VA Office of Rural Health (ORH)
GovernmentVA program office established by Congress in 2006 under 38 U.S. Code 7308 to address the health care access challenges facing rural veterans. Roughly 4.7 million rural and highly rural veterans live in the United States, with approximately 2.7 to 2.8 million enrolled in and relying on VA health care; more than half are over 65, and rural veterans face higher rates of chronic conditions and higher suicide rates than urban counterparts. ORH operates on a research, innovate, and disseminate model, funding field-tested programs through Veterans Rural Health Resource Centers and scaling the strongest as Rural Promising Practices or Enterprise-Wide Initiatives. Key focus areas are workforce shortages, transportation, primary care, mental health, telehealth, and specialty care. Does not serve veterans directly β it builds and spreads the programs that reach them, which is why a rural veteran should ask their VA facility what ORH-funded services are available locally.
Serves: All veterans, Rural veterans