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Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Rural Health. HRSA / ORHP All Programs Meeting. Kara Hawthorne. August, 2007. Focus Areas. 1. Legislation. 2. What Rural Looks Like. 2. Enrollees / Patients. 4. OHR. 5. VA System of care delivery. Legislation – The Office.
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Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Rural Health HRSA / ORHP All Programs Meeting Kara Hawthorne August, 2007
Focus Areas 1. Legislation 2. What Rural Looks Like 2. Enrollees / Patients 4. OHR 5. VA System of care delivery
Legislation – The Office • PL 109-461 Section 212. • Congress Passed Late December ’06 • VHA ADUSH for PP began work 2/07
PL 109-461 Section 212. • Establish the Office of Rural Health • Develop, refine, and promulgate policies, best practices, lessons learned, and innovative and successful programs to improve care and services • Research • To designate in each VISN a rural consultant • Perform an Assessment of Fee-Basis Health-Care Program • Plan To Improve Access and Quality of Care: Develop a plan to improve the access and quality of care for enrolled veterans in rural areas; including measures for meeting the 1) long term care and 2) mental health needs of rural veterans
Legislation – Congress • Congress has the vision of outcomes, ORH is in the current phase of process development • Additional Bills have included: S. 1146, S. 1233 (markup). HR 5524, HR 315, HR 1527, HR 2005, HR 2874 (markup), draft bill HR 2623. • General themes include: • Establishing Rural research centers of excellence • Providing grants for VSO’s to establish transportation • Partnering with Community Health Clinics. (everyone know what those are? Federally Qualified Health Canters funded in part by HHS) • Partner with IHS • Consider Fee-based care • Outreach • Recently some collaboration with MH/Vet centers on MH services in rural areas. on outreach • And of course, expand, expand, expand Services • VAH leadership has testified on RH multiple times this year
Veterans EOY 2006 Estimated 8.3% of the population are Veterans. 38% of Enrollees are rural or highly rural 40% of patients are rural or highly rural
Distribution • States with the highest numbers of enrollees: • California, Florida, New York, Texas, Pennsylvania • States with the lowest numbers of enrollees: • Vermont, Wyoming, Alaska, N.Dakota, Rhode Island
ORH • VHA has been providing care to rural veterans • The ORH will coordinate services to enhance delivery of care, create greater access, engage in research, promulgate best practices….
How VHA Provides Care VHA System of Facilities • 153 Hospitals • 882 Outpatient Clinics (including CBOCs) • 207 Vet Centers • 135 VA Nursing Homes * Data as of Second Quarter FY07 – March 30, 2007
Telehealth VHA’s office of Care Coordination has programs that brings care into the veterans home • Care Coordination Home Telehealth • Telemental Health
Contact Information: Kara Hawthorne VHA Office of Rural Health Tele: (202) 273-8389 Kara.Hawthorne@va.gov