author(s): R. Constance Wiener, Chan Shen, Usha Sambamoorthi, Patricia A. Findley
Citation: Journal of Public Health Dentistry, 77(4), 383-392
Date: 09/2017
view details

Additional resources are available related to this guide. See the full list of resources by topic for:


Last Updated: 3/11/2025