VETERANS RURAL HEALTH RESOURCE CENTERS
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 VA medical centers in Iowa City, Iowa; Salt Lake City, Utah; White River Junction, Vermont; Gainesville, Florida; and Portland, Oregon, VRHRCs 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
- Promising Practices Dissemination and Technical Assistance:
- Disseminate ORH Rural Promising Practices through 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
- Salt Lake City:
- Analyze data to identify patterns and characteristics of rural populations associated with suicide and suicide-related behavior
- Identify primary care provider recruitment and retention techniques to address rural provider shortages
- Create educational videos to support rural caregivers of Veterans with dementia
- Study and innovate in rural geriatric care, complex care and chronic conditions
- White River Junction:
- Conduct research on health care disparities affecting rural Veterans
- Pilot and evaluate care coordination programs serving rural Veterans
- Develop training on evidence based practices for rural VA providers
- Serve as a field resource for ORH program evaluation
- 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 (Disclaimer: This link directs to an internal VA site. You must have access to the VA network to view this page)
- Portland:
- Increase rural Veterans' access to care
- Find innovative ways to combat the pain or opioids epidemic
- Prevent Veteran suicide
VRHRC Leadership
Carolyn Turvey, PhD, Clinical Director![]() Iowa City, Iowa VRHRC |
Samantha Solimeo, PhD, MPH, Operations Director![]() Iowa City, Iowa VRHRC |
Byron Bair, MD, Clinical Director![]() Salt Lake City, Utah VRHRC |
Nancy K. Dailey, MSN, RN, Operations Director![]() Salt Lake City, Utah VRHRC |
Bradley Watts, MD, Clinical Director![]() White River Junction, Vermont VRHRC |
Matthew Vincenti, PhD, Operations Director![]() White River Junction, Vermont VRHRC |
Keith Myers, DPT, Clinical Director![]() Gainesville, Florida VRHRC |
Sergio Romero, PhD, Operations Director![]() Gainesville, Florida VRHRC |
Travis Lovejoy, PhD, MPH, Clinical Director![]() Portland, Oregon VRHRC |
Sarah Ono, PhD, Operations Director![]() Portland, Oregon VRHRC |
Learn more about VRHRC leadership here.
