by
Astrid Fiano, DOTmed News Writer | July 17, 2009
DOTmed has previously reported on rural health stories such as Senator John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV) introducing legislation to facilitate nationwide adoption of electronic health records, with a focus on small, rural providers (DM8955). Other technological advances reported with benefits to rural areas include the HealthNet Connect Program in Iowa (DM8938) linking health care providers and related facilities and DMS' Mobile Digital Mammography Units (DM8135) offering services to women in North Dakota and Montana.
Veterans are also benefiting from the renewed interest in rural areas. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki has announced $215 million will be invested in projects for veterans to improve access and quality of mental and physical health care in geographically rural areas, with an emphasis on the use of the latest technologies, recruitment and retention of a well-educated and trained health care workforce, and collaborations with non-VA rural health community partners. Recently, the Senate Veterans Committee passed another bill assisting rural veterans, the Caregiver and Veterans Health Services Act, which would expand health care and medical services for all veterans who live in rural America (DM9165).
Although the focus on rural health is promising, areas in rural health care still need to be addressed. The Center for Rural Affairs, a Nebraska-based nonprofit that offers national policy analysis, recently released a paper suggesting mental health issues are still overlooked in rural areas. In particular rural depression and suicide rates often exceed those in urban areas, and there is a scarcity of mental health services and transportation to services.
Adapted from press releases from the above mentioned agencies.
Links:
HHS
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/06/20090601a.html
and
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/03/20090327a.html
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture:
http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2009/05/0172.xml
Center for Rural Affairs:
http://www.cfra.org/newsrelease/2009/05/19/rural-americans-mental-health-overlooked-and-disregarded-release-center-rural
