The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will provide $21.7 million to its regional health care systems to improve services specifically designed for veterans in rural areas. The extra funding is part of a two-year VA program and will be used to increase the number of mobile clinics, establish new outpatient clinics, expand fee-based care, explore collaborations with federal and community partners, accelerate the use of telemedicine deployment, and fund innovative pilot programs. VA's Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) with less than 3 percent of their patients in rural areas will receive $250,000. Those with population of rural veterans between 3 percent and 6 percent will receive $1 million each. And VISNs with more than 6 percent of their veterans population in rural areas will receive $1.5 million.
Fri Jan 23, 2009 5:50 am
Calendar