Veterans Rural Health Resource Centers

Veterans Rural Health Resource Centers (VRHRCs) are Office of Rural Health (ORH) field-based satellite offices that serve as hubs of rural health care research, innovation, and dissemination. Congressional mandate 38 USC § 7308 defines VRHRCs’ mission to:

• Improve understanding of the challenges faced by Veterans living in rural areas
• Identify disparities in the availability of health care to Veterans living in rural areas
• Formulate practices or programs to enhance the delivery of health care to Veterans living in rural areas
• Develop special practices and products for the benefit of Veterans living in rural areas and for implementation of such practices and products in the Department system-wide

Located at host U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers in Iowa City, Iowa; Salt Lake City, Utah; White River Junction, Vermont; Gainesville, Florida; and Portland, Oregon, VRHRC functions include:

• Administration and Operations: Oversee the day-to-day operation of the VRHRC, providing operations and clinical leadership as well as administrative support
• Studies: Respond to requests from ORH to prepare longer-term studies of matters affecting Veterans living in rural areas of the United States
• Innovations: Develop and pilot test innovations in the delivery of care and services to rural Veterans, functioning as field-based "laboratories" for clinical and non-clinical pilot projects that address well-defined needs of Veterans living in rural communities
• Mentored Implementation and Technical Assistance:
• Disseminate ORH Rural Mentored Implementation to targeted stakeholders, inside and outside VA, that emerge from clinical and non-clinical pilot projects
• Provide technical assistance and program consultation on programs, pilots, projects and issues affecting rural Veterans to internal VA and external stakeholders

Each VRHRC has a specific rural focus:

• Iowa City:
• Improve care coordination for dual use Veterans, including those who use Community Care Programs
• Use VA telemedicine and informatics tools to improve access to care
• Develop innovative interdisciplinary treatment models to improve the quality and efficiency of care
• Develop innovative mental health treatment delivery models for rural Veterans
• Assess, understand, and improve equitable delivery of services to rural Veterans of historically underserved populations across Center initiatives
• Salt Lake City:
• Study and innovate in rural geriatric care, complex care, and chronic conditions
• Leverage VA and other data sources to create tools for research and operations staff to identify needs and gaps in care for rural Veterans
• Develop culturally competent models of outreach and care for rural American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans
• Identify needs and develop innovative solutions to improve access for rural Veterans with mental health concerns
• White River Junction:
• Develop and evaluate initiatives focused on rural workforce development     
• Conduct research on health care disparities affecting rural Veterans
• Evaluate challenges facing rural Veterans regarding mental health and mental health care
• Pilot and evaluate mental health and suicide prevention programs serving rural Veterans
• Develop training on evidence-based practices for rural VA clinicians
• Gainesville:
• Improve independent living for rural Veterans
• Strengthen rural workforce recruitment, retention, and education
• Support rural policy analysis, strategic planning, rural geographic database design, and implementation in support of rural Veteran health care through geospatial solutions
• Portland:
• Increase rural Veterans' access to care
• Find innovative ways to combat the pain or opioid epidemics
• Prevent Veteran suicide
• Address health disparities in vulnerable rural populations

VRHRC Leadership

Carolyn Turvey, PhD, Clinical Director Iowa City, Iowa VRHRC (Iowa City VA Health Care System)

Samantha Solimeo, PhD, MPH, Operations​​ Director Iowa City, Iowa VRHRC (Iowa City VA Health Care System)

Byron Bair, MD, Clinical Director Salt Lake City, Utah VRHRC (VA Salt Lake City Health Care System)

Bradley Watts, MD, Clinical Director White River Junction, Vermont VRHRC (White River Junction VA Medical Center)

Keith Myers, DPT, Clinical Director Gainesville, Florida VRHRC (Malcom Randall VA Medical Center)

Sergio Romero, PhD, Operations Director Gainesville, Florida VRHRC (Malcom Randall VA Medical Center)

Travis Lovejoy, PhD, MPH, Clinical Director Portland, Oregon VRHRC (Portland VA Medical Center)

Sarah Ono, PhD, Operations Director Portland, Oregon VRHRC (Portland VA Medical Center)

Learn more about VRHRC leadership here.