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Office of Rural Health (ORH)

Congress established the Veterans Health Administration Office of Rural Health (ORH) in 2006 to improve the health and well-being of America’s nearly five million rural Veterans through research, innovation, and dissemination of best practices. ORH fulfills this mission by supporting targeted research, developing innovative programs and identifying new care models. Working through its five Veterans Rural Health Resource Centers, as well as partners from academia, state and local governments, private industry, and non-profit organizations, ORH strives to break down the barriers separating rural Veterans from quality care.

National Tele-Neurology Program

Let us take the Headache out of Neurological Services!

Created in January 2020 by the Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Physical Therapy Embedded Within PACT

Embedding PT in PACT improves access to care, function, and Veteran satisfaction by providing immediate care and reduces community care and cost.

Created in January 2008 by the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital (Tampa, Florida)

SCOUTS (Supporting Community Outpatient, Urgent care & Telehealth Services)

SCOUTS ICTs provide post Emergency Department care to Older Veterans

Created in December 2020 by the Office of Primary Care

Team-supported, EHR-leveraged, Active Management for Hypertension (TEAM)

TEAM supports hypertension management using population health tools.

Created in October 2018 by the Durham VA Medical Center

Technology-based Eye Care Services (TECS)

Improved eye care access for all Veterans using eye telehealth

Created in March 2015 by the Atlanta VA Medical Center (Atlanta, Georgia)

TeleRehab Wheeled Mobility Clinic to CNH

Telerehabilitation provides wheeled mobility services to Veterans in contract nursing homes

Created in October 2018 by the Minneapolis VA Medical Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

TeleSleep Home Sleep Apnea Testing Program

Asynchronous Store and Forward of Home Sleep Apnea Testing to the Veteran Home

Created in April 2017 by the San Francisco VA Medical Center

Transforming Health and Resiliency through Integration of Values-based Experiences (THRIVE)

Bringing happiness to healthcare through values, strengths, and purpose

Created in March 2015 by the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital (Tampa, Florida)

VA Geriatric Emergency Department Program (Previously GERI-VET)

We provide individualized evaluation targeted at identifying geriatric syndromes in our most vulnerable older veterans.

Created in December 2016 by the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Cleveland, Ohio)

Veterans Mental Evaluation Team (VMET)

Crisis de-escalation, mitigate incarceration, expedite access to care.

Created in August 2018 by the Tibor Rubin VA Medical Center (Long Beach)

Video Blood Pressure Visits (VBPV)

Blood Pressure monitoring using VA Video Connect.

Created in January 2018 by the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital (Tampa, Florida), John J. Cochran Veterans Hospital (St. Louis John Cochran)