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Rural Veterans and Access to Healthcare – Resources

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

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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Bridging Gaps in Mental Health Care: Lessons Learned from the Welcome Back Veterans Initiative
Details a study on the role of privately funded programs filling in the gaps between the Military Health System (MHS), the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and civilian healthcare providers in providing mental healthcare to veterans returning from deployment.
Date: 2017
Sponsoring organization: RAND Corporation
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LTSS Research: LTSS for Native Veterans - Annotated Literature Review
Presents an annotated literature review of long-term services and supports research for Native American and Alaska Native veterans. Features information on nursing homes, assisted living, and home healthcare, among other topics.
Date: 12/2016
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
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Aging Veterans in the United States: A Snapshot of Older Veterans and Their Social, Economic, and Housing Characteristics
A discussion of veterans 55 years and older living in the United States. Includes information about the disproportionate number of older veterans in rural areas and the need for housing and other support services to help them. Includes data and statistics regarding both urban and rural veterans.
Date: 05/2016
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
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Improved Veteran Access to Care Through the Veteran Health Information Exchange (VHIE) Retail Immunization Coordination Project
Presents a study on a coordination between the VA and Walgreens in an attempt to increase access to immunizations for rural veterans. Discusses the number of veterans who benefited from the program, as well as the distance traveled to both the VA and their nearest Walgreens to be vaccinated.
Author(s): Nathan Botts, Eric Pan, Lois Olinger, Margaret Donahue, Nelson Hsing
Citation: AMIA Annual Symposium Proceedings Archive, 2016, 326-331
Date: 2016
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Building Partnerships with Rural Arkansas Faith Communities to Promote Veterans' Mental Health: Lessons Learned
Highlights a study of 3 mental health-clergy partnership programs in rural Arkansas. Breaks down demographic information of program locations and presents a qualitative assessment of each program.
Author(s): Greer Sullivan, Justin Hunt, Tiffany F. Haynes, et al.
Citation: Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 8(1), 11-19
Date: 2014
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Serving Older Veterans: Dementia Caregiver Video Series
Features a series of videos informing rural caregivers on challenges and methods for supporting veterans with dementia. Highlights issues pertaining to medication management, pain management, financial mismanagement, and safety risks, among others, for dementia patients.
Sponsoring organization: Veterans Health Administration's Office of Rural Health
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Find Health Care & Resources for Native Veterans
Presents an interactive map of all of the Veterans Health Administrations (VHA) sites near native communities and all Indian Health Service (IHS) sites in urban areas. Highlights the type of facilities, the number of sites by area, and Federally Recognized Indian Land.
Sponsoring organization: Indian Health Service
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Veterans Crisis Line
Hotline offers 24/7 support for veterans and their families. Connects veterans to counseling, support, and healthcare in times of crisis. Allows veterans to access support through call, text, or online chat.
Sponsoring organization: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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