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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Veterans and Access to Healthcare – Resources

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

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, 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
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Veterans Are Positioned To Contribute Economically to Rural Communities
Describes the geographic distribution of rural working age and elderly veterans. Identifies the employment sectors where rural veterans work, including their contribution to education and health-related occupations. Compares the earnings of rural veterans and nonveterans by employment sector.
Author(s): Tracey Farrigan
Citation: Amber Waves
Date: 09/2017
Sponsoring organization: USDA Economic Research Service
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Response to Commentary: Partnered Research to Improve Health of Rural Veterans
Describes how VA-funded Centers of Innovation (COINs) develop strategies optimizing care for veterans in rural areas. Focuses on programs in Salt Lake City, Utah; West Haven, Connecticut; and North Little Rock, Arkansas.
Author(s): Teresa Hudson
Date: 08/2017
Sponsoring organization: VA Health Systems Research, Office of Research & Development
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Commentary: Increasing Rural Veterans' Access to Care Through Research
Summarizes the challenges of delivering quality healthcare to rural veterans. Discusses the role of research and innovation as a means of meeting those challenges.
Author(s): Thomas F. Klobucar
Date: 08/2017
Sponsoring organization: VA Health Systems Research, Office of Research & Development
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Prevalence of and Interventions to Reduce Health Disparities in Vulnerable Veteran Populations: A Map of the Evidence
Identifies studies that examine disparities in utilization, quality of healthcare, or health of veterans, those that evaluate interventions that mitigate disparities in the Veterans Health Administration, and those examining health disparities. Features statistics on topics including health disparities according to rural residence or distance from a VHA Medical Center.
Author(s): Karli Kondo, Allison Low, Teresa Everson, et al.
Date: 05/2017
Sponsoring organization: VA Health Systems Research, Office of Research & Development
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The Association Between Neighborhood Environment and Mortality: Results from a National Study of Veterans
Details a study on the connection between neighborhood socioeconomic status (NSES) and health, specifically mortality, among veterans. Looks at VHA data by demographic information, such as age, sex, and rural versus urban location, among other factors.
Author(s): Karin Nelson, Greg Schwartz, Susan Hernandez, et al.
Citation: Journal of General Internal Medicine, 32(4), 416-422
Date: 04/2017
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Veterans Health Administration: Actions Needed to Better Recruit and Retain Clinical and Administrative Staff
Testimony before the House Subcommittee on Health and the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs detailing the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) challenges in attracting, hiring, and retaining top healthcare talent, including in rural locations. Also discusses the VHA's capacity to perform key human resources functions and makes recommendations for future improvements.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Veterans' Health Care: Preliminary Observations on Veterans' Access to Choice Program Care
Reports on the Veterans Choice Program, which allows veterans to receive care from non-VA providers if certain conditions are met. Outlines the process the VA has established for scheduling appointments, discusses what is known about the timeliness of appointments for routine and urgent care, and lays out plans to improve the timeliness of the Choice Program.
Additional links: Full Report
Date: 03/2017
Sponsoring organization: Government Accountability Office
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Veterans' Location in Health Professional Shortage Areas: Implications for Access to Care and Workforce Supply
Details a study on veterans that live in Health Professional Shortage Areas and their access to care. Focuses on the workforce demands of serving this population.
Author(s): Jamie Mihoko Doyle, Robin A. Streeter
Citation: Health Services Research, 52(s1), 459-480
Date: 02/2017
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Which Veterans Enroll in a VA Health Information Exchange Program?
Details a study focusing on the veterans who enroll in the VA's voluntary Health Information Exchange Program, which connects Veterans Health Administration (VHA) data with non-VHA facilities. Breaks down data by age and rural vs. urban location, among other factors.
Author(s): Brian E Dixon, Susan Ofner, Susan M Perkins, et al.
Citation: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 24(1), 96-105
Date: 01/2017
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Last Updated: 5/19/2025