The authors summarize the health care problems facing rural and frontier America by addressing five key issues within the framework of health care for the whole person: how to (a) provide health care access, (b) ensure health care quality, (c) provide a range of health care or meet the scope of practice demands, (d) address regional, rural-specific characteristics that may exist, and (e) address health professionals' quality of life. When working in rural and frontier areas it is crucial for providers to collaborate across all types of health care to provide better care and better utilize a region's tautly stretched resources. Rural health care resources are provided. The authors attempt to demonstrate characteristics of rural culture and rural and frontier populations' health care disparities, highlighting the need for collaborative care.
Abstract-According to recent estimates, over 1 million Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom Veterans are utilizing the post-9/11 GI Bill to pursue higher education. Data collected by the Department of Defense suggests that greater than 17% of returning Veterans may experience mental and physical health disorders, which can negatively affect school performance. The current study explored student Veterans' perceived facilitators and barriers to achieving academic goals. Thirty-one student Veterans completed self-report measures and interviews. Results suggested that Veterans who were reporting problems or symptoms in one mental or physical health domain were likely to be reporting symptoms or problems in others as well. The interview data were coded, and three overarching themes related to barriers and facilitators emerged: person features (e.g., discipline and determination, symptoms and stressors), institutional structure (i.e., what schools and the Department of Veterans Affairs do that was perceived to help or hinder student Veteran success), and policy concerns (i.e., how the structure of the GI Bill affects student Veteran school experience). Results from this research indicate the need for larger studies and program development efforts aimed at enhancing academic outcomes for Veterans.
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