Veterans Rural Health Improvement Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), through the Director of the Office of Rural Health (ORH) within the Office of the Under Secretary for Health, to establish and operate at least one and up to five centers of excellence for rural health research, education, and clinical activities, including: (1) research on furnishing health services in rural areas, (2) development of specific models to be used by the VA in furnishing health services to veterans in such areas, (3) education and training for VA health care professionals, and (4) development and implementation of clinical activities and systems.
Requires clinical and scientific investigation activities at each such center to: (1) be eligible to compete for awards from funds appropriated for the Medical and Prosthetics Research Account, and (2) receive priority in the award of funding from such account to the extent that funds are awarded to projects for research in the care of rural veterans.
Recognizes as purposes of veterans rural health resource centers that serve as satellite offices for the ORH the: (1) identification of disparities in the availability of health care to veterans living in rural areas, (2) formulation of practices or programs to deliver such health care, and (3) development and implementation of special practices and products for the benefit of such veterans.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1127 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1127
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish centers of
excellence for rural health research, education, and clinical
activities and to recognize the rural health resource centers in the
Office of Rural Health, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 26, 2011
Mr. Conrad introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish centers of
excellence for rural health research, education, and clinical
activities and to recognize the rural health resource centers in the
Office of Rural Health, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Veterans Rural Health Improvement
Act of 2011''.
SEC. 2. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE FOR RURAL HEALTH RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND
CLINICAL ACTIVITIES.
(a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 73 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``SEC. 7330B. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE FOR RURAL HEALTH RESEARCH,
EDUCATION, AND CLINICAL ACTIVITIES.
``(a) Establishment of Centers.--The Secretary shall, through the
Director of the Office of Rural Health, establish and operate at least
one and not more than five centers of excellence for rural health
research, education, and clinical activities, which shall--
``(1) conduct research on the furnishing of health services
in rural areas;
``(2) develop specific models to be used by the Department
in furnishing health services to veterans in rural areas;
``(3) provide education and training for health care
professionals of the Department on the furnishing of health
services to veterans in rural areas; and
``(4) develop and implement innovative clinical activities
and systems of care for the Department for the furnishing of
health services to veterans in rural areas.
``(b) Use of Rural Health Resource Centers.--In selecting locations
for the establishment of centers of excellence under subsection (a),
the Secretary may select a rural health resource center that meets the
requirements of subsection (a).
``(c) Geographic Dispersion.--The Secretary shall ensure that the
centers established under this section are located at health care
facilities that are geographically dispersed throughout the United
States.
``(d) Funding.--(1) There are authorized to be appropriated to the
Medical Care Account and the Medical and Prosthetics Research Account
of the Department of Veterans Affairs such sums as may be necessary for
the support of the research and education activities of the centers
operated under this section.
``(2) There shall be allocated to the centers operated under this
section, from amounts authorized to be appropriated to the Medical Care
Account and the Medical and Prosthetics Research Account by paragraph
(1), such amounts as the Under Secretary of Health considers
appropriate for such centers. Such amounts shall be allocated through
the Director of the Office of Rural Health.
``(3) Activities of clinical and scientific investigation at each
center operated under this section--
``(A) shall be eligible to compete for the award of funding
from funds appropriated for the Medical and Prosthetics
Research Account; and
``(B) shall receive priority in the award of funding from
such account to the extent that funds are awarded to projects
for research in the care of rural veterans.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of
chapter 73 of such title is amended by inserting after the item
relating to section 7330A the following new item:
``7330B. Centers of excellence for rural health research, education,
and clinical activities.''.
(c) Recognition of Rural Health Resource Centers in Office of Rural
Health.--Section 7308 of such title is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:
``(d) Rural Health Resource Centers.--(1) There are in the Office
veterans rural health resource centers that serve as satellite offices
for the Office.
``(2) The veterans rural health resource centers have purposes as
follows:
``(A) To improve the understanding of the Office of the
challenges faced by veterans living in rural areas.
``(B) To identify disparities in the availability of health
care to veterans living in rural areas.
``(C) To formulate practices or programs to enhance the
delivery of health care to veterans living in rural areas.
``(D) To develop special practices and products for the
benefit of veterans living in rural areas and for
implementation of such practices and products in the Department
systemwide.''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-116.
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