State's VA center chosen for new rural veterans project
By BOB AUDETTE, Reformer Staff
Wednesday, August 20
BRATTLEBORO -- For veterans living in New England's rural areas, getting adequate health care is often a question of how far they live from a Veterans Affairs medical center.
In the tri-state region of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, veterans often have to drive an hour or more to get care in Manchester, N.H., Northampton, Mass., or White River Junction.
Making health care more accessible for rural veterans is the focus of a new program set to go into effect Oct. 1 at White River Junction and two other facilities in the United States.
The Veterans Rural Health Resource Center will serve as a research center and clearinghouse for those studying the health needs of veterans who live far from a VA health facility.
Just as with the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Center at White River Junction, staffers will analyze data and trends and disseminate the information not only to other VA medical centers, but to nonVA rural health care providers around the country.
The purpose of the centers, said Patricia Vandenberg, the VA's assistant deputy under secretary for health policy and planning, is to conduct "policy-oriented study and analysis to function as a laboratory for demonstration and pilot projects."
Along with White River Junction, medical centers in Iowa City, Iowa, and Salt Lake City were chosen to participate in the program.
"We had 11 applications," said Vandenberg.
The three medical centers were chosen not only on the strength of their applications, but also because of their commitment to providing access and quality health care to rural veterans, she said.
Another reason White River Junction was chosen was because of the reputation of the PTSD Center and the fact the medical center there "had already demonstrated experience at programs that studied the special needs of rural veterans," said Vandenberg.
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